Battle of Matasiete

Battle of Matasiete
Part of the Venezuelan War of Independence

Monument on the battle ground
Date31 July 1817
Location
Cerro de Matasiete, Margarita Island
11°02′13″N 63°51′06″W / 11.036876°N 63.851702°W / 11.036876; -63.851702
Result Venezuelan victory
Belligerents
Venezuela Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Francisco Esteban Gómez Pablo Morillo
Strength
300–1,300 [a] 3,000 [2]
Casualties and losses
Unknown 559 killed or wounded
Location within Venezuela

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.

Background

The revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar arrived in the island of Margarita in May 1816.[4] 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.[5] Bolívar then went on to the mainland. That year the Republicans were generally successful in their struggle with the Royalist forces.[4] 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.[4] 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.[6]

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 The Revolutionaries had evacuated the castle and withdrawn to Asunción, where they concentrated.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.[7] 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.[7] There was no resistance to this move.[8] The approach to the town was difficult, however, due to the rugged terrain that the defenders had fortified with redoubts, moats and parapets.[9]

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.[1] In his later report on the battle, Morillo paid tribute to the stubborn courage of the Republicans, who repelled repeated cavalry charges.[10] 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.[11] General Esteban Gómez himself was hit by bullets several times, and his horse was killed under him.[12]

The Republican artillery batteries Carante and Libertad played an important role in the defense. The Libertad, commanded by Felipe Villalba, fired incessantly.[12] The Patriots also rolled huge boulders down the slope into the Spanish line.[13] 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.[1] On 1 August Morillo retired to the fortified position of Pampatar, followed by Gómez with a harassing force of 200 infantry and 300 horsemen.[14]

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.[6] 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.[6] La Asunción became the provisional capital of the independent Republic of Venezuela.[13]

A column has been erected on the site of the battle.[15] The Castillo de San Carlos de Borromeo in Pampatar displays a painting that commemorates the battle, the most popular item in its collection.[16] In 1974 Matasiete hill was decreed a Natural Monument of Margarita.[17] Gómez Municipality, Nueva Esparta, birthplace of the victorious general, is named in his honor.[18] The anniversary of the battle is now celebrated as a special holiday on Margarita.[19] On 31 July 2012 a reenactment of the battle was staged at the site by over 500 volunteers.[20]

References

Notes

  1. ^ One source gives a Republican strength of 300 infantry and a few horsemen.[1] Another source says there were 1,300 defenders in total, supported by the population of the town.[2] Morillo said in his report on the battle that the Patriots had lost 200 killed and 450 wounded.[3]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c González Chaves 1879, p. 524.
  2. ^ a b Blanco 1883, p. 400.
  3. ^ González Chaves 1879, p. 525.
  4. ^ a b c Archer 2000, p. 220.
  5. ^ Maddicks 2011, p. 179.
  6. ^ a b c Archer 2000, p. 221.
  7. ^ a b Mitre & Lajouane 1890, p. 474.
  8. ^ Bolívar 1876, p. 10.
  9. ^ Mitre & Lajouane 1890, p. 475.
  10. ^ González Chaves 1879, p. 480.
  11. ^ Blanco 1883, p. 400-401.
  12. ^ a b Batalla de Matasiete: En Oriente.
  13. ^ a b Maddicks 2011, p. 162.
  14. ^ Blanco 1883, p. 402.
  15. ^ Fernandez 2006, p. 5.
  16. ^ Brushaber 1997, p. 137.
  17. ^ Jacome 1992.
  18. ^ Gómez: Margarita en tus manos.
  19. ^ Maddicks 2011, p. 161.
  20. ^ Guerrero 2012.

Sources

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