Battle of Moquegua

Significance

The Battle of Moquegua was a severe defeat for the Liberating Expedition of Peru, fought near the city of Moquegua on 21 January 1823. The patriot force under Argentinean General Rudecindo Alvarado, numbering approximately 2,800, suffered roughly 1,000 casualties against a Royal Army of Peru force of around 2,522 men under General José de Canterac. The patriot army was described as almost completely destroyed, representing a significant reversal for the independence cause in Peru. The battle demonstrated that royalist forces under Canterac and Valdés retained the capacity to inflict decisive tactical defeats on the Liberation Army, prolonging the struggle for Peruvian independence and undermining the strategic momentum the patriot expedition had sought to establish in the region.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)