42 
huana. These troops, commanded by 
Ossorio, and re-inforced by the’ garri- 
son of the place, proceeded on their 
march for the capital of Chili.’ Ere 
long, they had to encounter the repub- 
lican army, 9000 strong, under the 
orders of San" Martin (who had re- 
turned,) and O’Higgins. ‘Phe royalists 
were inferior in: number, and their 
general, distrusting the issue of a 
battle, in open day, made an attack 
by night, which sueceeded beyond his 
expectations. The republicans were 
surprised and put to the rout, in a 
manner, without fighting; but, forte- 
nately, the right wing, commaiuded by 
General Las Heras, in spite of the 
greatest obstacles, effected ils retreat 
to the walls of the capital, more than 
eighty Castilian leagues from Cancha 
Rayada, where the liberties of the 
Chilians had been exposed to such 
hazards. 
To repair these disasters, the Chi- 
Jians had courage, and General San 
Martin to second and invigorate it. 
In the space of fifteen days, this able 
general, repairing to St. Jago, had 
re-established public confidence, re- 
assembled an army, and was ready 
to offer battle to the enemy, in 
the plain of Maipo, distant three 
leagues from the capital. Ossorio 
was superior in numbers, and his army 
was composed of chosen troops; but 
the triumph of his adversary was com- 
plete, and the royal army was appa- 
rently annihilated. Ossorio could only 
bring back seventy-three men to 
Taleahuano; the rest were cithez killed 
or taken prisoners. 
This victory of Maipo was not de- 
cisive of the fate of the American 
republics. General San Martin fore- 
saw dangers ever likely to arise from 
Peru, and he determined to make its 
“territory the theatre of war. He 
repaired, then, afresh to Buenos Ayres, 
to renew the preparations for the ex- 
pedition which he meditated. The 
state of the roads, and his own ill- 
health, prevented his return to Chili 
before the end of October. During 
that time, the marine of the new re- 
public had been formed. The Chilian 
admiral, Don Manuel Bianco, had 
captured, in the waters of Taleahuaho, 
ihe Maria Isabella, with the greater 
part of the convoy from Cattiz, for 
Callao. Soon after, Lord Cochrane 
arrived, and the Chilian squadron 
was placed under his orders. He was 
Memoirs of General San Martin. 
fAug.1, 
directed to go and attack, in the Bay 
of Callao, the Spanish naval force; the 
destruction of which could not fail to 
aid essentially the success of the prin- 
cipal, expedition, | But things were 
not yet matured for this enterprise, 
and the finances of Chili were! ex- 
hausted. . Vhe indefatigable San’ Mar- 
tin, who was often moving from one 
seene of action to another, prepared 
once more to revisit Buenos Ayres: 
this was in the month of February 
1819. He had been recalled by the 
pressing injunctions of the govern- 
ment of the Argentine Republic, then 
menaced by the great preparations 
making at Cadiz; and further, he was 
cager to terminate, by his mediation, 
the differences between his govern- 
ment and the perfidious Artigas. 
This journey was obstructed by cir- 
cumstances. San Martin had timely 
notice, that a chief of the brigands, 
José Miguel Carrera, at the head of a 
band, was lying in wait for him at a 
certain passage ; and, doubtless, if the 
general had only advanced three 
Jeagues farther, he must have fallen 
into their hands, at the risque of being 
assassinated. He returned, therefore, 
to Mendoza; intending to retrogade 
to Chili, should the route of the pro- 
vinces of La Plata not prove free. 
His health, however, was seriously 
impaired ; while, in) the: mean: time, 
disorders were prevalent in the whole 
range, from the foot of the Andes to 
the mouth of the river La Plata.’ On 
one side, the government of Chili 
pressed him to put himself at the head 
of the liberating army of Peru; under- 
taking to remove all obstacles, and to 
provide all requisite supplies for. the 
expedition. On the other side, the 
chiefs of the Argentine Republic in- 
sisted on his re-conducting, within 
their boundaries, the army of the 
Andes under his command. It wasno 
longer a foreign invasion to be repel- 
led ; the events of Port St. Mary, at 
Cadiz, had put a stop to that project ; 
but enemies still more alarming,—civil 
factions and anarchy. General Bel- 
grano, who was at the head of an 
army on the frontiers of Peru, reccived 
similar orders; which he obeyed. San 
Martin, after mature reflection on the 
part he was to take, to serve at the 
same time his own country, and to' 
promote the common interest of the 
grand American cause, concluded 
upon not obeying. Though many 
= have 
