Battle of la Tablada de Tolomosa
Encyclopedia
The Battle of la Tablada de Tolomosa was fought on 15 April 1817 near the town of Tarija
in Southern Bolivia
between the royalist
forces under colonel Mateo Ramírez and independentist local forces under Eustaquio Méndez allied with the Army of the North
under Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid
.
The principal caudillo
s directing the militia
s were Méndez, José María Avilés and colonel Francisco Pérez de Uriondo, one of the Tarijan's commanders allied with General Güemes
' guerrillas. The town's center was under Ramírez and well defended by royalist troops.
The local Montoneros guerrillas surrounded the town hostigating Ramírez's troops. Tarija's chieftains had more than a thousand men ready for battle. Lieutenant Colonel Aráoz de Lamadrid, was arriving with nearly 500 men from Argentina's territory to the South with a regiment of Hussars and militias from Tucumán
. Nearing Tarija he learned that the local forces were hostigating Ramírez, and going down the hills at Tolomosa, he arrived in the town encountering Méndez, an old acquaintance of the Argentine chief. La Madrid, with his small force was at the time in battle with the enemy. With Méndez arrival they vanquished the royalist left flank, while La Madrid attacked in the center, with a victory making the Royalists flee. The Army of the North and the local militias took control of Tarija.
Afterwards, Revolutionaries returned to the camp where their Argentine commander released the prisoners obtaining Ramírez's surrender, along with other Royalist officers among them Andrés de Santa Cruz
, who later would switch sides by joining the Revolutionary forces in Peru
.
Tarija, Bolivia
Tarija or San Bernardo de la Frontera de Tarixa is a city in southern Bolivia. Founded in 1574, Tarija is both the capital and largest city within the Tarija Department, with an airport offering regular service to primary Bolivian cities, as well as a regional bus terminal with domestic and...
in Southern Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
between the royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
forces under colonel Mateo Ramírez and independentist local forces under Eustaquio Méndez allied with the Army of the North
Army of the North
The Army of the North , contemporaneously called Army of Peru, was one of the armies deployed by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in the Spanish American wars of independence. Its objective was freeing the Argentine Northwest and the Upper Peru from the royalist troops of the Spanish...
under Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid
Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid
Comandante General Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid was an Argentine military leader and, briefly, governor of several provinces like Córdoba, Mendoza and his native province of Tucumán.Lamadrid fought beside General Belgrano and General San Martín during the Argentine War of Independence, as a prominent...
.
The principal caudillo
Caudillo
Caudillo is a Spanish word for "leader" and usually describes a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. The term translates into English as leader or chief, or more pejoratively as warlord, dictator or strongman. Caudillo was the term used to refer to the charismatic...
s directing the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
s were Méndez, José María Avilés and colonel Francisco Pérez de Uriondo, one of the Tarijan's commanders allied with General Güemes
Martín Miguel de Güemes
Martín Miguel de Güemes was a military leader and popular caudillo who defended northwestern Argentina from the Spanish during the Argentine War of Independence.-Biography:...
' guerrillas. The town's center was under Ramírez and well defended by royalist troops.
The local Montoneros guerrillas surrounded the town hostigating Ramírez's troops. Tarija's chieftains had more than a thousand men ready for battle. Lieutenant Colonel Aráoz de Lamadrid, was arriving with nearly 500 men from Argentina's territory to the South with a regiment of Hussars and militias from Tucumán
Tucumán Province
Tucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
. Nearing Tarija he learned that the local forces were hostigating Ramírez, and going down the hills at Tolomosa, he arrived in the town encountering Méndez, an old acquaintance of the Argentine chief. La Madrid, with his small force was at the time in battle with the enemy. With Méndez arrival they vanquished the royalist left flank, while La Madrid attacked in the center, with a victory making the Royalists flee. The Army of the North and the local militias took control of Tarija.
Afterwards, Revolutionaries returned to the camp where their Argentine commander released the prisoners obtaining Ramírez's surrender, along with other Royalist officers among them Andrés de Santa Cruz
Andrés de Santa Cruz
Andrés de Santa Cruz y Calahumana was President of Peru and Bolivia...
, who later would switch sides by joining the Revolutionary forces in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.