The Battle of Cotagaita was the first engagement of the Army of the North against Royalist forces in Upper Peru during the Argentine War of Independence.
Key Facts
- Date
- 27 October 1810
- Theatre
- Campaign of Upper Peru
- Royalist commander
- Frigate Captain José de Córdoba y Rojas
- Revolutionary commander
- Balcarce (Army of the North)
- Battle duration
- Early morning to 2 pm
- Outcome
- Royalist defensive hold; Patriot orderly retreat
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Primera Junta government in Buenos Aires dispatched the Army of the North to Upper Peru to challenge Royalist control. General Goyeneche and president of the Real Audiencia Vicente Nieto established a forward Royalist post at Cotagaita, which became isolated after the cities of Cochabamba and Oruro declared for the Junta in September 1810.
On 27 October 1810, Patriot forces attacked the entrenched Royalist position near Santiago de Cotagaita from the early morning until 2 pm. Unable to dislodge the Royalists from their trenches, the Patriot commander Balcarce conducted an orderly withdrawal. The engagement involved multiple battalions on both sides, including units under Martín Miguel de Güemes and Manuel Dorrego for the Patriots.
Following the battle, the Patriot forces retreated toward Tupiza and then Suipacha to await reinforcements. This setback preceded their first significant victory at the Battle of Suipacha, which demonstrated that the Royalists could be defeated in the Upper Peru theatre.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Balcarce, Gregorio Perdiel, Martín Miguel de Güemes, Manuel Dorrego.
Side B
1 belligerent
José de Córdoba y Rojas, José Manuel de Goyeneche.