Battle of Píleo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Píleo
Part of the Chilean War of Independence
Date December 7, 1819 Location Píleo, on the south bank of the Biobío River, across from Hualqui Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Chilean Army	Royalists
Commanders and leaders
Pedro Kurski   †	Vicente Benavides
Strength
50 cavalry	200
Casualties and losses
c. 45 killed

The Battle of Píleo happened on December 7, 1819. It was a small but important fight during the Chilean War of Independence. This battle was part of a very tough period called the guerra a muerte (which means "war to the death"). In this battle, the new Chilean Army fought against Spanish royalist guerrillas. The royalists won this fight.

What Led to the Battle?

The main Chilean Army, led by General Ramón Freire, was defending the city of Concepción. Spanish royalist guerrillas, commanded by Vicente Benavides, were attacking the city. Concepción was almost completely surrounded. Because the city was running out of food, General Freire sent Captain Pedro Kurski and 50 soldiers on a special mission. Their job was to go into the countryside and bring back much-needed supplies.

On December 6, Captain Kurski left Concepción. He crossed to the south side of the Biobío River. He then traveled further inland. There, he found a group of cattle that the guerrillas had gathered. The cattle were being kept in an area called Píleo, which was across from the town of Hualqui. Only 15 soldiers were guarding them.

On December 7, very early in the morning, Kurski launched a surprise attack. He defeated all the royalist guards and took control of the animals. Kurski then started to lead the cattle back towards Concepción.

The Battle of Píleo

As Captain Kurski was heading back to Concepción with the cattle, he ran into a large group of Benavides's soldiers. There were about 200 of them. They were moving back from San Pedro. Kurski was already near one of the shallow crossing points (fords) of the Biobío River. Instead of crossing the river to safety, he decided to stay and fight.

A fierce battle began. Kurski and his men were able to stop two direct attacks from the royalist guerrillas. Kurski felt confident because of his early success. He thought he was about to defeat the guerrillas completely. But he made a mistake. He decided to charge forward with his own troops.

At that moment, the royalist reserve forces moved. They managed to get between Kurski's troops and the river ford. This meant Kurski's escape route was cut off. He was now trapped, with enemies attacking from two sides.

Kurski and his soldiers were quickly overwhelmed. They knew that surrendering was very dangerous in this war. So, they decided to risk escaping by crossing the river. However, most of the soldiers who tried to cross were swept away by the strong current and drowned. Captain Kurski himself was among those who died in the river.

Sources

See also

In Spanish: Combate de Pileo para niños