Battle of Calderón Bridge The Battle of Calderón Bridge ( ) was a decisive battle in the Mexican War of Independence , fought on the banks of the Calderón River east of Guadalajara in present day Zapotlanejo , Jalisco . Almost 100 , 000 Mexican revolutionists contributed to the attack , commanded by Miguel Hidalgo , Ignacio Allende , Juan Aldama and Mariano Abasolo . The Royalist forces , made up of little more than 6 , 000 professional soldiers , and fighting for the King of Spain , were led by Félix María Calleja del Rey , a Spanish military officer and ( later ) viceroy of New Spain . He was later given the title of " conde de Calderón " for the victory . The battle owes its name to the adjoining bridge , and the combatants ' objective . The Battle of Calderón Bridge was the last militant episode of the first stage of the War of Independence . Overview . Following Hidalgo ' s failed attempt to take Mexico City in October 1810 , insurgent troops retreated toward Guanajuato , pursued by Royalist forces led by General Félix María Calleja . Unable to defend positions at Aculco , where Calleja ' s army intercepted the insurgents , Hidalgo decided to continue his army ' s retreat towards Guadalajara . The insurgent army , numbering approximately 100 , 000 , took up a defensive position at the Bridge of Calderón , where the road from Guanajuato to Guadalajara crossed the Calderón River . Ignacio Allende commanded the troops at the position . Calleja ' s forces , which numbered only 6 , 000 but were better equipped than the insurgent forces , arrived at the Bridge on January 16 . As the battle ensued , Royalist artillery struck an insurgent ammunitions wagon , which caused it to explode . The explosion dispersed much of the insurgent force , giving victory to the much smaller but better disciplined and equipped Royalist forces . Insurgent forces fled northwards after losing the battle with Royalist troops following them . The insurgents ' defeat in this battle effectively was a turning point in the War of Independence and resulted in a ten - year delay before insurgent victory and independence could be achieved . Aftermath . The battle marked the end of the first stage of the war and was noted for the fact that the insurgents fought with more passion than strategy . The insurgent forces were devastated and the events that followed would lead up to the capture and ultimately the sentence of Hidalgo . The insurgents fled north where , near Zacatecas , Hidalgo was divested of his military command in favour of Allende . In March they received an invitation by the New Leonese general Ignacio Elizondo to meet at the Wells of Baján ( " Norias de Baján " ) in Coahuila , from where they would buy armaments in the United States . The first contingent arrived on March 21 with Allende , Aldama , Jiménez and Indalecio , son of Allende . They were welcomed and in an act of ambush , immediately taken prisoner . When the second contingent arrived with Abasolo , they were also captured and taken prisoner . Hidalgo ultimately arrived on horse and was personally apprehended by Elizondo . The prisoners were taken to Chihuahua where they were tried . Allende , Aldama and Jiménez were shot on June 26 , Hidalgo on July 30 and Abasolo was sentenced to life in prison in Cádiz , Spain , where he died in 1816 . Calderón Bridge was declared a Mexican historical monument in 1932 .