Battle of Salta

Overview

The Battle of Salta took place on February 20, 1813, on the plains of Castañares, north of the present-day Argentine city of Salta, during the Argentine War of Independence. The Army of the North, under the command of general Manuel Belgrano, defeated for the second time the royalist troops of general Pío de Tristán, after their victory in the previous September at the Battle of Tucumán. The unconditional surrender of the royalist troops ensured Argentine control over most of the northern territories of the former Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.

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

Significance

The Battle of Salta, fought on the plains of Castañares north of the present-day city of Salta, marked the second consecutive defeat of royalist general Pío de Tristán's forces by Manuel Belgrano's Army of the North, following their earlier victory at Tucumán in September 1812. The unconditional surrender of Tristán's force—which numbered 3,400 and suffered 2,776 casualties—effectively removed the primary royalist military presence in the region. This outcome secured Argentine control over most of the northern territories of the former Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, consolidating the United Provinces' hold on the interior at a critical stage of the independence struggle. The two successive defeats at Tucumán and Salta denied the Viceroyalty of Peru a viable southern offensive and stabilized the northern front for the patriot cause.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)