PRECIS 
AND 
TRANSLATIONS. 
“ EE VUE MILITATE® DE L’ETEAUGEE.” 
APRIL, 1892. 
“ THE LAST CAMPAIGN IN CHILI.” 
BY 
LIEUT.-COLONEL J. H. G. BROWNE, late R.A. 
The writer of an article on the last campaign in Chili in the Revue Militaire 
begins by saying that the campaign deserves particular attention with special 
reference to the employment of small arms. He gives a somewhat detailed 
account of the action of Concon on the Aconcagua, near Valparaiso, where the 
Balmacedist Generals, Barbosa and Alcjerreca, had taken up a strong position 
with 12,000 men. Colonel Canto, at the head of nearly 10,000 Congressists, 
disembarked from his transports without molestation. On the morning of the 
21st August, 1891 he advanced on a front of about three miles, and began the 
passage of the Aconcagua. An “ artillery duel ” then took place, in which the 
Congressists were materially assisted by the fire of the armed cruiser, Esmeralda, 
which was moored at the mouth of the Aconcagua in a position which enabled it 
to enfilade the enemy’s line. After about an hour of this work, the Congressist 
infantry were ordered to advance across the river, and they gained a complete 
victory, carrying the enemy’s first and second lines of defence, and capturing 
nearly the whole of his artillery and 1500 prisoners. General Barbosa lost 
nearly one-fourth of his whole force in killed and wounded, besides a large 
number of missing, while the Congressists lost more than a tenth of their force 
in killed and wounded. These proportions bear witness to the obstinacy of the 
fighting. 
The writer of the article attributes the defeat of the Balmacedists to several 
causes, such as the division of command between Barbosa and Algerreca ; the 
resolve to await the advance of the Congressists behind the Aconcagua, instead of 
attacking them on disembarkation; and the presence of the armed flotilla, whose 
fire actually took a great part of their position in reverse. On the other hand, 
the three brigades of the Congressists had to advance down slopes which were 
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12. VOL. XIX. 
