A royalist surprise attack at Picheuta captured half of Las Heras's vanguard during the Crossing of the Andes, triggering the Battle of Potrerillos the next day.
Key Facts
- Date
- 24 January 1817
- Royalist force size
- 3 officers and 50 soldiers
- Patriot defenders at Picheuta
- 5 soldiers, several privates, and a corporal
- Distance from Uspallata Pass
- 50 kilometers km
- Patriot outcome
- Half of Las Heras's force captured
- Subsequent engagement
- Battle of Potrerillos, 25 January 1817
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Crossing of the Andes, the column under Juan Gregorio de las Heras was still traversing the mountain range some 50 kilometres from the Uspallata Pass. A royalist task force under Miguel Marquelli, on a reconnaissance mission toward Uspallata, located the patriot position at Picheuta, which was held by only a small detachment from Battalion No. 11.
On 24 January 1817, Marquelli's force of three officers and fifty royalist soldiers launched a surprise assault on the patriot position at Picheuta from the left flank. The small patriot garrison—five soldiers, numerous privates, and a corporal—was overwhelmed. Half of Las Heras's men at the position were taken prisoner, while the remainder escaped.
Those patriots who escaped fled to alert the main body of the Army of the Andes to the royalist presence in the area. This intelligence led directly to the Battle of Potrerillos the following day, 25 January 1817, as the patriot forces moved to confront the royalist threat during their crossing of the Andes.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Juan Gregorio de las Heras.
Side B
1 belligerent
Miguel Marquelli.