Battle of Yungay

The Confederate Army was made up of veterans of internal battles from both Peru and Bolivia. It was generally supported by the population of Peru and possessed strong supply lines thanks to the site of the battle. Its commanding officer, General Andrés de Santa Cruz; was regarded as a resourceful tactician and a capable leader. His army had about 6,000 men divided into three divisions, adding up nine infantry battalions and two cavalry regiments.

The Restorer Army had the experience of Gen. Manuel Bulnes. On the other hand, it was not popular with the locals and was hampered due to disease, bad morale, and some less experienced units. This army of 5,400 soldiers was conformed by nine infantry battalions and three cavalry regiments grouped into four divisions.

Both armies marched under the rain, and established near Tarar from where it marched towards San Miguel. Santa Cruz after detaining in Tarhuaz, occupied the town of Yungay on 13 January.

On the night of January 19, Santa Cruz sent Colonel Rodriguez Margariños to observe the Chilean positions. Besides, ordered that Bolivian Colonel Anselmo Quiroz with 600 soldiers to take positions on the Pan de Azúcar Hill, while Colonel Fructuoso de la Peña advanced to the Punyán Hill with another 200 soldiers.

On 20 January, at dawn, Gen Bulnes marched with his four divisions to Yungay, whilst Santa Cruz deployed his army by the Ancash River, with Herrera's division on the right wing, in the middle was set the artillery and behind it the cavalry led by General Perez de Urdinea. Finally, Moran's division was stationed on the left flank.

Both forces were separated by a short valley formed by the Santa River and the mountains, with the Punyán, Ancash and Pan de Azúcar hills at the far end of this site, behind these heights lay the deep Ancash Glen, followed by the Confederate trenches.

Bulnes decided to attack the Confederates at Punyán Hill first. Under Elespuru, Silva's Aconcagua Battalion was dispatched to clear out the hill. Silva succeeded and forced out de la Peña's, but Elespuru was mortally wounded. After them, Bulnes sent the Portales, Valdivia and Huaylas battalions.

At 9 am, a column of 400 soldiers under Jerónimo Valenzuela and formed by companies from the Carampangue, Santiago, Valparaíso and Cazadores de Perú battalions, was sent to the Pan de Azúcar Hill to assail Col. Quiroz' position. The Restorers began the slowly climbing of the hill slope under heavy fire.

The Restorer columns sustained severe losses. Valenzuela and all the officers were killed. The Carampangue's company alone was led in the end by Sergeant Candelaria Perez. The rest of the companies were severely decimated too. Nevertheless, the Restorers finally reached the summit and bayoneted the Confederates out of Pan de Azúcar Hill. All of the defenders were killed, including Quiroz himself.[4] The Valparaíso Battalion Sergeant Jose Alegría raised the Chilean flag on the Pan de Azúcar Hill summit.[5]

Marshall Santa Cruz sent Col. Deheza's battalion to reinforce Quiroz at Punyán Hill, marching through the Ancash Glen, but in their route encountered and engaged the Colchagua Battalion led by Col. Urriola, forcing the Chileans to refold with a bayonet charge. Bulnes ordered the Portales Battalion to aid Urriola, maneuver that obliged the Bolivians to pull away from the glen to Herrera's positions with a third of it initial soldiers dead.

With the Pan de Azúcar and Punyán hills conquered, Bulnes planned a frontal attack on Santa Cruz army, arranged in a line of trenches on the opposite bank of the Ancash River. So, the Chilean forces converged on the river's edge, and the Colchagua and Valdivia battalions were dispatched to engage the Confederate right guarded by Herrera's division, while the Portales, Cazadores de Perú and Huaylas battalions were ordered to onset Col. Moran's division. The five cannon battery of Col. Marcos Maturana allocated on the Punyán heights began to shell and slowly dismantle the Confederate trenches.[5] Due to the bridge over the Ancash had been destroyed, the Chileans had to descend to the river shore and march across it.

When Bulnes' troops crossed the river, the battle was joined on the entire front line, with the Restorer soldiers out in the open and the Confederates firing upon them from the trenches. From this protected position, the Confederates thwarted the attack.[4]

At 14:30, Gen. Pedro Bermúdez drove his 3rd of Bolivia Battalion in a bayonet charge upon the Portales Battalion, which broke its lines under the Bolivian pressure. Following, the cavalry was sent to cut off the Chilean retreat while the infantry forwarded from their protecting positions to attack the Restorers troops in the open field.

Having witnessed the Chilean retreat, Gen. Bulnes took command of the Valparaíso Battalion and crossed the Ancash heightening Col. Garcia's unit. Likewise, the Santiago and half Huaylas battalions strengthened the Chilean right wing, allowing the relieved units to gather up and resume the attack. A few confederate battalions managed to return to their trenches.

Perez de Urdinea's cavalry crossed the river and clashed with Baquedano's Cazadores a Caballo Cavalry Regiment. By fighting so near to the Confederate lines, Baquedano was wounded and forced to retreat. However, the Chilean cavalry attacked again with full force, making Perez de Urdinea to regroup with the Confederate infantry trying to retreat to their trenches. On a third massive charge, Baquedano broke Santa Cruz' left flank and the entire Confederate front collapsed.

With both armies now engaged in the gap between the trenches and the river, the Confederates tried to resist but were surrounded and completely vanquished. The disbanded troops were pursued by the Chilean cavalry and killed. According to Gonzalo Bulnes, 277 Confederates were found dead on the road between Manco and Yungay. Santa Cruz, followed by his generals Riva Agüero, Cerdeña and Miller, left the battlefield around 15:00.