Battle of Agüi

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Spanish. (January 2015) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
  • View a machine-translated version of the Spanish article.
  • Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
  • Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
  • You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Spanish Wikipedia article at [[:es:Combate de Agüi]]; see its history for attribution.
  • You may also add the template {{Translated|es|Combate de Agüi}} to the talk page.
  • For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
Battle of Agüi
Part of the Chilean War of Independence
DateFebruary 18, 1820
Location
Fort Agüi north of Ancud on Chiloé Island
Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Chilean patriots Spain Royalists
Commanders and leaders
William Miller Spain Antonio Quintanilla
Strength
60
Casualties and losses
20 killed
  • v
  • t
  • e
Chilean War of Independence
Patria Vieja (1812–1814)
  • 1st Talcahuano
  • Linares
  • Yerbas Buenas
  • Valparaíso
  • 1st San Carlos
  • 1st La Frontera
  • 2nd Talcahuano
  • Thomas
  • 2nd San Carlos
  • 1st Chillán
  • Aconcagua
  • 1st Quirihue
  • Cauquenes
  • 2nd La Frontera
  • Huilquilemu
  • Quilacoya
  • Florida
  • El Roble
  • Trancoyan
  • Cucha-Cucha
  • Penco
  • Gomero
  • 1st Talca
  • El Quilo
  • Membrillar
  • Maule River north march
  • 1st Cancha Rayada
  • 1st Quechereguas
  • 1st Concepción
  • Rancagua
  • Los Papeles
Reconquista (1815–1817)
  • Central Chile insurgency
  • Juncalito
  • Crossing of the Andes
    • Picheuta
    • Potrerillos
    • Guardia Vieja
    • Achupallas
    • Las Coimas
  • Cumpeo
  • Salala
  • Chacabuco
  • 2nd Valparaíso
Patria Nueva (1817–1819)
  • Juan Fernández Islands
  • First southern campaign
    • 1st Parral
    • Curapalihue
    • 3rd La Frontera
    • Gavilán Hill
    • 3rd Talcahuano
    • 1st Carampangue
    • 2nd Carampangue
    • 2nd Chillán
    • Bustamante
  • 3rd Valparaíso
    • Curaumilla
  • 2nd Quechereguas
  • Illapel
  • 2nd Talca
  • 2nd Cancha Rayada
  • Maipú
  • Second southern campaign
    • 2nd Parral
    • 2nd Quirihue
    • 3rd Chillán
    • Biobío River
  • Spanish South Sea expedition
Guerra a muerte (1819–c.1824/7/32)
  • Fort Santa Juana
  • Mesamávida
  • Los Ángeles
  • 4th Chillán
  • Curalí
  • Posillas
  • Dolores
  • 1st Quilmo
  • Curanilahue
  • Trilaleo
  • Hualqui
  • Talcamávida
  • Pileo
  • 1st Yumbel
  • El Avellano
  • Fort San Pedro
  • 3rd San Carlos
  • Monte Blanco
  • 1st Araucanía
  • 5th Talcahuano
  • 2nd Quilmo
  • 2nd Yumbel
  • Pangal
  • Tarpellanca
  • 6th Talcahuano
  • Cocharcas
  • 2nd Concepción
  • Chillán River
  • 2nd Araucanía
  • 3rd Araucanía
  • Arauco Bay
  • Vegas de Saldías
  • 4th Araucanía
  • 5th Araucanía
  • Coast of Arauco
  • Boroa
  • Alico
  • Laraquete
  • Panguilemu
  • Bureo
  • Pincheira brothers brigandage
    • Neuquén
Valdivia, Osorno and Chiloé (1820–1826)
Relevant civil conflicts
External fronts

The Battle of Agüi was fought at Fuerte de Agüi, near Ancud, Chiloé on February 18, 1820 between Chilean patriots and Spanish royalists, during the Chilean War of Independence. After the successful capture of Valdivia Lord Cochrane sought to occupy the Chiloé Archipelago which was the last stronghold of the Spanish in Chile. William Miller disembarked for this task but had to reembark after had been severely wounded in his leg and lost 20 men.41°49′46.48″S 73°51′18.26″W / 41.8295778°S 73.8550722°W / -41.8295778; -73.8550722

The battle

The battle was part of an effort to drive Spanish forces from the Chiloé archipelago, some of which were fortified in the San Miguel de Agüi Castle. When Commander Saturino García arrived at the castle to reinforce the Spanish army, he found that Chilean Major William Miller had already begun combat. The patriots felt the urgency of this arrival and a force of 60 men assaulted the fort but 38 men, including Miller, were disabled by shot from within.[1][2]

Assuming command, Captain Francisco Eréscano formed a new column, but canon and gun fire from within the castle made it difficult to advance towards it over a narrow, broken road. The patriots found their situation made more difficult when a gunboat dispatched from San Carlos by colonial governor Antonio Quintanilla arrived and began firing on their flank.

The patriot column was forced to fall back. Captain Eréscano carried it out in an orderly fashion, evacuating the wounded and assuring that the rear of his column would be protected from the garrison inside the castle, now being reinforced by Captain García’s troops. Nevertheless, Eréscano’s forces still had to repel three attacks from the Spanish. The Chilean forces marched down Huechucucuy Beach and arrived at the cove were their ships were anchored. By this point the Spanish had ceased their pursuit of the patriot force, probably out of a fear of being surrounded by a larger force.[3]

References

  1. ^ Del Real Pérez, Cristián (2012). "Miller, Su Obra" (PDF). Revista de Marina. April.
  2. ^ Edmundson, William (2009). A History of the British Presence in Chile: From Bloody Mary to Charles Darwin and the Decline of British Influence. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 64. ISBN 978-0-230-61849-7.
  3. ^ Delaney, Robert F. (1949). The South American Career of General William Miller. The University of New Mexico.