Page:A history of Chile.djvu/189

THE RE VOL UTIONAR Y PERIOD 1 73 ter by Balcarce, the right by Las Heras, the reserves by Quintana. Each army numbered not far from five thou- sand troops ; each was led by generals of consummate ability; but the royalists had the advantage in this, that they had just won an important victor}', which had reduced the fine patriot army to about one-half its original strength. This filled one army with enthusi- asm, the other with doubt and sombre forebodings. The battle began about eleven o'clock by a lively cannonading from the patriot artillery on the right. In an hour the action became general. Colonel Blanco Encalada commanded the artillery, and with this met the enemy's left as it moved down the hill. A charge was made upon the four fieldpieces at the left of the royalist lines ; these were captured and turned against the foe. The battle raged most fiercely about a farmhouse of the Espejo, which place was captured and retaken many times during the day. Until near the close of the day the advantage seemed to be with Osorio, the center and one wing of his army held the field and the defeat of the patriots seemed certain. On San Martin's left wing the patriots had been able to withstand the Burgos regiment for some time, but the regiment of negroes stationed there at last became confused ; four hundred of them were lying dead upon the field. The Burgos regiment now attempted to form itself into a square for a decisive charge; this broke the Spanish lines and threw them into momentary dis- order. Colonel O'Brien, a gallant Irishman, commanded here a troop of patriot horse-grenadiers. With^them he reinforced the reserves under General Quintana, which had been ordered to support this wing. Form- ing rapidly for a charge, O'Brien threw his men so furiously upon the forming regiment of the Burgos, that