Battle of Cachirí
Part of the Colombian War of Independence / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Cachirí took place on February 21-22, 1816, during the Spanish Reconquest of New Granada as part of the Colombian War of Independence. The battle is named after the Paramo de Cachirí, which located in the Santander Department in present-day Colombia. It was fought between the Army of the North of the United Provinces of New Granada and the V Division of Spanish Expeditionary Army. The battle came about as an attempt by brigadier general Custodio Garcia Rovira to defend the Socorro Province as well as the interior of the country from the invasion force led by Spanish colonel Sebastian de la Calzada, who was part of general Pablo Morillo’s campaign to reconquer New Granada. Garcia Rovira went on the offensive on February 8, forcing Calzada to retreat from Pamplona to Ocaña. Whilst there, 300 men from Colonel Miguel de la Torre’s column were incorporated into his division. With these reinforcements, he swiftly countermarched south and met the republicans at the Paramo Cachiri. Between February 21 and 22, 1816, fierce fighting occurred. On the first day, the Republicans managed to dominate the situation and occupy a favorable ground for the defense. The next day the fight resumed with greater fury, and the Spanish were able to break the republican line and causing havoc amongst their ranks, which finally resulted in the defeat of the republican forces.
Battle of Cachirí | |||||||
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Part of the Colombian War of Independence | |||||||
Church built on the battlefield in commemoration. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Provinces of New Granada | Kingdom of Spain | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Custodio García Rovira Francisco de Paula Santander | Sebastián de la Calzada | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2,500 | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
2,000 killed or captured | 150 killed or wounded |
Republican troops who were not killed or taken prisoner, dispersed in various directions, abandoning their supply train and weapons which fell into the hands of the victor. Calzada's decisive victory meant he had dominated the landscape up to the town of Vélez, as well as clearing the path for his advance to the republican capital at Santa Fe. The battle was a complete victory for the Spanish and would lead to the virtual destruction of the Army of the North. Calzada took the capital by May of 1816. This battle along with the Battle of Cuchilla del Tambo would mark the end of the first republic and the return of Spanish control over New Granada until 1819.