The Battle of Concón was fought between the forces of the
Congress of Chile
The National Congress of Chile ( es, Congreso Nacional de Chile) is the legislative branch of the government of the Republic of Chile.
The National Congress of Chile was founded on July 4, 1811. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Cha ...
and loyalists of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Jose Manuel Balmaceda. In mid-August 1891 the rebel forces were embarked at
Iquique
Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191, ...
, numbering in all about 9,000 men, and sailed for the south. The expedition by sea was admirably managed, and on August 10 the congressist army was disembarked at
Quintero
Quintero is a Chilean city and commune in Valparaíso Province, in the Valparaíso Region, 30 kilometers north of Valparaíso. The commune spans an area of . It was the first port in the country, created during the expedition of Diego de Almagr ...
, about 20 km. north of
Valparaiso, miles out of range of its defensive batteries, and marched to Concón, where the Balmacedists were entrenched.
Balmaceda was surprised but acted promptly. The first battle was fought on the Aconcagua river at Concón on August 21. The eager infantry of the Congressional army forced the passage of the river and stormed the heights held by the Gobiernistas. A severe fight ensued, in which the troops of President Balmaceda were defeated with heavy loss. The killed and wounded of the Balmacedists numbered 1,600, and nearly all the prisoners, about 1,500 men, enrolled themselves in the rebel army, which thus more than made good its loss of 1,000 killed and wounded.
See also
*
Chilean Civil War of 1891
The Chilean Civil War of 1891 (also known as Revolution of 1891) was a civil war in Chile fought between forces supporting Congress and forces supporting the President, José Manuel Balmaceda from 16 January 1891 to 18 September 1891. The war ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Concon
Conflicts in 1891
1891 in Chile
Concon
August 1891 events
History of Valparaíso Region