ORDER OF BATTLE // July 5, 1815
Battle of the Palo River
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 3,300 estimated
New Granada
1,200
Medium-confidence figure
Kingdom of Spain
2,100
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of the Palo River was an engagement in the Colombian War of Independence in which the army of the southern United Provinces of New Granada defeated the Spanish Royalist army of Quito. The New Granadan force of approximately 1,200 men overcame a Royalist army of roughly 2,100, a numerical disadvantage that made the outcome a meaningful result for the patriot cause in the southern theater. The victory checked the Royalist forces operating out of Quito and sustained New Granadan resistance in that region during a period when Spanish power was pressing hard to restore colonial control across northern South America.
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