Battle of Araure explained

Conflict:Battle of Araure
Colour Scheme:background:#eeddbb
Partof:the Venezuelan War of Independence
(Military career of Simón Bolívar)
Date:5 December 1813
Place:Araure, Venezuela
Result:Patriot victory
Combatant1:Patriots
Combatant2: Royalists
Commander1:Simón Bolívar
Commander2: José Ceballos
Strength1:3,000 infantry and cavalry
Strength2:3,500-5,000 infantry
500 cavalry
Casualties1:800 dead
Casualties2:1,000 dead

The Battle of Araure was fought during the short-lived Second Republic of Venezuela on 5 December 1813, in the city of Araure in Portuguesa State, Venezuela. Simon Bolivar's force defeated General José Ceballos.

Prelude

After the Admirable Campaign, Simón Bolívar had reconquered the capital Caracas in August 1813, but large area's of Venezuela remained under Royalist control.
The Spanish Governor of Coro Province, José Ceballos, had gathered 1,300 soldiers and advanced towards Valencia. He was joined by the 2,500 men under command of José Antonio Yáñez and defeated a Patriot force in the Battle of Tierrita Blanca on 10 November. Bolivar, summoned all the men that he could, and advanced to meet Ceballos, what occurred near a place called Araure.[1]

The battle

The actual battle began early in the morning of 5 December and lasted for around six hours. It was clear that the Royalist troops were numerically superior to the Venezuelan Patriots. The Royalists had a total of 3,500 to 5,000 (depending upon the source) soldiers, while the patriots had some 3,000 men. Despite the superiority of the Royalists, the Patriots would go on to win the battle.[2]

Bolivar would later tell his troops:

Your valor has earned yesterday a name for your corps, and through the midst of the fighting, when I saw you succeed, I named you the Victorious Battalion of Araure. You removed the enemy's flags in the moment of your victory; you have earned the famous, invincible call of Numancia.

Links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=sherwell&book=bolivar&story=ribas Heritage History
  2. https://bicentenariodelabatalladearaure.blogspot.com/2013/10/batalla-de-araure-historia.html Bicentenario de la batalla de Araure