The Battle of Cancha Rayada (March 16, 1818), (also known in Chile as the Second Battle of Cancha Rayada or Surprise of Cancha Rayada) was fought in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
between South American patriots and Spanish royalists, during the
Osorio's campaign in the South American wars of independence. The result was a defeat for the patriot forces, weeks later the patriots take their rematch at the
Battle of Maipú
The Battle of Maipú ( es, Batalla de Maipú) was a battle fought near Santiago, Chile on April 5, 1818, between South American rebels and Spanish royalists, during the Chilean War of Independence. The Patriot rebels led by Argentine general Jo ...
.
Background
In March 1818, the royalist forces concentrated and fortified in
Talca
Talca () is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, Chile, Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the ...
with around five thousand men under Brigadier
Mariano Osorio
Mariano de Osorio (; 1777–1819) was a Spanish general and Governor of Chile, from 1814 to 1815.
Early career
Osorio was born in Seville, Spain. He joined the Spanish army and as many of his contemporaries, his military career began during the ...
, while the independentist forces of around seven thousand men formed by the United Army were taking positions at the Cancha Rayada
plain
In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...
s, about seven kilometers away. Argentine general
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...
, fearing an attack on his flank, ordered a change of position of the troops.
[La Guía 2000]
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Knowing their disadvantage in number and cavalry, the Spanish General Osorio was not eager to engage in battle either, remaining content with fortifying Talca
Talca () is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, Chile, Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the ...
. However, after a suggestion from Colonel José Ordóñez a confrontation was decided upon, under Ordoñez' command.
The battle
The Spanish attacked at 19:30, when the last thing the patriots expected was a battle. In a bold move, Ordoñez made the kind of attack San Martín had most feared: circumventing the city and making a surprise attack at night behind the vanguard where the patriot forces were still taking positions. The surprise attack happened before the patriot army had re-positioned itself, and was a directed at the battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
under General 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 ...
command, near San Martín's position. Soon, the vanguard soldiers dispersed, leaving O'Higgins in a bad position; his horse was shot dead and he was wounded in one arm.
In an uncharacteristic move, instead of ordering retreat San Martín held the position, which made more patriot soldiers flee under enemy fire, leaving their weapons and supplies behind. After the initial disorder, however, he ordered retreat. The rear and reserves had already re-positioned, somewhat withstanding the attack, but had no-one in command, since their chief, Colonel Hilarión de la Quintana, had left for headquarters to receive orders after the re-position and had not yet returned. Colonel Juan Gregorio de Las Heras took command, and led the men during the retreat, while trying to recover as much artillery and weapons as possible. San Martín and O'Higgins (who were also retreating at full speed) were being closely chased by royalist forces.
Aftermath
By March 21, the decimated patriot forces of around three and half thousand men reunited in San Fernando
San Fernando may refer to:
People
*Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia
Places Argentina
*San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
, while news of the defeat reached Santiago. Rumors of deaths of O'Higgins and San Martín were spreading, and an exodus from Santiago to Mendoza began. Regarding the battle, San Martín sent the following message: ''Camping the army under my command in the outskirts of Talca, it was attacked by the enemy, and suffered an almost generalized disbanding which forced me to retreat. I'm reuniting the troops right now, with happy results, as I'm already counting 4,000 men from Curicó to Pelequén''.
The battle (which was the only defeat the campaign had suffered) resulted in around 150 killed, and two hundred taken prisoner. Several hundred had deserted, the whole artillery of the Argentine side was lost along with considerable numbers of horses, mules, and weapons from both the Chilean and Argentine parts of the army. Despite the royalist victory, the action proved devastating to their side: two hundred soldiers had been killed, three hundred men captured and around six hundred had deserted, a total comprising more than half the two thousand men that had charged into the battle.
References
External links
Historia de Chile
Chillán Viejo, Chile
* Julio Mario Luqui-Lagleyze
Julio Mario Luqui-Lagleyze is an Argentine historian. Born in Buenos Aires in 1959 received a degree in History in 1982. He specializes in Hispano-American Military and Naval History and Military Museology. He is currently studying for his PhD in ...
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Conflicts in 1818
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 Nueva Campaign
1818 in Chile
1818 in the Spanish Empire
March 1818 events
Battle of Cancha Rayada, Second