other at nine o'clock. The cannonading on both sides was heavy. An advanced line of the government forces sustained the furious fire from the enemy's vessels for fully two hours, and were left by the blundering Balmacedist officers unsupported. Finding them unable to keep up an effective fire, Colonel Canto ordered an advance against them. Under cover of the fire from the ships and their own artillery, the oppositionists dashed through the river and began a charge. Reinforcements were hurried forward on the government side, and for an hour the conflict raged, until Alzerreca's advanced guard was literally cut to pieces, forced to abandon their guns which were then turned against them, and to fall back. Colonel Canto profited by their discomfiture and pressed forward with his men, the ships and his own artillery in the rear still keeping up their rapid firing. For two hours longer the battle raged, then Balmaceda's army broke and fled.
The struggle had been terrible for the numbers engaged. Of the eight thousand infantry and nine hundred and fifty cavalry constituting the government forces, between two thousand and three thousand were killed and wounded. Of the 7th regiment eight hundred and thirty-four were killed, nine hundred of the Traiguen regiment, five hundred and twenty of the Temuco regiment, five hundred and fifty of the San Fernando regiment, and others in similar proportions. The revolutionists lost about a thousand men, less than half of whom were killed.
In this battle of Concon it will be seen that the oppositionists outnumbered the government troops, besides possessing the advantage of being armed with Manlicher rifles.[1] The regiments at the river were
- ↑ The reports of the battle are somewhat conflicting. One trustworthy account has the government troops led by both generals, Alzerreca and Barbosa, between whom, at the time, there existed ill-feelings. Another equally credible account
