Liberals conservatives | ||
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11,000 and 14 artillery pieces 8,000 and 30 artillery pieces | ||
The Battle of Calpulalpan took place on December 22, 1860 during the War of Reform in the vicinity of the community of San Miguel de la Victoria in the municipality of Jilotepec in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It would be the last battle of the War of Reform (1858-1860).
Contents
Contenders
In the first stage of the conflict the balance seemed to tilt in favor of the conservatives, who had the support of most of the formal army, but gradually the trend was reversing, until in Calpulalpan, the conservative party his last card played with his best General Miguel Miramon, commanding eight thousand soldiers, thirty guns and some of the most experienced officers as Leonardo Márquez, Francisco A. Velez, Miguel Negrete and Marcelino Cobos.
Liberal army troops, commanded by General Jesus Gonzalez Ortega who was the general Ignacio Zaragoza, Leandro Valle, Nicolas Régules and Francisco Alatorre with a force of 11,000 men and 14 pieces of artillery under his command. His army was formed by the republican guerrillas who had risen against the coup three years ago and, despite not having mostly military education were hardened soldiers in the battlefields.
Background
After the conquest of Guadalajara on 3 November 1860 los liberals they seized the military initiative. They began to gain territories heading toward the Mexican capital. To stop the advance of their enemies General Miramon left Mexico City being constantly harassed by the liberal guerrillas operating around the city.
While General Gonzalez Ortega advanced to meet him with 20,000 men.
Both armies met in Calpulalpan on December 21 and after failing the negotiations were prepared for battle.
Battle
The next day despite their numerical inferiority, 8:00 am Miramon began an attack on the liberal left wing taking advantage of the superiority of their artillery, being counterattacked two hours later, by the superior forces of Zaragoza on the right flank conservative, and by Régules in the middle, at the same time, General Gonzalez Ortega, Leandro Valle and Alatorre advanced to wrap conservatives in the rear, move that decided the action of arms and the liberal victory. Conservative army was completely destroyed. Gonzalez Ortega headed the end of the battle, I resulting totally defeated the Conservative army.
Miramón escaped and returned to Mexico City in search of support, where he managed to gather 1,500 men but soon defected; lost cause, he left the capital and fled toward Veracruz days later to Havana, Cuba, from where he left for France. Years later return with the Emperor Maximilian.