Freedom Expedition of Per

Freedom Expedition of Per

The Expedicin Libertadora del Per (Freedom Expedition of Peru) was organized in 1820 by the government of Chile, with elements belonging to the Liberating Army of the Andes and to recently restored Army of Chile, whose target was to free the Viceroyalty of Per from Spanish rule. The expedition was the continuation of the plan of liberation that General Bernardo O'Higgins and General Jos de San Martn conceived for the Spanish colonies of South America. While the Chilean The Chilean Squadron sails off for Per government headed by Bernardo O'Higgins played a pivotal role in organizing the expedition, the control of the Chilean Squadron was given to Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald and the control of the ground force relapsed into the Argentine General Jos de San Martn. The expedition managed to liberate parts of Peru.

Precedents
In 1814 the General Captaincy of Chile was reconquered by the Spanish Crown, in the Disaster of Rancagua, putting term to the period named Patria Vieja (Old Homeland), in which the Chilean patriots had governed the destinations of the colony and conceived notable reforms to the colonial Spanish diet. Later to above mentioned event, the Chilean troops, along with the personeros of the government, fled to Mendoza, where they were got by the Governor of the Province of Cuyo General Jos de San Martn, the one who conceived in that moment a plan of liberation of the South American colonies of the Spanish Empire. This plan would consist of invading Chile with an army shaped by the remains of the Army of Chile, defeated in Rancagua, and Argentine troops. After the invasion and liberation of Chile, for the allied army, this one would embark for sea course to Peru to extinguish the Spanish presence in that region, since he supposed a big threat for the independence of other Latin Americans countries. The emancipation of Per was to have been a common enterprise by Chile and Argentina.[1] Argentina, then a lose alliance of provinces, distracted by internal strife and another threat of invasion from Spain was unable to contribute for the expedition and ordered Jos de San Martn back to Argentina. San Martn choose to disobey (see Acta de Rancagua) and O'Higgins decided that Chile would assume the costs of the Freedom Expedition of Per.[2](p39)

The Squadron
On 20 August 1820 the expedition sailed from Valparaso for Paracas, near Pisco in Per. The escort was provided by the squadron and comprised the flagship O'Higgins (under Captain Thomas Sackville Crosbie), frigate San Martn (Captain William Wilkinson), frigate Lautaro (Captain Martin Guise), the corvette Independencia (Captain Robert Forster), the brigs Galvarino (Captain John Tooker Spry), Araucano (Captain Thomas Carter), and Pueyrredn (Lieutenant William Prunier) and the schooner Moctezuma (Lieutenant George Young).[3](p98) Every expeditionary ship got a painted number so that it could be identified at a distance. There are discrepancies between authors about the names and number and some names of the transports.[4]

Freedom Expedition of Per

List of transporters of the Expedition to Per Ship name Potrillo
[5]

Shipnumber 20

tons 180

Other names 0

troops

personnel or cargo 1400 boxes munition for infantry and artillery, 190 boxes munition for flamethrowerfor and 8 barrels powder

Consecuencia Gaditana Emprendedora

11 10 12

550 250 325

Argentina

561 236 6 guns 1280 boxes musket balls, 1500 boxes supplies of tools and repair shop 100 boxes munition, 190 boxes clothes, 460 sack kekse, 670 bunches jerked beef hospital, physicians and 200 boxes

Empresa

319

Golondrina

19

120

Peruana Jerezana Minerva guila Dolores Mackenna

18 15 8 14 9 ?

250 350 325 800 400 500 not Brigantine Pueyrredn

53 461 630 752 395 0

7 guns

960 boxes with weapons, armors and leather goods for infantry and cavalry. 180 quintal iron pieces 6 guns 6 guns

Perla Santa Rosa

16 13

350 240 Santa Rosa de Chacabuco or Chacabuco

140 372

Nancy Notes

21

200

80 horses and fodder

On 8. September 1820 the liberating army disembarked 100 miles southeast of Lima: 4118 soldiers, 4000 of them were Chileans.[1](p144) On the night of 5. November Cochrane, personally, and 240 volunteers wearing white with blue armbands captured the Spanish frigate Esmeralda (1791) within the port of Callao. She was renamed Valdivia and commissioned to the Chilean Navy.

References
[1] Carlos Lopez Urrutia, Historia de la Marina de Chile, Editorial Andrs Bello, 1969, url (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=IyV_C94lNRoC)

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Freedom Expedition of Per Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=584412840 Contributors: Acad Ronin, Chiton magnificus, Dawkeye, Fabrictramp, John of Reading, Keysanger, Malcolma, Priscilla D, Richhoncho, Santos30, 1 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Zarpe de la Primera Escuadra Nacional.jpg Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Zarpe_de_la_Primera_Escuadra_Nacional.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Thomas Somerscales

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/