Battle of Chacabuco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Chacabuco |
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| Part of the Chilean War of Independence and the Argentine War of Independence | |||||||
 Chilean and Argentine troops marching to the Battle of Chacabuco |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Provinces Chile |
 Spanish Royalists |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| José de San Martín Miguel E. Soler Bernardo O'Higgins |
Rafael Maroto |
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| Units involved | |||||||
 Army of the Andes |
Royalist Militia | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3,600 - 4,000 men (Infantry and Cavalry) 9 artillery |
1,400-2,450 Infantry
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 100 killed/wounded | 500 killed/wounded 600 prisoners |
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The Battle of Chacabuco was a very important fight during the Chilean War of Independence. It happened on February 12, 1817. In this battle, the Army of the Andes, led by José de San Martín, defeated a Spanish army. The Spanish forces were led by Rafael Maroto. This victory was a big blow to the Spanish government in Chile, which was called the Captaincy General of Chile.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In 1814, José de San Martín helped set up a new government in Argentina. After this, he started thinking about how to get rid of the Spanish royalists from all of South America. Royalists were people who supported the King of Spain. San Martín realized that the first step was to push the Spanish out of Chile.
To do this, he began to gather and train an army. In less than two years, he had an army of about 6,000 soldiers, 1,200 horses, and 22 cannons.
Crossing the Andes Mountains
On January 17, 1817, San Martín and his army began their difficult journey across the Andes Mountains. He planned carefully so that the Spanish forces in Chile were waiting in the wrong places. Because of this, his army crossed the mountains without being attacked.
However, the Army of the Andes still faced many challenges. They lost a lot of men and horses during the crossing. About one-third of his soldiers and more than half of his horses were lost. San Martín then joined forces with a Chilean patriot leader named Bernardo O'Higgins, who also had his own army.
Spanish Response
When the Spanish royalists heard that San Martín's army was coming, they quickly moved north. A force of about 1,500 Spanish soldiers, led by Brigadier Rafael Maroto, blocked San Martín's path at a valley called Chacabuco. This valley was close to Santiago.
Maroto thought it would be better to leave the capital city and move south. He believed they could gather more supplies there for a new fight. The Spanish governor, Field Marshal Casimiro Marcó del Pont, first agreed with Maroto's plan on February 8. But the very next morning, the governor changed his mind. He ordered Maroto to get ready for battle at Chacabuco.
Maroto and his troops just needed to delay San Martín. Maroto knew that more Spanish soldiers were on their way from Santiago. San Martín also knew this. So, he decided to attack quickly while his army still had more soldiers than the Spanish.
Getting Ready for Battle
San Martín received a lot of information about the Spanish plans from a spy. This spy was dressed as a roto, which was a poor peasant in Chile. The roto told San Martín that the Spanish general, Marcó, knew about fighting in the mountains. He also said that Marcó told his army to "run to the field," meaning Chacabuco.
The spy also shared General Rafael Maroto's plan. Maroto was the leader of the Talavera Regiment and had about 2,000 volunteer soldiers. His plan was to take the mountainside and attack San Martín's army.
San Martín's Plan
On February 11, San Martín held a meeting with his officers to decide on a plan. Their main goal was to capture the Chacabuco Ranch. This ranch was the Spanish headquarters at the bottom of the hills.
San Martín decided to divide his 2,000 soldiers into two groups. Each group would go down a different road on either side of the mountain. The group on the right was led by Miguel Estanislao Soler. The group on the left was led by O’Higgins. The plan was for Soler to attack the sides of the Spanish army. At the same time, he would try to get behind them to stop them from running away. San Martín wanted both leaders to attack at the same time. This way, the Spanish would have to fight on two sides at once.
The Battle Begins
San Martín sent his soldiers down the mountain starting at midnight on February 11. They were getting ready for an attack at dawn. When dawn arrived, his troops were much closer to the Spanish than expected. They fought bravely.
Meanwhile, Soler's troops had to go down a very narrow and difficult path. This took much longer than planned. General O’Higgins, supposedly seeing his homeland and feeling very passionate, decided not to follow the plan exactly. He charged forward with his 1,500 men.
What exactly happened next is still debated. O’Higgins said that the Spanish stopped retreating and started moving towards his troops. He believed that if he led his men back up the narrow path, they would be easily defeated. San Martín saw O’Higgins' early attack. He quickly ordered Soler to charge the side of the Spanish army. This helped O’Higgins' troops and allowed them to hold their position.
Fighting Continues
The battle continued with heavy gunfire into the afternoon. The fight started to turn in favor of the Army of the Andes when Soler captured an important Spanish artillery (cannon) position.
At this point, the Spanish soldiers formed a defensive square around the Chacabuco Ranch. O’Higgins charged the middle of the Spanish position. At the same time, Soler moved behind the Spanish, cutting off any way for them to escape. O’Higgins and his men overwhelmed the Spanish troops. When the Spanish tried to retreat, Soler's men stopped them and pushed them towards the ranch.
Hand-to-hand combat took place in and around the ranch. Every Spanish soldier was either killed or captured. About 500 Spanish soldiers were killed, and 600 were taken prisoner. The Army of the Andes lost only twelve men during the fighting. However, another 120 soldiers died later from their wounds. Maroto managed to escape because his horse was very fast, but he was slightly hurt.
What Happened Next
The remaining Spanish soldiers went to the southern part of Chile. There, they tried to set up a small Spanish-controlled area. They received more soldiers and supplies by sea. This group continued to be a problem for Chile for some time. Eventually, they were forced to leave by sea and go to Lima.
After the battle, an interim governor named Francisco Ruiz-Tagle held a meeting. They chose San Martín to be the new governor. But San Martín turned down the offer. He asked for a new meeting, which then made O'Higgins the Supreme Director of Chile. This event marked the beginning of a new period in Chile's history, called the "Patria Nueva" (New Homeland).
See also
