The Battle of El Roble was fought on the
Itata river
The Itata River flows in the Ñuble Region, southern Chile.
Until the Conquest of Chile, the Itata was the natural limit between the Mapuche, located to the south, and Picunche, to the north.
See also
*Itata
*List of rivers in Chile
This list o ...
, 17 October 1813, between the Chilean patriot general
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo (; October 15, 1785 – September 4, 1821) was a Chilean general, formerly Spanish military, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most impo ...
and Spanish royalist forces under the command of
Clemente Lantaño and de
Luis Urrejola. The surprise patriot victory at El Roble as a result of
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Althou ...
' actions at the end of the day was to result in a change of patriot commander, and a severe split within the patriot movement.
Background
General
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo (; October 15, 1785 – September 4, 1821) was a Chilean general, formerly Spanish military, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most impo ...
planned to seize the city of
Chillán
Chillán () is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of the Ñuble Region in the DiguillÃn Province of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of the new à ...
from royalist hands, and had divided his army into two parts. One part, under the command of his brother
Juan Jose was sent two kilometres beyond the confluence of the
Itala
Itala was a car manufacturer based in Turin, Italy, from 1904 to 1934, started by Matteo Ceirano and five partners in 1903.
Ceirano family background
The Ceirano brothers, Giovanni Battista Ceirano, Giovanni Battista, Giovanni Ceirano, Giovanni ...
and
Ñuble rivers. The other part, under
Carrera's own command, went three leagues further east to cross at the ''paso el Roble''.
[The 'oak tree crossing'.]
Having discovered
Carrera's plans,
Juan Francisco Sanchez, the royalist commander in
Chillán
Chillán () is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of the Ñuble Region in the DiguillÃn Province of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of the new à ...
, decided to destroy the patriot army in a surprise attack. He ordered his officers to send a force across the
Itata river
The Itata River flows in the Ñuble Region, southern Chile.
Until the Conquest of Chile, the Itata was the natural limit between the Mapuche, located to the south, and Picunche, to the north.
See also
*Itata
*List of rivers in Chile
This list o ...
at night, moving it into position on the south bank of the river, to the east of the patriot forces. To the north, the royalist placed a force of 400 men under the control of
Juan Antonio Olate, with the task of preventing the patriots from crossing the river.
The battle
At dawn on the 17 October, the royalist forces launched their surprise attack on
Carrera's forces, creating panic in their ranks.
Carrera, believing his army defeated, drove his horse into the
Itata river
The Itata River flows in the Ñuble Region, southern Chile.
Until the Conquest of Chile, the Itata was the natural limit between the Mapuche, located to the south, and Picunche, to the north.
See also
*Itata
*List of rivers in Chile
This list o ...
and retreated from the battle to avoid capture. Meanwhile, then Colonel
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Althou ...
had kept his composure from the start of the shooting and, gathering about two hundred men around him, ran to protect the artillery and organise the resistance. He was joined by captains
Jose Joaquin and
Diego Jose Benavente
Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''.
E ...
forming a respectable little force. After about an hour or more of fighting,
O'Higgins became impatient. Taking a gun from a fallen soldier and brandishing it, he shouted:
"Lads! To me! Live with honour, or die with glory! The one who is brave is the one who follows me!"
The troops, encouraged by the example of
O'Higgins, charged forward with him and drove the enemy into rapid retreat. Although injured in the leg,
O'Higgins continued to lead the pursuit of the enemy on foot, until the royalists had crossed back over the river in total confusion.
The aftermath
The royalists left more than 80 dead in the battlefield, whilst the patriots had suffered thirty casualties. The greatest impact, however, was off the battle field. For the patriot army, this was their first victory against the royalist forces, which would be well remembered. For
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo (; October 15, 1785 – September 4, 1821) was a Chilean general, formerly Spanish military, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most impo ...
, his retreat from the battlefield would cause him to lose support from
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
, and result in his replacement by
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Althou ...
, leading in turn to the
battle of Las Tres Acequias the following year.
References
External links
Story of the Army of Chile
{{DEFAULTSORT:El Roble, Battle of
Conflicts in 1813
Battles involving Chile
Battles involving Spain
Battles of the Spanish American wars of independence
Battles of the Chilean War of Independence
Battles of the Patria Vieja Campaign
Battle of El Roble
The Battle of El Roble was fought on the Itata river, 17 October 1813, between the Chilean patriot general José Miguel Carrera and Spanish royalist forces under the command of
Clemente Lantaño and de Luis Urrejola. The surprise patriot victor ...
Battle of El Roble
The Battle of El Roble was fought on the Itata river, 17 October 1813, between the Chilean patriot general José Miguel Carrera and Spanish royalist forces under the command of
Clemente Lantaño and de Luis Urrejola. The surprise patriot victor ...
Battle of El Roble
The Battle of El Roble was fought on the Itata river, 17 October 1813, between the Chilean patriot general José Miguel Carrera and Spanish royalist forces under the command of
Clemente Lantaño and de Luis Urrejola. The surprise patriot victor ...