Battle of Membrillar

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The battle of Membrillar
Part of the Chilean War of Independence
Date 20 March 1814 Location Membrillar, Itata River Result Patriot victory
Belligerents
Chilean patriots	Royalists
Commanders and leaders
Juan Mackenna	Gabino Gaínza
Strength
unknown	unknown
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The battle of Membrillar occurred on 20 March 1814, during the

The battle began on 20 March in chaos. A misinterpreted order resulted in confused skirmishes breaking out between the forward units of both armies. The Royalist forces made a disorganised assault on the Patriot trenches surrounding the field by the village of Membrillar; this attack was repelled and immediately the Royalist officer Manuel Barañao led a second attack, this time on the central positions held by Mackenna. Mackenna's forces held and he sent a counter-attack against the Royalists, comprising units led by Santiago Bueras, Hilario Vidal, Agustín Almanza and Balcarce Marks, driving Barañao's forces back. The Royalists continued their waves of attacks for several hours, but all were repulsed. When night fell, the driving rain and the dark encouraged the Royalists to retreat from the field.

Aftermath

In the morning, Mackenna did not realise how much damage he had inflicted on the Royalists and instead focused on repairing the damage to his fortifications, expecting another attack. As a result, Gabino Gaínza was able to regroup and reorganise his forces.

Notes