Battle of Bajo Palacé

Overview

The Battle of Bajo Palacé was the first major military campaign of the Colombian War of Independence, resulting in a Patriot victory over the Spanish royalist army. The battle was fought on March 28, 1811, on the banks Palacé River where the Palacé bridge crossed the river, located a few kilometers north of the city of Popayan, this bridge was part of the route of the Camino Real that connected the city of Popayan with Cali.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Bajo Palacé stands as the first major military campaign of the Colombian War of Independence, marking an early Patriot victory over Spanish royalist forces. Fought on the banks of the Palacé River at the crossing of the Camino Real north of Popayán, the engagement pitted the Confederated Cities of the Cauca Valley and the Supreme Junta of Santafé, fielding 1,300 men, against a royalist force of 1,500 under Miguel Tacón y Rosique. The royalists suffered around 100 casualties. Control of the Palacé bridge was strategically significant as it sat on the main road linking Popayán to Cali, meaning the Patriot outcome denied royalist forces uncontested use of a key artery through the Cauca Valley in the early phase of the independence struggle.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (1)