Battle of Ibarra (1812)
Spanish victory ended the short-lived State of Quito.
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The First Battle of Ibarra was fought near the city of Ibarra, Ecuador, from 27 November to 1 December 1812, during the Spanish American Wars of Independence. It pitted the forces of the State of Quito against those of the Spanish Empire. The Spanish victory led to the dissolution of the short-lived state that had declared independence from Spain in October 1811.
Prelude
By February 1812, Quito had declared itself an independent state, breaking from Spanish rule. In response, Spain put General Toribio Montes in charge of the local government and army.
After a Patriot win at Chimbo in July, Montes’s forces turned the tide at Mocha in September. Pushing north, they faced a brave but weak defense at El Panecillo from Carlos Montúfar. Montes then entered Quito and took control of the presidency on November 8.
The Battle
The Patriot army, about 1,200 men under Colonel Calderón, regrouped in Ibarra. Learning that Spanish troops under Colonel Juan de Sámano were in Atuntaqui, the patriots prepared to fight at San Antonio on 27 November.
After nearly winning, tactical errors forced them to retreat to Ibarra. They made a final stand on 1 December at the Yahuarcocha lagoon, where the Royalists defeated them. Captured patriots were executed after a summary trial; some escaped to Esmeraldas.
Did You Know?
- The Quito revolt that led to the State of Quito began on 10 August 1809.
- Some defeated patriots fled to Esmeraldas hoping to join the patriots of Cauca.
More in Spanish American Wars of Independence
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Battle of Ibarra (1812) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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