DETAILS OF THE BATTLE. 



13 



tion to face the enemy. The zeal, energy, and 

 perseverance, with which the commanding officers, 

 and indeed every individual of the army, co-ope- 

 rated to re-establish order and discipline, is beyond 

 all praise. It must be confessed, however, that 

 our force was still greatly inferior to that of the 

 enemy : many corps were reduced to mere 

 skeletons, and some battalions could hardly mus- 

 ter two hundred men. 



" Meanwhile our opponent came on rapidly ; 

 and on the 1st instant I received certain informa- 

 tion, that the body of his army, having crossed the 

 Maypo by the fords of Longuen, had marched in 

 the direction of the pass of Calera ; but his posi- 

 tion was neither secure nor skilfully chosen. On 

 the 2d we marched and took post near the aque- 

 duct of Espejo. During the 3d and 4th there was 

 a good deal of skirmishing between the sharp- 

 shooters, and the troops continued under arms on 

 both these nights. 



" On the 5th the enemy drew still nearer to us, 

 evidently with the design of turning our right 

 flank, intending thereby to threaten the capital, as 

 well as to cut off our communications with Acon- 

 cagua, and open for himself the road to Valparaiso. 

 As soon as I discovered this movement, I conceived 

 the fit opportunity was come for attacking him ; 

 and I therefore placed myself directly in his front 

 by a movement to the right, which was prepara- 

 tive to all the succeeding operations. 1 placed the 

 whole of the infantry under the command of 

 General Balcarce : the right flank under the im- 

 mediate orders of Colonel Las Heras, the left under 

 Lieut. -Colonel Alvarado, and the reserve com- 

 manded by Colonel Hilarion de la Quintana. The 

 right division of the cavalry were placed under 

 Colonel Don Matias Zapiola, with his squadrons of 

 grenadiers, and the left division under Colonel 

 Don Ramon Freyre, with the body-guard of his 

 Excellency the Director of Chili, and the mounted 

 chasseurs of the Andes. 



" The enemy, upon seeing our first movement, 

 immediately occupied a strong position in front of 

 our line, and detached a battalion of chasseurs to 

 a small knoll on his left, in order to maintain a four 

 gun battery established about half way up the hill. 

 These dispositions were most judiciously con- 

 ceived, as they completely secured his left, while 

 his fire raked and protected the whole front of his 

 position. 



" Our line, formed in close column, marched to 

 the right of the enemy, offering an oblique face to 

 their attack. The reserve fell back at the same 

 time, to be ready to cover and support our 

 right. A battery of eight guns, commanded by 

 Captain Blanco Ciceron, was advanced towards 

 our right, and another of four guns occupied 

 nearly the centre of our line, which soon com- 

 menced playing with great effect on the enemy's 

 position. 



" Things being thus arranged, our columns de- 

 scended the side of the rising ground which formed 

 our position, and charged the enemy's line. We 

 were received with a furious fire, but continued 

 our march, although their flanking battery of four 

 guns annoyed us excessively. At this instant, a 

 considerable body of the enemy's cavalry, placed 

 behind the hills, came forward and charged our 

 mounted grenadiers, who had formed in column 

 by squadrons considerably in advance. The 



leading squadron was under Captain Escalada, 

 who, the instant he saw an attack was intended, 

 dashed forward, sword in hand, upon the enemy, 

 and Captain Medina followed immediately. The 

 enemy turned about, and galloped off to the little 

 hill, where, aided by the grape-shot from the four- 

 gun battery, and the fire of the infantry, they 

 rallied and drove our troops back again. These 

 squadrons soon formed anew, and, leaving the 

 fortified hill to their right, pressed forward in 

 pursuit of the enemy's cavalry, who retreated to 

 a height in their rear ; where, being spedily rein- 

 forced, they attacked Colonel Zapiola, who with- 

 stood this new charge with great steadiness. At 

 last the enemy gave way, and were finally driven 

 entirely from this point. Meanwhile, a most 

 vigorous and destructive fire was kept up between 

 the enemy's right and our left. His best troops 

 were stationed in that quarter, and presently they 

 were advanced in close column, accompanied by a 

 body of cavalry. 



u Captain Borgono had by this time gained the 

 summit of the hill forming our position, with eight 

 field-pieces, which he was carrying to our extreme 

 left, with the intention of raking the enemy's line. 

 He very promptly, however, availed himself of the 

 opportunity, and opened such a fire of grape upon 

 the enemy's advancing columns, that he very soon 

 threw their cavalry into disorder. Notwithstand- 

 ing this advantage, and the gallant efforts made 

 by Captains Alvarado and Martinez, our line be- 

 gan evidently to falter. At this critical moment 

 I gave orders for the reserve, under Colonel Q,uin- 

 tana, to charge the enemy ; a service which was 

 performed in the most brilliant manner. The troops 

 employed consisted of the first and third battalions 

 of Chili, and the ninth battalion .of the Andes, 

 under Captains Ribera, Lopes, and Conde. This 

 energetic charge, and one by Captain Tonson of 

 the Coquimbo regiment, gave a new impulse to 

 our line, and the whole fell upon the enemy with 

 more decisive effect than ever. 



" The squadrons composing the body-guard, and 

 the mounted chasseurs under the intrepid Colonel 

 Freyre, charged at the same period, and were in 

 turn repeatedly attacked by the enemy. It is 

 difficult to give an adequate idea of the numerous 

 feats of bravery which distinguished the troops on 

 this day.. I speak not only of bodies of troops and 

 commanding-officers, but of individual soldiers. 

 It may, however, be safely asserted, that a more 

 daring, vigorous, or well-supported attack, never 

 was made ; neither, it Ought to be allowed, was 

 there ever a more determined resistance. At last, 

 however, the perseverance and gallantry of our 

 soldiers succeeded, and the position was wrested 

 from the enemy at the point of the bayonet. 



" These important successes alone, it might have 

 been thought, would have given us the victory ; 

 but it was not in our power to break the enemy's 

 columns completely. Our cavalry, indeed, hung 

 upon their flanks and rear, and harassed them 

 excessively. Still, however, they retreated in a 

 compact body, till, on reaching the narrow lanes 

 near Espejo, they obtained possession of a hill, 

 where they commenced a new action, which lasted 

 above an hour. On our side, this was maintained 

 by the third regiment of Arauco, the infantry of 

 Chili, and other detachments, which were succes- 

 sively engaged. Eventually, however, the gallant 



