page_title: Battle of San Lorenzo
section_title: Battlefield
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of San Lorenzo / Battlefield
caption_attribution_description: Español: Campo de la Gloria, donde se celebró la Batalla de San Lorenzo. Al fondo se distinguen el Monumento a la batalla y el Convento San Carlos
context_page_description: The Battle of San Lorenzo was fought on 3 February 1813 in San Lorenzo, Argentina, then part of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. A Spanish royalist force under the command of Antonio Zabala was defeated by the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers, under the command of José de San Martín. This battle was the baptism of fire for this military unit, and for San Martín in the Spanish American wars of independence.
  Montevideo, a royalist stronghold during the Argentine War of Independence, was under siege by José Gervasio Artigas. Those in the city raided population centres along the nearby rivers for supplies. San Martín, who shortly before had arrived in Buenos Aires and formed the regiment, followed the royalist ships to San Lorenzo. The area around San Lorenzo formed a large empty plain, so the regiment hid inside the San Carlos convent during the night and San Martín studied the battlefield and the enemy ships from the tower. The battle started at dawn, when the grenadiers made a surprise pincer movement to trap the enemy forces. One column was led by San Martín, and the other by Justo Germán Bermúdez.
context_section_description: The battle was fought at the location of the modern city of San Lorenzo, Santa Fe which is next to the Paraná River, at the point of its widest flow. The west bank of the river was tall and steep, forming a natural obstacle, and ships could only land troops and materials on that side of the river using man-made paths cut into the side. The battlefield was near one of these paths, shaped like a ladder, after which the terrain was a big plain with scattered bushes. The San Carlos Convent, the main nearby building, was a short distance away from the river.
  The location was not an easy place to defend without artillery, as the plains made surprise attacks difficult. Except for the convent itself, the terrain did not offer any natural barriers that the patriots could exploit. Nevertheless, the flat terrain was ideal for cavalry manoeuvres, and the distance between the church and the west gully gave enough room for a cavalry charge. The royalists, on the other hand, could support their troops with their ships from the river. Without a supporting navy, or local batteries, San Martín had no means to attack the ships. Although the small path allowed them passage to the ships, it could force the royalist forces to bottleneck during a retreat while the long range guns of the ships protected them. San Martín studied the battlefield and readied the plan for the operation during the night, when the grenadiers were hidden inside the convent.
caption: The "Field of Glory" at San Lorenzo, Santa Fe, site of the battle. The San Carlos Convent and the monument of the battle are seen in the background
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