Battle of San Jacinto (1856)

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Battle of San Jacinto
Part of the Filibuster War
La Pedrada de Andres Castro by Luis Vergara Ahumada. Sargeant Andres Castro is throwing stones at filibusters in foreground. Colonel José Dolores Estrada is pictured in the background carrying a sword to the left of the filibuster struck by Castro.
Date September 14, 1856 Location Hacienda San Jacinto, Managua, Nicaragua Result Nicaraguan victory
Belligerents
Nicaragua	Filibusters
Commanders and leaders
Col. José Dolores Estrada	Lt-Col. Byron Cole
Strength
160 men	300 men
Casualties and losses
28 killed	27 killed (according to Estrada) 35 killed 18 captured (according to Lieutenant Alejandro Eva)

The Battle of San Jacinto took place on the 14 September, 1856, in Hacienda San Jacinto, Managua, Nicaragua. One hundred and sixty soldiers of the Legitimist Septentrion Army, led by Colonel José Dolores Estrada, fought 300 Nicaraguan filibusters of William Walker, led by Lieutenant Colonel Byron Cole. The filibusters were defeated after four hours of combat, between 7:00am and 11:00am.

The filibusters suffered 27 killed, as well as an unknown number wounded (according to Estrada), or 35 killed and 18 captured (according to Lieutenant Alejandro Eva). Nicaraguan losses totaled 28 killed and wounded. The battle marked the end of Walker's expedition to Nicaragua.^[1]

The 14th of September, the date of the battle, is celebrated as a national holiday in Nicaragua.^[2] A column of 60 Matagalpa Indians, armed with bows and arrows, made a decisive contribution to the expedition's defeat. In 2012, the "Indios Flecheros de Matagalpa" were declared National Heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto by the Congress of the Republic of Nicaragua, which also ordered that statue be erected in their honor.^[3]

References