Action of Tambo Nuevo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Action of Tambo Nuevo |
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| Part of Bolivian War of Independence Argentine War of Independence |
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 Engraving of the action of Tambo Nuevo by Franz Van Riel |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Provinces of South America Republiquetas |
 Viceroyalty of Peru |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid |
Saturnino Castro |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 12 cavalrymen | 5 soldiers (Yocalla) 50 soldiers (Tambo Nuevo) |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | 15 prisoners 2 prisoners executed |
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The Action of Tambo Nuevo, also known as the Feat of the Three Sergeants, was a clever military attack. It happened between October 23 and 25, 1813. This event was part of the second Upper Peru campaign during the Argentine War of Independence.
A small group of cavalry soldiers, called dragoons, from the Army of the North carried out the raid. Their main goals were to surprise the royalist leader Colonel Saturnino Castro at Yocalla and later attack an outpost at Tambo Nuevo.
Contents
Why This Happened
After a battle called Battle of Vilcapugio on October 1, 1813, General Manuel Belgrano and his republican Army of the North had to pull back. They set up their main camp in a town called Macha. Belgrano wanted to get more soldiers and supplies there.
The royalist army, led by General Joaquin de la Pezuela, also had problems. They had won the battle but lost many men and horses. Horses were very important for moving cannons and supplies in the tough mountain areas.
Meanwhile, a part of Belgrano's army went to the city of Potosí. By mid-October, royalist forces, led by Colonel Saturnino Castro, were threatening Potosí. Castro had taken over the town of Yocalla.
The First Secret Mission
While preparing his troops at Macha, General Belgrano sent out small teams to gather information. He chose Lieutenant La Madrid, one of his best cavalry officers, for a special mission. La Madrid was to find out what the royalists were doing at Yocalla.
La Madrid left the republican camp with four dragoons and a local guide. After a very cold night with heavy snow, they were only 400 meters from the enemy camp. They managed to sneak in without being seen. They even surprised a royalist patrol in the snow and captured five soldiers.
A group of local people, who supported the royalists, saw La Madrid's group as they left. They told Colonel Castro which way the dragoons had gone. When the captured soldiers were brought to Belgrano, he recognized two of them. These two had been captured before and had promised not to fight against the republicans again. To show that breaking promises had consequences, Belgrano had them dealt with. Their heads were later sent to La Madrid, along with eight more dragoons, as a message.
The Tambo Nuevo Attack
La Madrid found out that Colonel Castro knew about his group's movements. Castro had sent a company of soldiers to set up a surprise attack at Tambo Nuevo. This was a mountain pass about 25 kilometers north of Yocalla.
On the night of October 24, La Madrid and his men climbed a hill behind the outpost. Three soldiers went ahead to scout the enemy position. They found a stable with at least 50 horses and another building guarded by a sentry. They quietly overpowered the guard.
Inside the building, they found ten more soldiers sleeping. They captured all of them. However, one royalist sergeant managed to escape and raised the alarm. The rest of the royalist company, thinking they were outnumbered, stayed inside another building until morning. There was some shooting back and forth.
At dawn, La Madrid and his men, along with the ten captured soldiers, went back to Macha. General Belgrano was very impressed by the three soldiers who scouted the outpost. He promoted them to sergeants. They were given the special title of Sargentos de Tambo Nuevo (Sergeants of Tambo Nuevo).
What Happened Next
This small but brave action had a big effect. Colonel Castro thought that a large force of 200 republican soldiers was following his squadron. Because of this, he decided to pull back to Condo, where General Pezuela's main camp was.
This move allowed General Díaz Vélez and his troops to safely join Belgrano's army in Macha. La Madrid's cavalry also went to the site of the Battle of Vilcapugio. There, they buried the bodies of their comrades who had died in that battle.
See also
In Spanish: Sorpresa de Tambo Nuevo para niños
Images for kids
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Engraving of the action of Tambo Nuevo by Franz Van Riel
