Battle of Píleo

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Píleo
partof=the Chilean War of Independence


caption=
date=December 7, 1819
place=Píleo, on the south bank of the Biobío River, across from Hualqui
result=Royalist victory
combatant1=
combatant2=flagicon|Spain|1785 Royalists
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=50 cavalry
strength2=200
casualties1=c. 45 killed
casualties2=
note=(Latitude. -37°, Longitude. -72.9833333°)The Battle of Píleo (December 7, 1819) was a minor engagement that took place between the forces of the nascent Chilean Army and Spanish royalist guerrillas, in the context of the "Total War" campaign, during the later stages of the Chilean War of Independence, and resulted in a Royalist victory.

Background

The main force of the Chilean Army, under General Ramón Freire, was defending the city of Concepción from the attacks of the Royalist guerrillas under the command of Vicente Benavides. As the city was under virtual siege, Freire ordered Captain Pedro Kursky and a company of 50 men to make a raid into the countryside and bring back some badly needed supplies to the food-starved city.

Captain Kursky left Concepción on December 6th, crossed to the south bank of the Biobío River, travelled inland and discovered a herd of cattle that had been assembled there by the guerrillas. It was being kept in the area of Píleo across from the town of Hualqui, and guarded by 15 soldiers. On December 7th, he carried an early morning surprise attack and killed all the Royalist garrison guarding it, taking over the animals. Kursky then started to drive them back to Concepción.

The battle

As Kursky was making his way back to Concepción with the cattle, he met a 200 men-strong column of the troops of Benavides, which were moving back from San Pedro. Even though Kursky was already at one of the fords of the Biobío River, instead of moving across to safety he decided to stand his ground and wait for the attack. A furious battle ensued, and Kursky was able to repulse two frontal charges from the Royalist guerrillas. Emboldened by his early success, and believing himself on the verge of dispersing the guerrillas, Kursky made the mistake of charging with his troops. It was then that the reserve of the attacking forces were able to position themselves between Kursky's troops and the river ford which had until then protected their rear, cutting off any possible retreat.

Kursky, trapped between two fires was soon totally overwhelmed, so he and his troops decided to risk an escape across the river, because as was customary in this campaign neither side took prisoners and any surrendering troops were executed on the spot, usually in a barbaric fashion. Most of the retreating forces were carried away by the flow and drowned, including Kursky himself. Another version indicates that he was captured, tortured and mutilated (including cutting off his tongue) before being finally killed.

Additional information

External links

* [http://www.numismatica.cl/cronica2.html General information about Benavides] es
* [http://www.ejercito.cl/nuestro_ejercito/combates.php List of battles of the War of Independence] es

ources

* Diego Barros Arana: "Estudios históricos sobre Vicente Benavides i las campañas del Sur: 1818-1822" [http://www.memoriachilena.cl//temas/documento_detalle.asp?id=MC0017455] . Santiago : Impr. de Julio Belin i Compañia, 1850
* Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna: "La Guerra a Muerte". Buenos Aires: Editorial Francisco de Aguirre, 1972.
* Archivo O'Higgins: Santiago, several presses, 1946-1966. Vol. II, XVI and XXI.
* Leopoldo Castedo: "Resumen de la Historia de Chile de Francisco Antonio Encina". Santiago: Empresa Editora Zig-Zag, 1954. Vol. II.