Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos The Battle of Chorrillos , also known as the " Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos " , was the first of the two battles of the Lima Campaign during the War of the Pacific , and was fought on January 13 , 1881 . This battle is really a group of a smaller , yet fierce confrontations at the defensive strongholds of Villa , Chorrillos , San Juan , Santa Teresa and Morro Solar . The Chilean army led by Gen . Manuel Baquedano inflicted a harsh defeat to the Peruvian army commanded by the Supreme Chief Nicolás de Piérola . The Chilean triumph eliminated the first defensive line guarding Lima , and almost obliterated the Peruvian army defending it . At the end of the battle , the town of Chorrillos was burned to the ground by the Chilean army trying to eradicate the Peruvian defenders garrisoned there . During the night , abuses were committed to civilians by drunk soldiers . Despite of this result , another battle had to be fought in order to the Chilean army could enter into the Peruvian capital city at Miraflores , two days later . Prologue . After the Chilean victories at the battles of Tacna and Arica , the southern department of Peru was on Chilean hands , so the Chilean government had no desire to continue the war . After all , the Bolivian zone in dispute which started the conflict was under Chilean domain , as well as the southernmost Peruvian department of Tarapaca , which was not in dispute but had started to play a significant role in financing the Chilean war effort . Despite this fact , the public opinion was divided . One side desired to end the war by conquering Lima , and the other one wanted to end the conflict right then , avoiding more casualties . The public debate reached the Chilean Congress , were José Miguel Balmaceda declared : " The peace is at Lima , and nowhere else " . This political and social climate forced both the Chilean government and its high command to plan a new campaign with the objective to obtain an unconditional capitulation at the Peruvian capital city . Hence , the peace talks on the " Lackwanna " known as the Conference of Arica were futile . Meanwhile , Nicolas de Pierola , at that time the dictator of Peru , used these conversations to gather a massive army at Lima and its surroundings , but the defense was organized only when the Chilean army occupied Pisco . Since it became pretty obvious the attack would came from the south , a long line of defenses were set at Chorrillos and Miraflores , under the advisement of the engineers Gorbitz and Arancibia . The line of Chorrillos had 15 kilometres long , lying from Marcavilca hill to La Chira , passing through the acclivities of San Juan and Santa Teresa . Preliminary situation . The Chilean situation . During the second half of December , the Chilean Navy transported a number of divisions from Pisco and Paracas to Curayacu . Only Patricio Lynch ' s brigade took a land route . By December 21 , the invasion convoy was at Chilca . A detachment of ninety horsemen of the Cazadores a Caballo Cavalry Regiment , led by Lt . Col . Ambrosio Letelier scouted the terrain until they reached Lurin , finding no presence of Peruvian troops . Another 25 Cazadores , joined with Lynch at Bujama . Meanwhile , a massive Chilean disembark at Curayaco took place on December 22 . The following day , Col . Gana ' s brigade marched over the Lurin valley , where some cavalry sustained a little fight with Peruvian soldiers , but by 07 : 00 , the Chilean forces reached their objective , and by 11 : 00 entered in the town of San Pedro de Lurin . On December 24 , a small vanguard force formed by four infantry companies and 200 Cazadores marched to Manchay , from where it goes to Pachacamac , in order to protect the bridge over there . Here , this force engaged Peruvian troops in a fierce skirmish . On the 25 , the 1st Brigade of Sotomayor ' s II Division was sent to Pachacamac . With the arrival of Lynch ' s brigade , the entire Chilean army gathered about 29 , 935 soldiers , organized into four divisions by the War Minister José Fco . Vergara . Two companies of the Curico Infantry Regiment with 300 artillery men were left here taking care of the wounded generated by the march of part of the Chilean troops . So , 23 , 129 men forwarded to Chorrillos on the afternoon of the 12 , reaching its destination by the night . The Peruvian situation . Meanwhile the Chilean army landed on Curayaco and moved to Lurin , the Peruvian government mobilized all men between 18 and 50 years , leaving the older than 50 years in a stationary reserve , whilst the younger ones formed the " Line Army " ( Spanish : " Ejército de Línea " ) . Hence , it was organized two " Southern Armies " at Tacna and Arequipa , one " Centre Army " and one " Northern Army " . Pierola ordered the farmers of the Lima Department to form a mobile column and beset the Chilean forces landed in any way they could , and to serve as scouts . The American engineer Paul Boyton , who was hired by the Peruvian government to develop torpedoes to be used against the Chilean navy , narrates that " " the Peruvian troops were of natives who had been recruited in the mountain ranges and forced to fight , hundreds of them never had seen before a city " " . When these contingents arrived at Lima , massed up around 18 , 000 men . 10 , 000 soldiers were sent to the first defensive line set at Chorrillos and the rest were put as a reserve at the second line of Miraflores . The Peruvian forces defending the line at Chorrillos were under the command of the Supreme Chief Nicolás de Piérola . The line stretched from the town of Chorrillos by the sea to Pamplona hill , extending itself in about 15 km long . This army deployed with Miguel Iglesias ' I Army Corps guarding the right flank of the Peruvian line , followed by Caceres ' IV Army Corps . Right next to it was Davila ' s III Army Corps and the II Army Corps of Belisario Suarez was placed in the rear as a reserve . The artillery deployed 4 Grieve - system cannons at Marcavilca hill and La Chira , 4 Vavasseur cannons at Chorrillos ; at Villa , another battery of 4 Grieves cannons and at Santa Teresa were 15 Whites , 4 Grieves , 4 Walgely steel pieces , 1 Armstrong and 1 Vavasseur . By the left , 12 Grieves , 4 Whites and two small Selay - system cannons . On the right of San Juan position were 8 Whites and 14 Grieve . At Pamplona were another 4 Grieves and 4 Vavasseur . The attacking plan and defensive layout . The Chilean high command had two approaches about how to handle this battle . The first one , proposed by Col . Jose Fco . Gana and supported by the War Minister in Campaign Jose Fco . Vergara was a flanking maneuver on the far left of the Peruvian defenses . On the other hand , the plan of General Baquedano was quite similar to the one used in Tacna . It consisted in pressing the attack simultaneously along the entire front line , keeping the Allies from sending reinforcements from one point to another , and exploiting the fact than this defensive line was extensive but thin . At last , Baquedano ' s plan prevailed , nevertheless a previous skirmish at Ate confirmed that Vergara ' s plan was possible . The Peruvian strategy relied on the difficulty in climbing to assault the troops at the hill top positions . Their emplacements were strengthened by a system of trenches for shooters on the hill slopes and hidden devices such as land mines and booby traps , which were poorly installed and did not really work . The battle . The Beginning . Operations on the Peruvian right flank . Marcavilca . At 04 : 00 on January 13 , the battle began when the sunrise showed the advancing Chilean forces . Lynch ' s division engaged the troops defending the right flank of the defensive line . The Nº 9 " Callao " Battalion on the Villa sector was pushed back to Col . Iglesias ' I Army Corps , which was also forced to retreat to new positions at Marcavilca . The Peruvian IV Army Corps attacked the I Division , thus Gen . Baquedano ordered the reserve to back Lynch up . This manoeuvre isolated Iglesias from the rest of the Peruvian army , breaking the defensive line as the I Army Corps withdrew from Marcavilca and regrouped at Morro Solar . Manoeuvres at the line centre . San Juan and Santa Teresa . Whilst Lynch was fighting at Marcavilca , Sotomayor ' s division reached the battlefront and pressed the attack over Canevaro ' s 3rd Center Division , pinning it down in its position between San Juan and Pamplona . When Gen . Silva sent the Huanuco Battalion as reinforcement , it was rejected and disbanded . This also occurred with the following reinforcements sent to the sector . Col . Gana ' s brigade marched onto and hammered the Peruvian positions at " Papa " and " Viva el Peru " hills . The " Buin " 1st Line Regiment bayoneted off its defenders , as the " Esmeralda " 7th Line Regiment captured the banner of the Nº 81 " Manco Capac " Battalion . Barbosa ' s brigade attacked the Peruvian trenches from the south , forcing Davila ' s Army Corps to retreat from San Juan . From this point , Gana turned left and charged Caceres ' Army Corps left flank , which refolded , splitting the Peruvian line . Cannevaro ' s division , which was holding up the attack , had no choice but to retreat as well . Hence , the defensive line was now fractured in two points and the battle was turning in Chile ’ s favour . Baquedano sent the Cazadores a Caballo and the Granaderos a Caballo cavalry regiments , led by Manuel Bulnes and Tomas Yavar , trying to stop the Peruvian retreat . The latter died of a gunshot , and Bulnes was injured by a land mine . Despite this , both regiments reached to Pampa de Tebes , but here were stopped by a Peruvian cavalry brigade sent by Silva and an intense infantry fire of the retiring battalions . The rest of Suarez ’ battalions retired to Chorrillos suffering heavy casualties in the march . Meanwhile , some dispersed troops were gathered and sent to the second defensive line at Miraflores . Conclusion . Morro Solar . With the Peruvian line broken now at its center and beginning to collapse , Lagos ’ III Division were sent from the Chilean right wing to support Lynch ' s forces which were sustaining heavy damage . On a controversial decision , Gen . Baquedano ordered the exhausted I Division to make a frontal charge in order to eliminate this Peruvian stronghold . Part of Amunategui ' s 2nd Brigade , supported by some artillery marched towards Marcavilca . The " Martir Olaya " battery of Col . Arnaldo Panizo poured over the Chileans , inflicting severe casualties . The Chacabuco and the 4th Line regiments took several losses on their attempt at Morro Solar . When the ammunition began to run out , the Chilean brigade retreated attacked by Iglesias near La Calavera hill , but was strengthened by the Atacama Regiment and resumed the attack . When the brigade of Col . Barcelo arrived , Iglesias refolded to Marcavilca . Lynch divided his division to conquer Marcavilca hill , with one column attacking the flank and the other engaged the front . Jose Maria Soto ' s column drove the Peruvians out of their positions , but its commander fell in the attempt , being replaced by Marcial Pinto Aguero as the commandant of the Coquimbo Battalion . In a new retreat , to Chorrillos this time , Iglesias was captured . Chorrillos . Suarez ' Corps reached Chorrillos and attacked the incoming Chilean forces . Sotomayor ' s division , along with Urriola ' s brigade attacked the town ; meanwhile Barcelo marched to Morro Solar in order to take Panizo ' s position . The Peruvians garrisoned in the town , so the Chileans had to fight in every house in order to take it . To make this objective easier , the Chileans set Chorrillos on fire . Being surrounded , Suarez withdrew to Barranco , part of the Miraflores defensive line . Prior to the occupation of Lima there were fires and sackings by demoralized Peruvian soldiers in the towns of Chorrillos and Barranco ; as quoted by Charles de Varigny " rendía incondicionalmente . La soldadesca ( peruana ) desmoralizada y no desarmada saqueaba la ciudad en la noche del 16 , el incendio la alumbraba siniestramente y el espanto reinaba en toda ella " . The Chinese slaves who were liberated by the Chilean army also fought alongside the Chileans in the battles of San Juan - Chorrillos and Miraflores , and there was also rioting and looting by non - Chinese workers in the coastal cities . As Heraclio Bonilla has observed ; " Peruvian oligarchs soon came to fear the popular clashes more than the Chileans , and this was an important reason why they sued for peace " . [ Source : " From chattel slaves to wage slaves : dynamics of labour bargaining in the Americas " , by Mary Turner . ] During the night , Chilean troops entered the town of Chorrillos , and looted the houses , warehouses and Churches . Then the troops burned the town and committed abuses against the Peruvian civilians and themselves during these riots . Almost 200 Chilean soldiers died as a result of the fighting against their own companions . Many civilians were murdered , women were raped , houses and properties were sacked and many foreigners , who had stayed there to protect their houses , were murdered and their properties robbed . The members of the Italian fire fighters Brigade , after attempting to put out the fires , were executed by a Chilean firing squad ( they are considered heroes in Peru ) . Colonel Andrés Avelino Cáceres requested permission to attack the drunken soldiers in the night and save the remains of the population , because , as it was to be proved later , most of Chilean troops had scattered and were mutinied and not obeying their officers . His plea was not listened by Peruvian President Pierola . Aftermath . Both sides had exorbitant losses . The Chilean army had 3 , 107 men dead or wounded , equivalent to 13 % of its personnel . Lynch ’ s and Sotomayor ’ s divisions were the most damaged units . The Peruvian army lost the Guardia Peruana , Cajamarca , Ayacucho " 9 de Diciembre " , Tarma , Callao , Libres de Trujillo , Junin , Ica and Libres de Cajamarca battalions at Morro Solar , the Zepita at Chorrillos and the Huanuco , Libertad and Ayacucho at San Juan . Besides , the Paucarpata , Jauja , Ancash , Concepción , Piura , 23 de Diciembre and Unión battalions had abundant losses . All this adds up about 8 , 000 men , 87 cannons , 19 machine guns and 4 battalion banners . The survivors refolded to strengthen Lima ’ s second defensive line at Miraflores , but the defeat had an impact in the Peruvian morale .