Battle of Quebracho Herrado The Battle of Quebracho Herrado , fought on 28 November 1840 in the east of Córdoba Province , Argentina , was a victory for the Argentine federal army , led by former Uruguayan president , Brigadier Manuel Oribe over the Unitarian army led by Brigadier Juan Lavalle , during the Argentine Civil Wars . Background . In 1840 a revolt against the dictatorial rule of Juan Manuel de Rosas began in the interior of Argentina . Brigadier Juan Lavalle assembled about 4 , 000 men , mostly from Corrientes Province but with some exiles from Buenos Aires Province . He invaded Entre Ríos Province with this force . He fought a Federal army of about 5 , 000 men under the command of the Governor , Brigadier Pascual Echagüe at the Battle of Don Cristóbal ( 10 April 1840 ) and the Battle of Sauce Grande ( 16 July 1840 ) . About the same time , the Unitarian Coalition of the North was formed by the governments of five provinces opposed to Rosas . The Coalition forces numbered about 2 , 000 men under the command of Colonel Major Gregorio Aráoz de Lamadrid . Lamadrid managed to stop an attack led by the governor of San Juan Province , Colonel Nazario Benavídez , and the governor of Santiago del Estero Province , Brigadier Juan Felipe Ibarra . Lamadrid later held Córdoba Province , helping to install a liberal government there as a coalition ally . After Sauce Grande , Lavalle was expelled from Entre Ríos by Echagüe . He moved down the Paraná River and invaded Buenos Aires Province with 2 , 500 men , but failed in his attempt to defeat Rosas due to federal resistance from Buenos Aires and the lack of French support . He therefore returned to Santa Fe Province , pursuing the federal forces of that province commanded by Brigadier Juan Pablo López , who had gone down to Buenos Aires to support Rosas . He occupied Rosario and the capital city of Santa Fe . He was held up for a month by indecision and by the tenacious defense of López and his deputy , Lieutenant Colonel Jacinto Andrada . He became surrounded by the Federal army led by General Oribe , whom the government of Buenos Aires had placed in command of their army . Lavalle agreed with Lamadrid , who already occupied Córdoba Province , to move to that province and join forces . They agreed to meet at the post of Romero , in the center of Santa Fe Province , on 20 November . Lavalle left Santa Fe on 18 November and headed towards Romero , closely pursued by the forces of Oribe and Juan Pablo Lopez . Oribe had made a march that is perhaps unique to the history of Argentina , covering about in two days through a desert region . Oribe ' s persecution was so intense that Lavalle , handicapped by a convoy of anti - Rosas civilians from Santa Fe , had to stop every few minutes to force him to form up for battle , even when he did not mean to give battle . After a few days with no news of Lavalle , Lamadrid retreated some distance to the west without warning Lavalle or their allies . When Lavalle reached his destination , Lamadrid was not there and nobody knew where he was . Lavalle , harried by the federals , went to the post of Quebracho Herrado in the eastern part of Córdoba Province . Development of the battle . Forced by circumstances , Lavalle waited Oribe ' s attack on 28 November . The battle began at noon . 4600 Unitarian soldiers clashed ( 350 infantry , 4000 cavalry , of which 1200 were dismounted , and 4 guns ) against over 6500 Federals ( 1600 infantry and nearly 5000 cavalry with five pieces of artillery ) . Lavalle decided to place the burden of the battle on his right wing , led by Colonel Niceto Vega . Its rapid charge arrested the Federal cavalry of the left wing , under the orders of Colonel Hilario Lagos , some distance from the battlefield , but failed to make it retreat . Therefore Lavalle ' s cavalry could not attack the Federal reserve or the infantry . On the other federal wing , however , the cavalry led by Colonel Major Ángel Pacheco , including the first division of Santa Fe led by commander Andrada , easily overcame the Unitarian cavalry on the left under Colonel José María Vilela , and went on to attack the Unitarian army reserves . In the center , the balance between the Unitarian infantry of Colonel Pedro José Díaz and the Federal infantry of Lieutenant Colonel Jerónimo Costa held for four hours . The Unitarian right was demoralized being seeing the rest of the army losing , was surrounded by the forces of General Pacheco and had to withdraw . In a last effort , Lavalle took personal command of the reserve and launched into the fight . At 4 pm , the horses of the Unitarian army stopped moving and Oribe had the victory . More than 500 men were killed during the battle and more than a thousand Unitarian soldiers were taken prisoner , as the cavalry were on foot and could no longer protect the infantry . Colonel Diaz was taken prisoner and would spend several years in Rosoas ' prisons . Years later he would fight beside him in the Battle of Caseros . The federal army also captured several hundred civilians , who accompanied Lavalle from Buenos Aires and Santa Fe . They also took the artillery and baggage . The federal army lost 36 killed and 50 wounded . The soldiers who escaped the massacre fled in disorder to the city of Córdoba . Oribe ' s men , however , due to the long chase they had done , had to rest before making a thorough pursuit . They stayed on the battlefield , and set about plundering the baggage of the civilians who had marched with the army . Aftermath . After the terrible defeat , Lamadrid rushed to help the remnants of the defeated army with 1 , 500 men . He met Lavalle at El Tío , and the two men each bitterly reproached the other for being absent from the post of Romero . That led to a series of conflicts between the two Unitarian heads , who could not stay in Córdoba . As a result of the defeat , and the misunderstandings between Lavalle and Lamadrid , both decided to withdraw to the north . They attempted a reorganization . Months later they separated and Lamadrid , with a new army , invaded Cuyo , while Lavalle remained in Tucumán . Ultimately , eight months later , Lavalle was defeated at the Battle of Famaillá and Lamadrid in the Battle of Rodeo del Medio , in Mendoza Province . With that the Northern Coalition disappeared . The Battle of Quebracho Herrado was the largest of the civil war that shook Argentina between 1839 and 1842 , one of several civil wars suffered by that country in the nineteenth century . It was not absolutely decisive , but the situation turned dramatically in favor of the federal party , who would eventually triumph in the Battle of Caseros in 1852 . References . Notes Citations Sources Further reading