Battle of Cotagaita

Battle of Cotagaita
	Part of Bolivian War of Independence; Argentine War of Independence
Date	October 27, 1810
Location	Santiago de Cotagaita, Bolivia20°49′3.87″S 65°39′35.24″W / 20.8177417°S 65.6597889°W
Result	Royalist victory
Belligerents
Republiquetas	Spanish Empire; Viceroyalty of Peru
Commanders and leaders
Antonio González Balcarce; Juan José Castelli	José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa
	class=notpageimage\| Location within Bolivia Battle of Cotagaita (South America) Battle of Cotagaita (America)

The Battle of Cotagaita was fought on October 27, 1810 during the Campaign of Upper Peru in the Argentine War of Independence when the troops of the Army of the North were sent by the Primera Junta government in Buenos Aires to Upper Peru to fight the Royalists. It was the first skirmish of the Army of the North in this theatre. The battle was fought near the town of Santiago de Cotagaita, nowadays in the Potosí Department in Bolivia.

General

Oruro

(September 24) in favor of the Junta in Buenos Aires.

The royalist forces comprised the provincial battalion of Potosí, under commander Indalecio González de Socasa; the Puno battalion; veterans of Borbón; the King's Volunteers; dragoons of Chichas and lancers of Cinti. The revolutionary forces included the first battalion under commander Gregorio Perdiel; sixth battalion under commander Carlos Forest, Hunters battalion under commander Manuel Dorrego; Blandengues battalion under commander Abraham González; and the Husars Regiment under commander Martín Miguel de Güemes.

The attack started in the early hours of the morning and ended at 2 pm the same day. Not having been able to dislodge the royalists from their trenches, Balcarce effected an orderly retreat without being chased.

After the Cotagaita action, the revolutionary forces were obligated to retreat towards Tupiza and then Suipacha, to await reinforcement, where later they achieved their first victory at the Battle of Suipacha.

References

(in Spanish) History of Salta