The War Between the
Peru-Bolivian Confederation and Chile
1837 - 1839

Part 3

By Col. Alberto Marquez Allison

Other Installments:

CHILEAN UNIFORMS:

The Chilean Army, in the 1830's were dressed in blue with a red collar, piping and turnbacks, on the cuffs was a red bar, white trousers were used during the summer time while blue cloth was used for the winter. A leather shako with a red pompom and cords, brass plate with unit distinction, each carried the first letter of it's name, these initials were also used on the collar, in this way the Carampangue used a "C" and the Portales a "P" and so on. National Guard units used the same uniforms and distinctions as the line ones, some adding a letter 4'V" ( for Volunteers) like Aconcagua to it's own letter.

Cavalry, used the same uniforms also wearing leather half-boots with the trousers tucked inside, the cavalry units used their own devices as distinctions, a bugle (horn) for Cazadores, a flaming grenade for Granaderos, etc.

The Artillery companies engaged in the war used basically the same uniform and it's distinctions, a flaming bomb was used on the collar, while crossed cannon were worn on the turnbacks and also as a shako plate.

The Corps of Engineers were in blue coats with a red collar, cuffs and turnbacks, the lapels were in black, while the trousers could either be in blue or white depending on the season of the year.

General officers had blue jackets with gold braid on the chest, collar and cuffs, the collar, cuffs and piping were in red, the epaulets had a red board with gold bullion fringes, the rank was indicated by stars on them, Brigade Generals wore a single band of braid on their cuffs with a white waist-sash and two stars on their epaulets. A Divisional General wore two bands of braid on his cuffs, a blue waist-sash and three stars on his epaulets. On the bi-corne hat a white plume for Brigade Generals was worn while for Divisional Generals the plume was in red and white. The Chief of Staff wore a white sash across his chest as a distiction, while the Commander in Chief used a blue sash worn in the same manner.

The equipment of the troops included black belts and pouches, a canteen and haversack, the standard weapon was a flintlock musket with a 16mm. Calibre plus a bayonet. Grenadier companies used a short 'isabriquet" (sabre-bayonet), Cavalry units were armed with sabre, carbine and lances, the Artillery were equipped with muzzle smoothbore cannon, basically the same pattern as those in use in the Independence campaigns, mainly 4 and 6 pounder models.

PERUVIAN ARMY:

The main ordinances for uniforms were stated between 1830 and 1837, in reference both with the Regular Army and the National Guard units, they refer only to infantry and cavalry units. The valuable information them was kindly provided by the Peruvian specialist Mr. Rodolfo Parodi.

The Regular Infantry, according to the Decree 515, of February the 3rd, 1835, were issued with a dress uniform of blue jackets with scarlet (grana) collar, cuffs and turnbacks with white piping along the front of the jacket, the cuffs had a blue bar with 3 bunons on it, plus yellow lace sardinetas (usually worn by grenadier coys. Such as in the Mexican Army of this period TDH), blue trousers with white piping to be worn during the winter months and white trousers with scarlet piping for the summer months.

The shako had a national arms plate in brass plus brass chin-scales, a red, white, red tuft style plume was used above the plate, double scarlet bands were used on the upper part of the shako while a single band was used for the bottom, this was worn by all ranks except officers who's lace was gold rather than scarlet. A daily and campaign uniform in white canvas with a scarlet collar, cuffs, turnbacks and piping was issued, for winter a grey greatcoat in thick woollen cloth (bayeton) with a scarlet collar and cuffs was worn. The Battalion number was used on the collar in gold lace for officers and yellow silk for other ranks, on the shoulders a fringeless epaulet was worn it's board being blue with a red and white individual lace trim.

The officers rank distinctions were fixed by Decree 516 of the 10th March 1835, 2nd Lieutenants wore a fringeless epaulet on the right shoulder and a fringed one on the left, Lieutenants wore the fringeless epaulet on the left with the fringed one on the right, Captains wore both epaulets fringed, all of these were in gold lace. Majors had green epaulets with a gold fringe, Lieutenant Colonels wore white epaulets with gold fringes while Colonels wore light blue epaulets with gold fringes, the field officers also used this insignia on their epaulet boards; Majors one dented bar (this dented bar is described as "diente de perro" or dog's teeth) with one sun, both in gold lace, Lieutenant Colonels wore the same but with two suns and Colonels had 3 suns (the sun would be a rayed sun with a face such as seen in the Peruvian and Argentine national flags. TDH)

Line Cavalry uniforms were covered in Decree 514 ofthe 3rd February 1835, the three Regiments "Guis del Callao", "Lanceros de Arequipa" and the "Cazadores de la Libertad" received the same style of long jacket, the "Guias" were issued with jackets of blue with green collar, cuffs, turnbacks and piping, the "Lanceros" had scarlet jackets with blue collar, cuffs, turnbacks and piping, the "Cazadores" wore green jackets with crimson collar, cuffs, turnbacks and piping.

Trousers were blue or white depending on the season of the year, also a white canvas daily uniform with the units colour distinction being used on it's collar, cuffs, turnbacks and piping. Troopers wore a shako which was higher than their infantry counter-parts, these had the normal cavalry shako cords but in the different unit's colour attached to the jacket so as not to loss the shako if it happened to fall offwhile riding. A white "bayeton" overcoat was issued with collar and cuffs in the unit colour was worn during the winter months. The Line Cavalry insignia that was embroidered on the collar was a drawn sword and a laurel branch crossed in the middle, in yellow lace for other ranks and gold lace for of ficers. The service cap for other ranks was a blue cap with yellow stripes.

The most famous and better equipped unit in the army was the Cavalry Regiment "Husares de Junin", having earned this title after the War of Independence battle of that name in 1824, in which they took such a great part. These "Husares" used a black fur busby with a crimson bag, gold lace tassel and cords, the plume was worn on the side in crimson-white-crimson, while a national cockade in red-white-red was worn in the middle of the top of the busby. A light blue dolman with gold frogging in the hussar style, a crimson pelisse with brown fur, a green and gold barrel-sash, dark blue trousers with gold braid. In daily uniform dress, officers replaced the blue trousers for a crimson pair that also had gold braid while leather straps and belts were worn, sabres were carried in steel scabbards.

National Guard Cavalry units by Decree 519, 17th January 1837 were to be dressed in a more modest style, blue jackets and trousers, collar, cuffs and piping were in scarlet with light blue turnbacks, rather than issue an expensive shako to the other ranks a blue service cap was used with a yellow band, officers wore the shako. The National Guard units instead of wearing the national coat of arms badge on their caps/shakos had their unit number as their badge, on the collar the insignia was of a musket and palm leaf crossed in the middle, equipment was as per line units.

It is interesting to quote, from the original text of the above decree, the impressive title that was used by Marshal Santa Cruz; Andres de Santa Cruz, Capitan General y Presidente de Bolivia, Gran Mariscal Pacificador del Peru, Supremo Protector de los Estados del Sud y Nor-peruanos......[ Andres de Santa Cruz, Captain General and President of Bolivia, Great Marshal Peacemaker of Peru, Supreme Protector of the North and South Peruvian States....]

NAVAL OPERATIONS OF THE WAR

By 1836, the naval forces of Chile and the Confederation were unbalanced, Chile owned only two light ships, the "Aquiles" and "Colocolo", while Santa Cruz boasted a navy of no less than 11 ships, including frigates, schooners and corvettes. In 1836 two of these Confederation ships were dispatched, the "Monteagudo" and "Orbegoso", onboard were a number of Chilean emigrates who were to attempt a revolution against the Chilean President Prieto and his government, it failed and the two ships being seized were added to the Chilean Navy.

As a reprisal the Chilean Minister Portales sent the "Aquiles and "Colocolo" to Callao harbour, there in a surprise "coup de main" captured three ships that were anchored there, the "Santa Cruz", "Arequipeno" and the Peruviana" these were then sailed back to Chile and incorporated into the Chilean fleet. One of the main reasons for their capture was that previously the Peruvian Navy had sided with General Salaverry and his uprising against the Bolivian Santa Cruz and his Confederation with Peru, with it's failure to rid Peru of Santa Cruz the fleet was stationed a various ports with depleted crews in an attempt to control any future unrest from that quarter.

In mid 1838, a Chilean squadron comprising of the ships "Libertad", "Valparaiso", "Arequipeffo", "Aquiles" and the "Colocolo" under the command of Garcia del Postigo, blockaded the main Peruvian ports, later they were reinforced by the second squadron of the Chilean fleet comprising the "Confederation", "Monteagudo", "Janequeo" and the "Santa Cruz", after it had delivered the transport fleet that carried General Bulnes and his army to Ancon.

While the army lay siege to the Callao forts? naval operations were ordered and in a surprise attack the "Socabaya" was captured under the guns of the Confederation forts, while the "Fundador" was sunk. In this way Santa Cruz was deprived of the whole fleet which he possessed at the beginning of the war. By December 1838 Santa Cruz was forced to recruit foreign mercenaries to form a squadron of corsairs, adapting some merchant vessels with guns, three of these ships, "Mexicana", "Edmund" and the "Peru" plus the re-captured "Arequipeffo" launched on the 6th January 1839 a surprise attack against the Chilean squadron, "Valparaiso", "Confereracion" and "Santa Cruz", commanded by Commander Simpson, a former British naval officer who had served under Lord Cochrane in the old Chilean fleet of the Independence Wars. These were anchored at Casma Bay. Simpson formed a line of battle and after two hours had repelled his attackers, killing it's French commander Juan Blanchet and also re-capturing the "Arequipeno". Fourteen days later at the Battle of Yungay, Santa Cruz was defeated and the war ended.

Considering that at the beginning of the war Chile's navy only consisted of two ships while at its close it amounted to over 10 made up of captured enemy vessels, it makes one wonder about the morale of the Confederation navy.

Chilean Naval Uniforms:

In 1836, under the Decree of the 12th October, a new uniform was created for the navy, officers received blue coats (azul turqui) with turnbacks in the same colour but with a gold lace anchor on them, red collar and cuffs with gold lace, blue or white trousers, bicorne hat with gold lace tassels, gilt buttons starnped with an anchor the rank system did not change.

Midshipmen had the same uniform as per officers, less the gold lace on the collar and cuffs and turnback insignias their rank was a gold lace fringeless epaulet worn on the right shoulder.

Naval Medical Officers were issued with basically the same uniform, but without the gold lace on the collar and cuffs which was replaced by gold thread, while the turnback anchor were replaced by a star.

Pilots were in an all blue uniform with an anchor on the collar and three on each cuff. Paymasters were like the officers but with gold thread on their collar and cuffs.

(to be continued)

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