Our Great Spanish
Empire Crumbles
The battle of
Chacabuco has been the starting point for the independence of Chile
Monday 17th of February, 1817
Madrid, Spain
 |
| Rafael Maroto |
The battle of Chacabuco took place on Wednesday, February 12, at a 55 km hacienda in the
city of Santiago, which took place between 11 am and 2 pm, two days ahead of
schedule, so as not to give time to the forces realistic to reorganize, after
several attacks in a row.
The Army of the Andes of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata led by General
Capitain José de San Martín defeated the spanish force led by Rafael Maroto. It
was a defeat for the royalist government established after the division of the
Viceroyality of Peru.
 |
| General Capitain José San Martin |
The forces
sanmartinanas were divided in two, the right wing led by the argentine general and politician Miguel Estanislao Soler and
the left wing by Bernardo O'Higgins.
They were determined to converge for the
battle, but in the end the plan was not executed that way. O'Higgins, who
logically when advancing by the shortest way, arrived first, with the mission
to contain the enemies until the arrival of Soler. He attacked without waiting
for Soler's arrival. While the battle was very committed for the criollos, the
personal intervention of San Martin began to turn the battle of Chacabuco into
a symbol of victory for the patriotic cause.
The arrival
of Soler, definitely changed the direction of the meeting, since the surprise
attack of this division, left the realists surprised and helpless.
The Spanish losses, amount to 500
dead men and 600 prisoners. As a booty of war, 100 rifles, two pieces of
artillery and flags were taken. Emancipating forces killed 12 people and
wounded 120. The governor of Chile, the spanish governator, Marcó del Pont, tried to flee to Valparaíso,
but has been taken prisoner.
