LORD COCHRANE CAPTURES VALDIVIA. 



15 



cool judgment and impetuous gallantry, in pos- 

 sessing himself of all the enemy's batteries, one 

 after another ; and subsequently, of the town and 

 province. As this is one of the most important 

 achievements of the war, a translation of Lord 

 Cochrane 's own letter, which was written in 

 Spanish, detailing the event, will I think prove in- 

 teresting. 



11 Despatch from Lord Cochrane to the Minister 

 of War and Marine of the Government of 

 Chili. 



" On board the Montezuma, 

 " Valdivia, 4th of February, 1820. 



" Sir, — I had the honour to inform you from 

 Talcuhuana, that, taking advantage of the oppor- 

 tunity which presented itself of communicating 

 with Colonel Freyre on the means most effectual 

 towards expelling the enemy from the south of 

 Chili, and freeing the country from future incur- 

 sions, I availed myself of the assistance of that 

 zealous and active officer ; who supplied me, on the 

 28th ult. with the troops and other assistance I 

 required. The O'Higgins, Intrepid brig, and Mon- 

 tezuma schooner, sailed with a fair wind, and on the 

 2d instant arrived at the preconcerted rendezvous, 

 ten leagues to the southward of Valdivia. All the 

 troops were then embarked in the small vessels ; 

 and, leaving the O'Higgins outside, we stood in for 

 the Aguada Inglesa, where we anchored at a mo- 

 derate distance from the battery and fort of San 

 Carlos. The troops were disembarked at sunset ; 

 but this was not effected before the castle com- 

 menced a fire upon us ; and in consequence of the 

 heavy surf retarding the disembarkation, the 

 enemy gained time to collect a considerable force 

 behind the precipices which line the beach. 



" Nevertheless, the marines of the O'Higgins 

 and Intrepid, with the military, having reached the 

 shore, put the enemy to flight; and, pursuing them 

 to the forts of Aguada Inglesa and San Carlos, im- 

 mediately took possession of the first. The second 

 was taken by assault after dark, in spite of all the 

 efforts the enemy made to defend it. The rapidity 

 with which we took the forts and batteries of 

 Avanzado", Barro, Amagos, and Chorocomago, can 

 only be compared with the valour and resolution of 

 the officers and men who entered the Castle of Cor- 

 ral along with the enemy, whom they were pursu- 

 ing to this last point that remained to them. In 

 this manner fell all the batteries and forts on the 

 southern bank, whose artificial strength is nothing 

 when compared with their advantageous natural 

 situation. 



" I enclose you the letters of Major Beau chefs, 

 who commanded the brave detachment of 250 men 

 with which the patriot Colonel Freyre supplied 

 me, and of Major Miller, who commanded the 

 marines. Of the gallant conduct of these two offi- 

 cers, and that of Captain Erezcous, who com- 

 manded the detachment from the Intrepid, as of 

 all the rest, I can say nothing in praise adequate 

 to their merit, and consequently, I shall recom- 

 mend them in expressive silence to the consider- 

 ation of his Excellency the Supreme Director. 



" I had almost forgotten to mention, that these 

 forts and batteries mount seventy pieces of cannon, 

 and that we have taken in the port the ship Do- 



lores. 



(Signed) 



" Cochrane.' 



While Lord Cochrane was thus harassing the 

 enemy at every point of the coast where they still 

 maintained a footing, and pursuing their ships 

 whenever he could gain intelligence of them, the 

 government of Chili was not inactive. The re- 

 sources of the country were industriously called 

 forth, troops were embodied and disciplined, and 

 every preparation made for the great expedition 

 against Peru. The executive government also re- 

 moved from the capital to Valparaiso, in order to 

 co-operate more effectually with the indefatigable 

 San Martin in organising the army ; and Lord 

 Cochrane, as soon as the necessary arrangements 

 were made for the new administration of Valdivia, 

 returned to Valparaiso, where he devoted himself, 

 with unremitting assiduity, to the equipment of 

 the fleet destined to accompany the expedition. 

 Under his hand all things prospered. The con- 

 fined naval resources of the country were turned to 

 the greatest account, with a dexterity and profes- 

 sional skill which astonished every one. Nor was 

 his Lordship less successful in producing, out of 

 the incongruous materials under his command, a 

 thorough union of hearts and hands in execution of 

 the great task he had undertaken. 



The expedition was finally reported ready for 

 sailing on the 15th of August 1820 ; the troops, 

 which had been encamped in readiness in the 

 neighbourhood, were marched into Valparaiso 

 on the 18th, and immediately embarked from the 

 arsenal under the superintendence of General Las 

 Heras. On this occasion it was admitted, by men 

 experienced in the embarkation of regular Euro- 

 pean armies, that the appearance and discipline of 

 the Chilians were worthy of any country. Their 

 numbers amounted to 3700 men. Fifteen thou- 

 sand stand of arms, with a proportionate quantity 

 of ammunition and clothing, were shipped for the 

 purpose of organizing fresh corps of the Peruvians, 

 who, it was expected, would flock to the Indepen- 

 dent standard as soon as the expedition landed. 

 General San Martin was named Commander-in- 

 chief, and captain-general of the United Liberating 

 Army of Peru. 



The fleet under Lord Cochrane consisted of the 

 O'Higgins, of 50 guns, bearing his Lordship's flag 

 at the main ; the San Martin, 60 ; the Lautaro, 40; 

 Independencia, 24 ; and three smaller vessels. The 

 transports were twenty in number, chiefly prizes 

 captured from the Spaniards. 



The first bulletin of the Liberating Army opens 

 with the following words, which state the object of 

 the expedition briefly and with some spirit : — 



"Valparaiso, 13th of August, 1820. 



" In the tenth year of the South American Re- 

 volution, and the three hundredth of the conquest 

 of Peru ; a people, whose rank in the social scale 

 has been hitherto rated below its destiny, has 

 undertaken to break those chains which Pizarro 

 began to forge with his blood-stained hands, in 

 1520. 



" The government established in Chili, since its 

 restoration, having conceived this great design, 

 deems it right that it should be carried into execu- 

 tion by the same person, who, having twice pro- 

 mised to save his country, has twice succeeded.* 



* San Martin, in 1817, at Chacabuco, and in 1818, at 

 Maypo, completely defeated the Spaniards, 



