30 INTRODUCTION. 



invasion of Chile, he caused himself to be surprised more than once 

 by some Spanish prisoners of war that were on the point of return- 

 ing to Osorio, in the act of examining maps and plans of the road by 

 the south, called the Planchon, into Chile, and even went so far as 

 to write false despatches and cause them to be surprised, intimating, 

 that, in order to avoid the difficulty of the Cumbre, he meant to march 

 by the Planchon. Accordingly most of the royal troops were kept in 

 that quarter to be ready to receive him. In fact, a small party under 

 General Don Ramon Freire did march that way ; another small divi- 

 sion took the usual road of the Cumbre ; while the main body of the 

 army pursued the way of San Juan de los Patos, with such complete 

 secrecy, that the whole had crossed the mountains and reached the 

 plain of Chacabuco before the enemy knew that they had left Mendoza. 

 It was on the 4th February, 1817, while every body was expecting to 

 hear of invasion in the south, that unwelcome intelligence was re- 

 ceived in Santiago, that a party of the patriots had surprised the 

 guard of the Andes about fifteen leagues from the villa of Santa 

 Rosa, and that only thirteen men had escaped to bring the news. 

 The guard of los Patos also brought intelligence that the enemy had 

 been seen in that pass. The city was instantly in the greatest 

 agitation : Marco the governor, together with the Cabildo, ordered 

 and counter-ordered, appointed officers and changed them, and even 

 then seemed preparing for flight. On the 5th Col. Quintanilla * was 

 despatched from the city, to reinforce the troops already stationed in 

 Aconcagua, Santa Rosa, and on the roads. He found on the 6th 

 that most of the forces under Major Atero had retired to the heights 

 of Chacabuco, leaving behind their ammunition and baggage, so 

 hasty had been their retreat. On the 7th there was some skirmishing 

 between the outposts near Curimon, in which the royalists were 

 worsted ; but it was not till the 12th that the great action of Cha- 

 cabuco was fought, an action of infinite importance, not only to Chile, 

 but to the whole of South America. Bolivar had been driven out 



The same who, with persevering loyalty, still (1823) holds Chile for the king of Spain. 



