The Battle of La Carbonera was fought on 18 October 1866 during the
Second French intervention in Mexico
The Second French Intervention in Mexico ( es, Segunda intervención francesa en México), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was an invasion of Mexico, launched in late 1862 by the Second French Empire, which hoped to ...
.
Background
Having triumphed over the Imperial forces in the
Battle of Miahuatlán, the Republican General
Porfirio Díaz besieged the city of
Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...
, defended by the conservative General
Carlos Oronoz.
The siege lasted about 11 days until Díaz learned that a column of 1,500 Mexican, French and Austrian soldiers were approaching from the north.
On 16 October Díaz broke off the siege of Oaxaca and marched to fight the relieving Imperial army.
The next day he was reinforced at
San Juan del Estado by General
Luis Pérez Figueroa's brigade.
Díaz's army then marched northeast to the town of
Etla, arriving at a hilltop area known as La Carbonera.
Battle
Díaz placed his younger brother Felix in command of the Ixtlan National Guard, which fought in the vanguard.
Figueroa's brigade was deployed on the right, the Chiautla and Cazadores Battalions under Colonel Juan Espinosa in the center and González's brigade on the left.
The cavalry were held in reserve in the rear, along with the Tlaxiaco militia and some artillery.
[
The two forces made contact around noon on 18 October.
After marshaling on a nearby hill, the enemy attacked in two columns despite being outnumbered by two to one.
The attacks were repulsed, and the two armies closed into general combat.
After a relatively short struggle, the Austro-Imperial right was outflanked and their army disintegrated.][
By late afternoon, the enemy had been routed.
Republican casualties were 78 killed and 153 wounded.][
Díaz took 500 Austrian prisoners in this battle.]
Results
In addition to total victory, the troops of General Porfirio Díaz won a major prize in arms, ammunition and horses, which allowed them to completely rearm.
The battle was decisive, opening the way to Puebla and Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
.[
]
See also
*List of battles of the French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico (1862–1867) was an invasion of the Republic of Mexico by the army of the Second French Empire in 1862. It resulted in the establishment of the Second Mexican Empire in 1864, which was supported by many conserv ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Carbonera, Battle Of
La Carbonera
1866 in Mexico
Battles of the Second French intervention in Mexico
History of Oaxaca
October 1866 events