Battle of Venta de Echavarri The Battle of Venta de Echavarri ( or , literally the " Battle of the Inn of Echavarri " ) , a battle of the First Carlist War , occurred on October 28 , 1834 . It was an immediate follow - up to the Battle of Alegría de Álava , which had occurred the day before . It was a Carlist victory . Background . In the aftermath of the Battle of Alegría de Álava on October 27 , the Carlists searched the forests between Chinchetru and Alegría de Álava for Liberal troops who had survived the battle and were now hiding . Liberals who were discovered were executed on the spot . The Carlists captured the two pieces of artillery that had belonged to the Liberal army , along with corresponding munitions and the regimental banner of the Liberal Regiment of Africa . Manuel O ' Doyle and other Liberal officers surrendered , and were executed by firing squad the next day . However , 250 Liberal troops and their officers maintained order and reached Arrieta by forced march , 3 km away from the field of battle , and they fortified themselves in the church at Arrieta . There they fought against the Carlists who pursued them all during the night . News of this action at Arrieta led Osma to the decision to send soldiers to the rescue of the troops at Arrieta the next morning , which would lead to the Battle of Venta de Echavarri . The terrain . Zumalacárregui took advantage of his knowledge of the terrain to trick his enemy , luring the Liberals to places more suited to the guerrilla tactics of the Carlists than the maneuvers of the Isabeline regulars . The terrain of the battle was laid out as such : leaving Vitoria for the old royal road towards the East , one crosses a plain for 12 kilometers , flanked on the right or South by the foothills of the range of Andia and on the left or North by the range of San Adrián . The Zadorra River , coming from the East , runs close to the range of San Adrián . The plain slopes gently from the south to the north , and rises , almost imperceptibly , towards the east . At the end of this distance of 12 kilometers rises the height of Quilchano , to which reach from the East the hills of Dallo , thus cutting the plan in two . The left of the plain slopes towards the Zadorra while the right sinks into a 60 meter deep depression . The northern slopes of the hills of Dallo slope gently towards the Dallo while its southern slopes , rocky and devoid of any vegetation , fall precipitously towards the depression . This southern slope is where the royal road runs . At the bottom of the slope there is a breech towards the north in the hills of Dallo , there is a creek into which the Zadorra drains . There is a bridge over this creek , and on the other side ( in the direction of Vitoria ) can be found the place known as " la venta de Echavarri " – in other words , the Inn of Echavarri , where waggoners and travelers , either on their way up or down the hills , would stop for repairs , food , and gossip . Near the inn , about a kilometer and a half away , can be found the place known as Echavarri - Urtupiña , and more towards the east 2 and half kilometers away , is the place known as Arrieta . Troops . Osma ' s troops included O ' Doyle ' s former division , which included : The Liberal troops also included : The Carlists counted on : The battle . Osma ' s troops reached the heights of Quilchano and spotted the Carlists in oblique formation in the depression near Arrieta . It was two o ’ clock in the afternoon . Zumalacarregui knew that Osma wished to release the Liberal troops trapped in Arrieta , and therefore masked the place , formed his men , and addressed his men – to which they responded with " A ellos ! A ellos ! " ( " At ' em ! At ' em ! " ) Osma moved his troops . Two battalions of carabineers with their squadron of cavalry and a company of the Battalion of Bujalance descended into the valley . Once they crossed the bridge , the First Battalion of Carabineers under Martín Iriarte , and a company of mountain troops from the Battalion of Bujalance ascended to the nearest hills of Dallo , creating the Isabeline left flank . The Second Battalion of Carabineers and a squadron of cavalry remained at the bottom of the valley , forming the Isabeline right flank . On the peak that rose above the inn , on the west to the opening that empties into the Zadorra were stationed half of the Queen ’ s Second Battalion and at the entrance to this opening were stationed a 50 members of the cavalry company of the Bujalance . On the slope , as a reserve there remained the other half of the Queen ’ s Second Battalion with 50 cavalrymen , the Battalion of Salamanca , and the rest of the Bujalance Battalion . The Battalion of San Fernando remained near the height of the depression , to the right . Two eight - pounders were placed on the slope near the bridge . The Isabeline formation was defensively arranged , without a center , contrary to its goal of advancing towards Arrieta . Osma believed that Zumalacárregui , victorious after the Battle of Alegría de Alava , would attack the Liberals , advancing through the depression . The Liberal plan was to allow the Carlists to attack and then bombard them with artillery , and the Liberals in the valley would then pursue the Carlists until Arrieta . Zumalacárregui , understanding the intentions of the Liberal troops , and knowledgeable of the terrain , advanced his troops across the valley but before they were in reach of the Liberal artillery , he sent the majority of his troops rapidly towards the north and up the hills of Dallo . Once at the top , the Carlists were able to advance rapidly since the slopes of the Dallo on the north sloped gently , and approached the Isabeline troops on the hilltop . Osma had stationed few troops there , and seems to have been lacking in knowledge of the terrain , believing that the north face of the hills had the same formation as those of the south , and that the Isabeline troops would be able to defend themselves easily there against a numerically superior foe , as if behind an actual wall . But the Isabelines on the hilltops were not able to withstand the attack of the Carlist First and Third Battalions of Navarre , and abandoned their positions , descending towards the bridge . The Carlists , occupying the crests , continued to advance by the northern slopes , and reached the opening and advanced towards the bridge . Osma , on the hilltop , did not have a clear view of what was happening on his left flank , but on seeing his troops descend from the hilltops , sent as reinforcements to the bridge his reserve the rest of the Bujalance Battalion and half of the Queen ' s Battalion . But the Carlists troops were also arriving by the royal road to the same spot . With a battalion of Guías de Navarra at the Carlist vanguard , the Carlists crossed the bridge and assaulted the hilltop above the Inn of Echavarri , defended by half of the Queen ’ s Second Battalion . Once the Isabeline troops of the right flank formed at the depression had joined combat , the left flank was surrounded by the Carlists and had begun to scatter . " Disregarding the enemy ’ s fire , the Carlists advanced , and the guides [ Guías de Navarra ] having passed a bridge at the distance of half a musket - shot , the Liberals ' left was turned . " The right flank also began to break formation and scatter , escaping out of the depression , and suffering casualties inflicted by the Carlists . It seemed that a massacre like the one that had occurred at Alegría de Álava would occur , but Zumalacárregui ordered his troops to give quarter to those who surrendered . The battle had lasted barely an hour . The Carlists cleared the hill , and when the battle was over , a pursuit began , and along the royal road , the Liberals fled in complete disorder and were pursued to the very gates of Vitoria - Gasteiz . The Carlists captured 3 , 000 muskets as spoils of war . Aftermath . Osma , in his account of the battle to Isabel II , placed all of the blame on his troops , stating that " . . . all of the spots were abandoned [ by the troops ] without resistance , not heeding my own example to hold these spots nor stop from fleeing in a most humiliating fashion , and confirming what I have said to Your Majesty that everything is now lost , for all honor is lost . . . ” Iriarte , however , who was one of Osma ' s officers , and who had participated in the battle , would criticize Osma for his actions during the battle , and it was concluded that Osma should have occupied the town of Echavarri - Urtupiña , converting it into a miniature stronghold with the two Liberal cannons . This would have allowed the Liberal troops at Arrieta to escape safely . The Liberal troops trapped at Arrieta meanwhile had seen the whole battle from the churchtower . Fog descended upon the town and at midnight , with bayonets fixed , killed the few Carlists who had attempted to stop their escape . They reached Maetzu , where there was an Isabeline force . On November 1 , 1834 , they reached Vitoria without incident . The Liberal Army was in disarray , and the Liberal troops at Pamplona barely had firewood with which to cook their meals . The two Liberal divisions of Navarre retired to the Puentelarreina – Pamplona Line , giving Zumalacárregui a golden opportunity to launch an attack on the rich zones of Navarre . The Carlist general would advance through Los Arcos , Sesma , Miranda de Arga , Peralta , Villafranca , crossing the Arga and Aragón Rivers and near the monastery of La Oliva and Sanguesa returned to the Pyrenees , crossing the Arga again north of Pamplona , finally stationing himself at La Berrueza . He would return with a number of supplies , clothes , money , and new troops . The morale of the Carlists was very high , and they decided to fight the Liberal troops in a formal battle ( rather than with guerrilla tactics ) . This would happen on December 14 , 1834 , at the Battle of Mendaza – which would be a Carlist defeat . Order of battle at Venta de Echavarri . ( 1 ) ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ( 1 ) Sierra de San Adrián . ( 2 ) Río Zadorra . ( 3 ) Cerros de Dallo . ( 4 ) Camino Real Vitoria - Pamplona . ( 5 ) Vitoria . ( 6 ) Alto de Quilchano ( 7 ) Venta de Echavarri . ( 8 ) Echavarri - Urtupiña . ( 9 ) Arrieta . ( 10 ) Alegría de Álava . ( 11 ) Chinchetru . ( 12 ) Sierra de Andía .