Battle of Matasiete
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The Battle of Matasiete was a battle in the Venezuelan War of Independence that took place on 31 July 1817 near the city of La Asunción on Isla Margarita in Venezuela. It was fought between pro-independence Republican revolutionaries led by Francisco Esteban Gómez and Spanish Royalist forces under the command of Pablo Morillo. The outcome was a Spanish defeat.
Contents
Background
The revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar arrived in the island of Margarita in May 1816.[1] On 6 May 1816 Bolívar declared the Third Republic of Venezuela and an Assembly of Notables recognized Simón Bolívar as Supreme Chief in the church of Santa Ana.[2] Bolívar then went on to the mainland. That year the Republicans were generally successful in their struggle with the Royalist forces.[1] The Spanish general Pablo Morillo returned to Venezuela in December 1816, and decided to first take Margarita, then move on to Guayana Province, both important Republican bases.[1] After some difficulties in collecting supplies and troops, Morillo sailed to Margarita in late June 1817, where he steadily gained control in a hard-fought campaign.[3]
On 24 July 1817 Morillo occupied the San Carlos de Borromeo Fortress at Pampatar, at the southeast tip of the island a few miles from Asunción. The revolutionaries had evacuated the castle and withdrawn to Asunción, where they concentrated. They were followed by Morillo's forces.[4] The Spanish occupied the hill of Matasiete, which overlooked the city and its surroundings from the east, with a force of 2,000 infantry and 600 cavalry.[4] There was no resistance to this move.[5] The approach to the town was difficult, however, due to the rugged terrain that the defenders had fortified with redoubts, moats and parapets.[6]
Battle
On 31 July 1817 Morillo launched the assault, which began at eight thirty in the morning. The struggle was fierce, with the Spanish pressing hard against the defensive front.[7] In his later report on the battle, Morillo paid tribute to the stubborn courage of the republicans, who repelled repeated cavalry charges.[8] During the course of the fighting, many unarmed men and women from the town joined the defenders, taking up the arms of those who had been killed or wounded.[9] General Esteban Gómez himself was hit by bullets several times, and his horse was killed under him.[10]
The republican artillery batteries Carante and Libertad played an important role in the defense. The Libertad, commanded by Felipe Villalba, fired incessantly.[10] The patriots also rolled huge boulders down the slope into the Spanish line.[11] By four in the afternoon the battle had been decided, with the Republicans the victors. 559 of the royalist troops had been killed or wounded.[7] On 1 August Morillo retired to the fortified position of Pampatar, followed by Gómez with a harassing force of 200 infantry and 300 horsemen.[12]
Aftermath
The battle had saved the city, but the revolutionaries continued to lose ground to the Spanish in the island. By mid-August they held only Asunción and the fortaleza del norte.[3] Morillo then heard that the revolutionaries on the mainland had captured Ciudad Guayana on 18 July, occupied Baja Guayana on 3 August, and were threatening Caracas. Morillo left the island without completing the conquest, but was unable to recover Guayana. The Republicans were in a stronger position after the campaign of 1817 than they had been before.[3] La Asunción became the provisional capital of the independent Republic of Venezuela.[11]
A column has been erected on the site of the battle.[13] The Castillo de San Carlos de Borromeo in Pampatar displays a painting that commemorates the battle, the most popular item in its collection.[14] In 1974 Matasiete hill was decreed a Natural Monument of Margarita.[15] Gómez Municipality, Nueva Esparta, birthplace of the victorious general, is named in his honor.[16] The anniversary of the battle is now celebrated as a special holiday on Margarita.[17] On 31 July 2012 a reenactment of the battle was staged at the site by over 500 volunteers.[18]
References
Notes
Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Archer 2000, p. 220.
- ↑ Maddicks 2011, p. 179.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Archer 2000, p. 221.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mitre 1890, p. 474.
- ↑ Bolívar 1876, p. 10.
- ↑ Mitre 1890, p. 475.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 González Chaves 1879, p. 524.
- ↑ González Chaves 1879, p. 480.
- ↑ Blanco 1883, p. 400-401.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Batalla de Matasiete: En Oriente.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Maddicks 2011, p. 162.
- ↑ Blanco 1883, p. 402.
- ↑ Fernandez 2006, p. 5.
- ↑ Brushaber 1997, p. 137.
- ↑ Jacome 1992.
- ↑ Gómez: Margarita en tus manos.
- ↑ Maddicks 2011, p. 161.
- ↑ Guerrero 2012.
Sources
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