Battle of Quilacura explained
| Conflict: | Battle of Quilacura |
| Partof: | Arauco War |
| Date: | February 11, 1546 |
| Place: | Quilacura[1] in the vicinity of the Bio-Bio River |
| Result: | Spanish Victory |
| Combatant1: | Spanish Empire |
| Combatant2: | Mapuche |
| Commander1: | Pedro de Valdivia |
| Commander2: | Malloquete[2] |
| Strength1: | 60 Spanish soldiers
many yanakuna[3] |
| Strength2: | 7-8,000 warriors according to Valdivia, considered exaggerated, modern estimates 1,500-2,000[4] |
| Casualties1: | 6 Spaniards killed
6 wounded
2 horses killed[5] |
| Casualties2: | up to 200 warriors, including Malloquete [6] [7] |
Battle of Quilacura took place during the Arauco War, fought at night, four leagues from the Bio-Bio River,[8] between the Spanish expedition of Pedro de Valdivia and a force of Mapuche warriors led by Malloquete on February 11, 1546.
Sources
- Pedro de Valdivia, Cartas de Pedro de Valdivia (Letters of Pedro Valdivia),Carta, Al emperador Carlos V, Concepción, 15 de octubre de 1550, University of Chile: Diarios, Memorias y Relatos Testimoniales: (on line in Spanish)
- Jerónimo de Vivar, Crónica y relación copiosa y verdadera de los reinos de Chile (Chronicle and abundant and true relation of the kingdoms of Chile) ARTEHISTORIA REVISTA DIGITAL; Crónicas de América (on line in Spanish)
- Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo, Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536–1575) (History of All the Things that Have happened in the Kingdom of Chile and of those that have governed it (1536–1575)), University of Chile: Document Collections in complete texts: Cronicles (on line in Spanish)
- Pedro Mariño de Lobera, Crónica del Reino de Chile, escrita por el capitán Pedro Mariño de Lobera....reducido a nuevo método y estilo por el Padre Bartolomé de Escobar. Edición digital a partir de Crónicas del Reino de Chile Madrid, Atlas, 1960, pp. 227–562, (Biblioteca de Autores Españoles ; 569-575). Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (on line in Spanish)
- Diego de Rosales, “Historia General del Reino de Chile”, Flandes Indiano, 3 tomos. Valparaíso, IMPRENTA DEL MERCURIO 1877 - 1878.
- Carvallo y Goyeneche, Vicente, Descripcion Histórico Geografía del Reino de Chile (Description Historical Geography of the Kingdom of Chile), University of Chile: Document Collections in complete texts: Cronicles (on line in Spanish)
Notes and References
- Vicente Carvallo y Goyeneche, Descripcion Histórico Geografía del Reino de Chile; Primera parte. Tomo I, Capítulo VI.
- Jerónimo de Vivar, Crónica y relación copiosa y verdadera de los reinos de Chile, Capítulo LXVI
- Valdivia, Carta, 15 de octubre de 1550 If historical numbers of Indian auxiliaries with Spanish armies at the time is any guide, Valdivia had about 20 to each Spaniard, about 1200.
- Valdivia, Carta, 15 de octubre de 1550
- Valdivia, Carta
- Valdivia, Carta, 15 de octubre de 1550 "y matamos muchos dellos y al capitán que los guiaba." (and we killed many of them and the captain who guided them.)
- Vivar, Crónica, Capítulo LXVI, "y muertos el capitán Malloquete y hasta doscientos indios."
- Valdivia, Carta, 15 de octubre de 1550 Valdivia says they traveled four leagues to the Bio-Bio River the day following the battle. Vivar, Crónica, Capítulo LXV, says his expedition was coming from the north having crossed the Itata River and Valdivia says they had traveled 10 leagues beyond when the battle occurred. Vivar says the following day they moved four leagues to the Andalien River valley and the bank of the Bio-Bio River, so presumably the battle site was north and east of the Bio-Bio. Lobera, Crónica del reino de Chile, Cap. XVII, says that Quilacura, is thirteen leagues from the modern seaport of Penco.
