Siege of Chillán facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Chillán
Part of the Chilean War of Independence
Plaza marking the site of the Siege of Chillán
Date July 27 to August 10, 1813 Location Chillán Viejo 36°37′5.44″S 72°8′8.23″W / 36.6181778°S 72.1356194°W / -36.6181778; -72.1356194 Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Chilean patriots	Royalists
Commanders and leaders
José Miguel Carrera	Juan Francisco Sánchez José Antonio Pareja
Strength
unknown	unknown
Casualties and losses
Over 500 casualties and prisoners	unknown

The Siege of Chillán was an important battle during the Chilean War of Independence. It happened from July 27 to August 10, 1813. In this battle, Chilean patriot soldiers tried to capture the city of Chillán from royalist forces. Royalists were people loyal to the King of Spain.

The patriot leader, José Miguel Carrera, failed to take the city. This failure later led to him being removed from his leadership role by the government in Santiago.

Why did the Siege of Chillán happen?

The city of Chillán was controlled by royalist troops. Their leader was Juan Francisco Sanchez. He also had help from other royalist groups.

Juan Francisco Sanchez asked for more soldiers from Antonio Pareja. The patriot government in Santiago knew this. They told José Miguel Carrera to attack Chillán quickly. They wanted him to capture the city before more royalist soldiers could arrive.

What was Chillán like during the siege?

The patriot soldiers who surrounded Chillán were some of their best fighters. However, the siege took place in the middle of winter. The weather was very cold and difficult.

Old Chillán was a city with about 4,000 people. But with Sanchez's royalist soldiers, the number grew to 9,000. The city was on a hill that was easy to defend. It was surrounded by the Paso Hondo, Maipón, and Chillán rivers.

When José Miguel Carrera arrived, his officers had already made a plan. They knew where the enemy defenses were and where to place their cannons. Even though the patriot soldiers had waterproof ponchos, the winter was harsh. Supplies were also low. Carrera worried about how long the fight would take.

The attacks on Chillán

As the days passed, more and more patriot soldiers left their posts. José Miguel Carrera decided they needed to attack directly. He wanted to do this before his army completely fell apart in the bad winter weather.

The first attack, called the Battle of Maipón, happened on August 3. A second attack followed two days later. During these attacks, many innocent people in Chillán were harmed.

Even with these strong attacks, the patriots could not take the city. The royalist forces fought very bravely and held their ground.

What happened after the siege?

José Miguel Carrera's army lost many soldiers during the attacks. More than 500 men were either killed or captured. Some of his cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and infantry (soldiers on foot) ran away completely.

Without enough food and ammunition, the patriots could not keep surrounding the city. So, on August 10, they had to give up the siege. They retreated to Quirihue and Concepción.

Failing to capture Chillán made the leaders in Santiago lose trust in José Miguel Carrera.

Images for kids

• 

  Plate located in the plaza marking the site of the siege of Chillán, on the corner of the Luis Arellanos and Velasquez streets, remembering the deaths in the battle of Maipón on August 5.

• 

  Sketch compiled by the patriots in the siege of Chillán, in 1813 July

See also

In Spanish: Sitio de Chillán para niños