The Battle of Cabeza de Las Marías and Las Hicoteas were the first military engagements of the

Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence made the Dominican Republic a sovereign state on February 27, 1844. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola had been united for 22 years when the newly independent nation, previously known as the Captaincy Gen ...

and were fought between the 13 and 18 March 1844, at Cabeza de Las Marías, near

Neyba Neiba (also spelt ''Neyba'') is a city in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. It is the capital city of the Baoruco province, and is located 180 kilometres west of the national capital, Santo Domingo, close to the shore of Lake Enriquillo, ...

Baoruco Province Baoruco, alternatively spelt Bahoruco (), is a province of the Dominican Republic located in the southwest of the country, part of the Enriquillo Region, along with the provinces of Barahona, Independencia and Pedernales. Before 1952 it included w ...

and Las Hicoteas, near

Azua de Compostela Azua de Compostela, also known simply as Azua, is a municipality (''municipio'') and capital of Azua Province in the southern region of Dominican Republic. Founded in 1504, Azua is one of the oldest European settlements in the Americas. The town ...

Azua Province Azua () is a province which is collectively one of the thirty-two provinces of the Dominican Republic. It is divided into 10 municipalities (the same as Santiago) and its capital city is Azua de Compostela. It is bordered by the provinces of La ...

. A force of 500 Dominican troops, a portion of the Army of the South, led by General

Manuel de Regla Mota Manuel de Regla Mota y Álvarez (November 21, 1795May 1, 1864) was a Dominican military figure and politician. Mota served as the 5th president of the Dominican Republic from May 26, 1856 until October 8, 1856. Prior to that he served as the c ...

, encountered an outnumbering force of 10,000 troops of the Haitian Army led by General Souffrand and was forced to flee to Azua de Compostela.

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Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Cabeza de Las Marias Conflicts in 1844 Cabeza de Las Marías Cabeza de Las Marías 1844 in the Dominican Republic March 1844 events