Part 1 of the Quito Campaign

Amid the political correspondence that occurred during the months of February and March involving the Junta of Guayaquil, Bolivar and San Martin who both wanted control of this region, Sucre had managed to stay in command of the combined forces in the field. This was more towards Bolivar's favour than San Martin's as Bolivar was hoping to arrive in the northern sector of the Quito Province by April having fought his way down via Pasto while Sucre would be fighting his way to Quito from the south and waylaying a number of Quito's defenders on his passage, allowing Bolivar's command to take the historic city of Quito. But things did not go as Bolivar had planned at Pasto, that's another story though.

Sucre began to move through the southern sierra towards Riobamba, occupying the town of Cuenca on the 21st February, the town swearing allegiance to the Colombian constitution on the 11th April. The Venezuelan Colonel Diego Ibarra with his Cavalry units invested the town of Alausi on the 14th April, opening the way to Riobamba, that was under the control of Colonel Lopez with 1,500 men, this was reached by the l9th. It seems that the officers of Dragoons of the Patriot army had been invited by the mounted officers of the Royalist force in Riobamba to dine with them. Thinking that this invitation was in the nature of an extension of the truce, which Sucre had made with Colonel Carlos Tolra after the defeat at Huachi (12th Sept. 1821), the Patriot officers accepted.

While the Cavalry officers were in the midst of their conviviality, the Royalist Infantry attacked the Patriot troops. Fortunately Colonel Ibarra had maintained himself on the alert with the remainder of the Cavalry and at the first sound of firing, charged into Riobamba at the head of the mounted Grenadiers and Dragoons, whereby the town was evacuated at once by the Royalist forces and occupied by the 22nd (Miller & O'Leary). Pushing forward the one Squadron of Argentine Mounted Grenadiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Juan Lavalle took advantage of a faulty manoeuvre by the Royalist Cavalry under the command of Colonel Tolra, the whole of this unit being 420 in number. Lavalle charged them with his 96 Mounted Grenadiers and drove them in confusion upon the positions held by their infantry and then retreated at full trot.

He was then joined by 30 Columbian Dragoons who arrived in time to assist with the counter-attack which the rallied Royalist Cavalry were already making at full gallop, Lavalle wheeled his troops around and charged into the onward rush of Royalist Cavalry and completely routed them with a loss of 52 killed and 40 wounded compared with 1 Argentine and 1 Colombian killed and 20 wounded, the Royalist Cavalry were of no further use in this campaign (Gen. Bartolome Mitre).

The Patriots, some 3,000 men, occupied the town of Latacunga on the 2nd May, this forced the Royalists to start work on defences in the vicinity of Machachi as means to stop the advance of the Patriots, rather than fight here. Sucre carried on marching but now on his right flank, reaching the Valle de los Chillos, 14 miles from Quito, by the 17th having crossed the eastern barren plains of Cotopaxi and Sincholagua. The Royalist being informed of this maneuver had been withdrawn and had headed directly for Quito, reaching there on the night of the 16th and taking up advantageous positions at Puengasi at the dawn of the 17th.

The Patriots arrived to be again confronted with defence works thrown up to block their way, this time Sucre tried another flanking move this time to the plain of Turubamba, by the 21st and stationed his troops at Chillogallo, hoping that the Royalists would attack him. This did not materialize, so that on the night of the 23rd, during heavy rain, Sucre again moved his troops over the slippery narrow road that crossed slopes of the volcano, Pichincha. This time with the aim of closing the northern roads from which Quito were awaiting reinforcements coming from the direction of Pasto. Only the Cavalry under the command of Colonel Cestaris was able to accomplish this directive, the Infantry were to be confronted by the Royalist Army on the heights of Pichincha. This mountain side and terrain was covered by a forest and brushwood.

At 8:00 on the 24th May, the Royalist having seen this flanking movement by Sucre's men were forced into attacking the moving Patriot troops from the heights of Panecillo. The Cazadores del Paya (2nd Battalion of Peru) under the command of Colonel Olazabal, were the first troops to clash with the main body of the Royalist division at 9:30, being reinforced by the Trujillo Battalion and two Companies of the Yaguachi Battalion under the command of Colonel Antonio Morales, with General Mires and the rest of his infantry entering the fight a little while later.

Colonel Jose Maria Cordova with two companies of the Alto Magdalena Battalion tried unsuccessfully to out-flank the Royalist positions, after some time the Battalions Trujillo and Yaguachi had exhausted all of their munitions and began to retire to the top of the volcano, Lieutenant Abdon Calderon Garaicoa in command of the 3rd Company, Yaguachi battalion, had received four mortal wounds, although he refused to accept any medical treatment until his unit was in a safer position.

Seeing this withdrawal, the Royalist troops began to attack these units who were, luckily for them, being covered by the Paya Battalion. This unit managed to repulse the Royalist attack. Another attack on the left flank by three Companies of the Aragon Battalion was beaten by the 3 Companies of the Albion Battalion who had been escorting the ammunition train at the rear of the Army, causing great losses to the attacking Royalists.

After this (12 o'clock) Colonel Cordova with his Alto Magdelena Battalion received orders to follow up the Albion success and bring up his men for an attack on the Royalist line. This attack, which began a general advance by the Patriot troops, brought about the final victory at Pichincha at 12:30. On such ground the cavalry on neither side could come into action, but the Royalist Cavalry were in reserve in the suburbs of Quito and was later attacked by the Patriot Cavalry and dispersed.

After this Sucre summoned the city to surrender. The next day, the 25th May 1822, Aymerich capitulated. The Royalists having lost 160 officers and 1,100 men taken prisoners and 400 killed and 190 wounded, 14 guns and all their flags. The Patriots had 200 killed and 140 wounded.

Part 1 of the Quito Campaign

The Order of Battle for the Battle of Pichincha.

Related Article

Another Order of Battle for the Battle of Pichincha

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