Battle of Cachirí
Part of the Colombian War of Independence

Church built on the battlefield in commemoration.
Date22 February 1816
Location
Cachirí, Santander Department, Viceroyalty of New Granada
7°32′18″N 72°59′10″W / 7.53833°N 72.98611°W / 7.53833; -72.98611
Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
United Provinces of New Granada Spain Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Custodio García Rovira
Francisco de Paula Santander		 Sebastián de la Calzada
Strength
2,500 Unknown
Casualties and losses
2,000 killed or captured 150 killed or wounded

The Battle of Cachirí was a battle during the Colombian War of Independence, fought on 22 February 1816 in the Páramo de Cachirí, located in the Santander Department in present-day Colombia, between Republicans and the Spanish Army. The battle was a complete victory for the Spanish.

Background

The United Provinces of New Granada had declared its independence from Spain in 1811, and by 1815 controlled large parts of present-day Colombia. But in 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon, the restored King Ferdinand VII of Spain had sent a large fleet under command of Pablo Morillo to restore order in the colonies and destroy the Republic.

Pablo Morillo and his veteran troops besieged and straved in to submission the major port city of Cartagena de Indias between 26 August and 6 December 1815.[1][2] In the meantime, Spanish Brigadier Sebastián de la Calzada and his 5th Division had been sent south to take the capital Santafé de Bogotá. He clashed with Republican troops under command of Rafael Urdaneta at Bálaga, on the Chitagá River on 25 November, and was victorious.[3]

The Battle

Don Sebastián de la Calzada continued his march south after defeating Urdaneta in Bálaga. He stopped in Pamplona and there he stayed for a few days. Following instructions of Morillo, he advanced from there towards Ocaña, crossing the moorland (Páramo) of Cachirí.

The commander of the Patriots had foreseen this and launched an attack on the Royalists, and achieved a partial success on 7 February 1816. That emboldened him and led him to continue the pursuit of the Spanish division, which retreated in good order. Calzada expected reinforcements from the headquarters, and indeed linked up with a force of 300 cavalry, chosen among the best of the best expeditionary battlions and under command of Captain Don Silvestre Llorente.

With this reinforcements, Calzada turned around and faced the Republicans, commanded by Rovira and Santander. He found the Republican army in the Páramo de Cachirí and attacked them in the afternoon of 21 February. The next day, he executed a flanking maneuver and defeated them completely. Rovira and Santander managed to escape, followed by only a handfull of men.[4]

The Republicans lost 2,000 men and Calzada was able to continue his advance towards Santafé de Bogotá, which he occupied on 6 May 1816. The Republican leaders fled to Popayan, but were again defeated at the Battle of Cuchilla del Tambo on 29 June, which put a definitive end to the First Republic of New Granada.

References

  1. ↑ Cartagena Explorer
  2. ↑ Cordova : p.95-96.
  3. ↑ Cordova : p.106-107.
  4. ↑ Cordova : p.109.

Sources

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