Battle of Vargas Swamp ( es, Batalla del Pantano de Vargas) was a battle that occurred near

Paipa Paipa is a town and municipality in the Tundama Province, a part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Paipa borders Duitama, Firavitoba, Tibasosa, Sotaquirá and Tuta.Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

n and Neogranadine army commanded by

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...

was trying to prevent Spanish forces from arriving at Santafe de Bogotá, which was lightly defended, before they did. Bolívar's army successfully bested the royalist army in spite of the exhaustion of the troops after climbing the

Páramo Páramo () can refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrower ...

de Pisba, and crossing the

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

. This battle and the next victory over the Spanish by the Boyacá Bridge secured the independence of

New Granada New Granada may refer to various former national denominations for the present-day country of Colombia. *New Kingdom of Granada, from 1538 to 1717 *Viceroyalty of New Granada, from 1717 to 1810, re-established from 1816 to 1819 *United Provinces of ...

Battle

During the action the left flank of the Patriot army was outflanked and withdrew in disorder. The

British Legions The British Legion () or British Legions were foreign volunteer units that fought under Simón Bolívar against Spain for the independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and José de San Martín for the independence of Peru in the Spanish Americ ...

played a decisive role in recovering the situation when their commander

James Rooke James Rooke or Rook may refer to: * James Rooke (British Army general) (1742–1805), English general and politician * James Rooke (British Legion officer) (1770–1819), British soldier in the Napoleonic wars * James Rook (rowing) (born 1997), Au ...

led the 2nd

Rifles A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with bo ...

in a bayonet charge against the Spanish defenses on the hills, gaining the position at great cost. A cavalry attack by a force of Venezuelan Lancers then decided the outcome of the battle, turning defeat into victory. The battle is commemorated in the

Vargas Swamp Lancers ''Vargas Swamp Lancers'', or Monument to the Lancers ( es, Monumento a los Lanceros), is a large sculptural complex realized by Colombia, Colombian artist Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt and by engineer Guillermo Gonzalez Zuleta in the department of Boya ...

memorial.

References

{{Authority control History of Colombia Spanish American wars of independence Independence of Colombia 1819 in Colombia 1819 in Venezuela July 1819 events