The Gaucho Army under Guemes and others now begins to make its presence felt and ties down several Spanish units, while forcing Pezuela to peel off even more units to cover his Lines of Communication. Rondeau actually has a chance to defeat the Peruvian Army, but fritters away his chances by being lax with discipline, allowing his army to run rampant with looting and drinking, and approving hair-brained schemes guaranteed to fritter away his strength. In just a few minutes, despite desperate, heroic and skilled counter-charges by the Horse Grenadier Regiment and the Dragoons under Necochea, Lamadrid and Rojas, the Army of the North literally evaporates and flees the field of battle. At the cost of some 30 dead and 200 wounded, almost 1,500 Argentine troops are killed, wounded or captured, along with all of their artillery and some 1,500 muskets. The war here will become a backwater dogfight for the next five years.
Chile is Defeated.
Argentina is just barely hanging on against invasions from Peru and its' vengeful Viceroy Abascal. New Granada and Gran Colombia are but names as a Spanish Army Corps has arrived under the popular ex-Guerilla General Morilla and Bolivar has fled by boat for Haiti. It seems the Revolution is on the verge of failure. Where darkness seems to reign, a few bright glimmers of hope stand out. Near the mountainous border of Chile, an obscure General of Cavalry rides out daily in order to inspect cereal crops, watch towns-women weave and sew clothing, meet with indigenous tribal leaders and watches the training a battalion of Freed Black men . . .