POLITICAL HISTORY OF PERU. 295 



for Guayaquil, where he still remains. Nieto sought an asylum on 

 board one of the foreign ships of war lying in the Bay of Callao, as 

 has been customary in their revolutions. 



The day after the Chilians entered Lima, Gamarra succeeded in 

 getting himself proclaimed President of Peru, by a few of his minions 

 under the bayonets of Chili, and exercised his authority as far as their 

 influence extended. 



At the time of these occurrences, Santa Cruz was in Bolivia, when, 

 on learning the treachery of Orbejoso, and the occupation of Lima by 

 the Chilians, he collected his forces in the valley of Jauja, and marched 

 to join General Moran, called the Murat of Peru, who was encamped 

 within three days' march of Lima, with three thousand men, and 

 awaiting him. Santa Cruz approached Lima, after having effected 

 his junction with Moran. He moved on, confident of success, with 

 his well-appointed force, a host of marshals and generals in his suite, 

 and boasted that the Chilians would soon be in a worse situation than 

 when the treaty of Paucarpata was signed. Bulnes, on the approach 

 of Santa Cruz, retired, leaving Lima the day before Santa Cruz 

 entered it, embarked his troops in the fleet, and sailing north, landed 

 near Huara, in the department of Truxillo. This much increased the 

 confidence of the Peruvians, who now considered the Chilians as 

 already captured. Believing that as the rains had commenced, the 

 Chilians had gone into quarters for the winter, Santa Cruz determined 

 to pursue them by land, with which intent he made forced marches, 

 through fog and rain, and overtook the Chilian army at Huara, where 

 he encamped in a strong position. He considered his enemy to be in 

 so bad a plight, that he had so little doubt of overcoming them with 

 ease, that it is said he wrote to his ministers at Lima, in imitation of 

 Bonaparte, (whom he seems to have taken as his model,) " Ah ! these 

 Chilians, I have caught them !" His intention was to attack them as 

 soon as his soldiers had rested after their fatiguing march. The 

 Chilians did not give him leisure for this, but, to the surprise of Santa 

 Cruz, attacked him in his trenches. One of the most sanguinary 

 battles recorded in South American history ensued ; Santa Cruz was 

 signally defeated, and barely escaped with his life, accompanied by 

 no more than twenty soldiers. His whole army was entirely cut up, 

 two of his generals killed, and three taken prisoners. This battle 

 decided the fate of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. Santa Cruz was 

 the first to take the news to Lima. He was joined there by Moran, 

 w r hom he placed in the Castle of Callao, with orders to hold out four 

 months, previous to which time he would bring reljef, and reinstate 



