In the Spanish American Wars of Independence, the action of Picheuta was a military engagement that took place on January 24, 1817, during the Crossing of the Andes.
The column led by Juan Gregorio de las Heras was still crossing the mountain range, being 50 kilometers away from the Uspallata Pass. A royalist task force led by Miguel Marquelli, composed of three officials and fifty soldiers, surprised the patriots at Picheuta, which was defended by five soldiers, many privates and a corporal from the battalion Nº 11. Marquelli had orders to cross the Uspallata on a reconnaissance mission.
The royalists surprised the patriots with an attack from the left flank. Half the forces of Las Heras was captured and taken prisoners, and the others fled to warn the bulk of the Army of the Andes of the nearby royalist presence. This led to the Battle of Potrerillos the following day.
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(February 2016) |
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras, known simply as José de San Martín or "the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru", was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and central parts of South America's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire who served as the Protector of Peru. Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes, in modern-day Argentina, he left the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata at the early age of seven to study in Málaga, Spain.
The Argentine War of Independence was a secessionist civil war fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli, and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown. On 9 July 1816, an assembly met in San Miguel de Tucumán, declaring independence with provisions for a national constitution.
The Battle of Maipú was a battle fought near Santiago, Chile on April 5, 1818, between South American rebels and Spanish royalists, during the Chilean War of Independence. The Patriot rebels led by Argentine general José de San Martín effectively destroyed the Spanish forces commanded by General Mariano Osorio, and completed the independence of the core area of Chile from Spanish domination.
The Battle of Chacabuco, fought during the Chilean War of Independence, occurred on February 12, 1817. The Army of the Andes of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, led by Captain–General José de San Martín, defeated a Spanish force led by Rafael Maroto. It was a defeat for the Captaincy General of Chile, the royalist government established after the division of the Viceroyalty of Peru.
The Battle of Ayacucho was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. This battle secured the independence of Peru and ensured independence for the rest of South America. In Peru it is considered the end of the Spanish American wars of independence in this country, although the campaign of Antonio José de Sucre continued through 1825 in Upper Peru and the siege of the fortresses Chiloé and Callao eventually ended in 1826.
The Battle of Cancha Rayada, was fought in Chile between South American patriots and Spanish royalists, during the Osorio's campaign in the South American wars of independence. The result was a defeat for the patriot forces, weeks later the patriots take their rematch at the Battle of Maipú.
The Chilean War of Independence was a military and political event that allowed the emancipation of Chile from the Spanish Monarchy, ending the colonial period and initiating the formation of an independent republic.
The Crossing of the Andes was one of the most important feats in the Argentine and Chilean wars of independence, in which a combined army of Argentine soldiers and Chilean exiles invaded Chile crossing the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, leading to Chile's liberation from Spanish rule.
The Army of the Andes was a military force created by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (Argentina) and mustered by general José de San Martín in his campaign to free Chile from the Spanish Empire. In 1817, it crossed the Andes Mountains from the Argentine province of Cuyo, and succeeded in its objective by dislodging the Spanish from the country.
Grand Marshal Juan Gregorio de las Heras was an Argentine soldier who took part in the Spanish American wars of independence and was also a governor of the province of Buenos Aires.
Las Heras is a department located in the north west of Mendoza Province in Argentina.
The 8th Mountain Infantry Brigade is a unit of the Argentine Army specialised in mountain warfare. The headquarters of the Brigade is based on Mendoza, Mendoza Province. Is formed by different types of mountain units:
The Battle of El Roble was fought on the Itata river, 17 October 1813, between the Chilean patriot general José Miguel Carrera and Spanish royalist forces under the command of Clemente Lantaño and Luis Urrejola. The surprise patriot victory at El Roble as a result of Bernardo O'Higgins' actions at the end of the day was to result in a change of patriot commander, and a severe split within the patriot movement.
The Battle of Curapalihue fought in Chile, was a minor encounter between South American rebels and Spanish royalists, during the South American wars of independence. The result was a defeat for the royalists.
Patria Nueva was a period in the history of Chile that began with the victory of Ejército de los Andes in the Battle of Chacabuco on 12 February 1817 and ended with the resignation of Bernardo O'Higgins as Supreme Director in 1823.
The action of Juncalito was a military engagement of the Argentine War of Independence, previous to the Crossing of the Andes campaign.
José Antonio Álvarez Condarco (1780–1855) was an Argentinian soldier, manufacturer of explosives and cartographer. He also served as Aide-de-camp and private secretary to general José de San Martín.
The first siege of Callao was a prolonged military blockade of the Real Felipe Fortress in Callao by the Liberating Expedition of Peru under the command of General José de San Martín in July 1821 which culminated in the capitulation of Marshal José de La Mar in September of the same year, with him switching sides from the Royalist side to the Patriot side.
The Battle of Sopachuy was an armed confrontation that occurred on 12 June 1817 in the village of Sopachuy, some 120 kilometers southeast from the city of Chuquisaca, between a division of the Army of the North of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid and a Spanish Royalist force commanded by Colonel José Santos de la Hera. The Royalists ware victorious.