Battle of Márquez Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Márquez Bridge (located on the border between current-day Villa Udaondo
and Paso del Rey
, Buenos Aires Province
, Argentina
), fought on 26 April 1829, during the civil war
between Unitarians
and Federalists
, resulting in a victory for the Federal Party forces of Juan Manuel de Rosas
and the governor of Santa Fe Province
, Estanislao López
, over general Juan Lavalle
, who had usurped the office of Governor of Buenos Aires Province.
administration, the leader of the Federalist Party, Colonel Manuel Dorrego
, was elected governor of Buenos Aires Province. An alliance of the Unitarian Party with the army chiefs that had fought against the Brazilian Empire
deposed Dorrego on 1 December 1828. Days after, Dorrego was defeated at the Battle of Navarro and shot by order of Lavalle.
Rosas, Buenos Aire Province chief of the army, marched to Santa Fe Province, where he joined with Santa Fe governor Estanislao López starting to march on Buenos Aires, to avenge the crime and depose th Unitarian government. Lavalle anticipated and attacked Santa Fe, but López had stronger forces and left Lavalle without effective cavalry
and forced him to retreat. Several minor caudillo
s from the South of Buenos Aires Province forced the Unitarian forces to divide and fight, forcing Lavalle to retreat.
). he awaited them there with 1,000 men, veterans and well armed, against the 4,000 militiamen of López and Rosas, which were accompanied by about 3,000 Indians.
On 26 April at 6 in the morning, the attack started, and slowly the Federalists dominated the course of events. A little before 10 AM, a noise charge by the Indians spooked Lavalle's horses. The Unitarian cavalry was quickly taken over, while the infantry was forced to retreat, crossing the bridge and destroying it. They then continued the retreat towards today's La Matanza Partido
, while López established camp in Luján
and Rosas in Cañuelas
.
had deposed Córdoba Province
governor and could attack Lopez's province of Santa fe at any moment. Rosas established a siege of Lavalle at the city of Buenos Aires, closing access and leaving him without supplies from the countryside. In a few months Lavalle was forced to sign a peace accord with Rosas (see Cañuelas Pact
). Rosas would soon later be elected Governor of Buenos Aires Province.
The Battle of Márquez Bridge was a Federalist victory making it possible for the Federalists to take control of the province and take the civil war against the Unitarians to the interior of the country, having the resources of Buenos Aires province, the biggest and richest, behind them. By the end of 1831 the Unitarian Party would be defeated in all the provinces of Argentina.
Villa Udaondo
Villa Udaondo is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, it is located in the Ituzaingó Partido in Greater Buenos Aires.The town is named after Guillermo Udaondo Governor of Buenos Aires from 1894 to 1898....
and Paso del Rey
Paso del Rey
Paso del Rey is a city located 35,5 km from Buenos Aires, in Moreno, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.Paso del Rey takes its name from the estancia owned by Senator Amancio Jacinto Alcorta: Estancia Paso del Rey....
, Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
), fought on 26 April 1829, during the civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
between Unitarians
Unitarian Party
Unitarianists or Unitarians were the proponents of the concept of a Unitary state in Buenos Aires during the civil wars which shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces...
and Federalists
Federales (Argentina)
Federales was the name under which the supporters of federalism in Argentina were known, opposing the Unitarios that claimed a centralised government of Buenos Aires Province, with no participation of the other provinces of the custom taxes benefits of the Buenos Aires port...
, resulting in a victory for the Federal Party forces of Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
and the governor of Santa Fe Province
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
, Estanislao López
Estanislao López
Estanislao López was a governor and caudillo of the , between 1818 and 1838, a hero of provincial federalism and an ally of Juan Manuel de Rosas during the Argentine Civil War.-Biography:...
, over general Juan Lavalle
Juan Lavalle
Juan Galo de Lavalle was an Argentine military and political figure.-Biography:Lavalle was born in Buenos Aires to María Mercedes González Bordallo and Manuel José de La Vallée y Cortés, general accountant of rents and tobacco for the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.In 1799, the family moved to...
, who had usurped the office of Governor of Buenos Aires Province.
Prelude
After the fall of the Bernardino RivadaviaBernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...
administration, the leader of the Federalist Party, Colonel Manuel Dorrego
Manuel Dorrego
Manuel Dorrego was an Argentine statesman and soldier. He was governor of Buenos Aires in 1820, and then again from 1827 to 1828....
, was elected governor of Buenos Aires Province. An alliance of the Unitarian Party with the army chiefs that had fought against the Brazilian Empire
Brazilian Empire
The Empire of Brazil was a 19th-century state that broadly comprised the territories which form modern Brazil. Its government was a representative parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Emperors Dom Pedro I and his son Dom Pedro II, both members of the House of Braganza—a...
deposed Dorrego on 1 December 1828. Days after, Dorrego was defeated at the Battle of Navarro and shot by order of Lavalle.
Rosas, Buenos Aire Province chief of the army, marched to Santa Fe Province, where he joined with Santa Fe governor Estanislao López starting to march on Buenos Aires, to avenge the crime and depose th Unitarian government. Lavalle anticipated and attacked Santa Fe, but López had stronger forces and left Lavalle without effective cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and forced him to retreat. Several minor caudillo
Caudillo
Caudillo is a Spanish word for "leader" and usually describes a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. The term translates into English as leader or chief, or more pejoratively as warlord, dictator or strongman. Caudillo was the term used to refer to the charismatic...
s from the South of Buenos Aires Province forced the Unitarian forces to divide and fight, forcing Lavalle to retreat.
Battle
Lavalle wanted to stop the advance of the Federalist forces on a defensible site, selecting the Márquez Bridge, over the Conchas river (today Reconquista RiverReconquista River
The Reconquista River is a small river in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Together with the Riachuelo, it is one of the most contaminated watercourses in the country....
). he awaited them there with 1,000 men, veterans and well armed, against the 4,000 militiamen of López and Rosas, which were accompanied by about 3,000 Indians.
On 26 April at 6 in the morning, the attack started, and slowly the Federalists dominated the course of events. A little before 10 AM, a noise charge by the Indians spooked Lavalle's horses. The Unitarian cavalry was quickly taken over, while the infantry was forced to retreat, crossing the bridge and destroying it. They then continued the retreat towards today's La Matanza Partido
La Matanza Partido
La Matanza is a partido located in the Greater Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires Province in Argentina....
, while López established camp in Luján
Luján
-Places:*Luján, Buenos Aires Province, a city in Argentina*Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina*Luján Partido-People:*Luján Fernández, Argentine supermodel.*Ben Ray Luján, Democratic Congressman from New Mexico.*Daniela Luján, Mexican actress....
and Rosas in Cañuelas
Cañuelas
Cañuelas is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the Cañuelas Partido. It is located near the outskirts of the Gran Buenos Aires conurbation....
.
Consequences
The battle left Lavalle's forces diminished and without mobility. López had to return to Santa Fe, as general José María PazJosé María Paz
Brigadier General José María Paz y Haedo was an Argentine military figure, notable in the Argentine War of Independence and the Argentine Civil War.-Childhood:...
had deposed Córdoba Province
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
governor and could attack Lopez's province of Santa fe at any moment. Rosas established a siege of Lavalle at the city of Buenos Aires, closing access and leaving him without supplies from the countryside. In a few months Lavalle was forced to sign a peace accord with Rosas (see Cañuelas Pact
Cañuelas Pact
The Cañuelas Pact was an agreement signed on 24 June 1829 between generals Juan Lavalle and Juan Manuel de Rosas, with the aim of ending the civil war in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, which was going on since the revolution of December of 1828....
). Rosas would soon later be elected Governor of Buenos Aires Province.
The Battle of Márquez Bridge was a Federalist victory making it possible for the Federalists to take control of the province and take the civil war against the Unitarians to the interior of the country, having the resources of Buenos Aires province, the biggest and richest, behind them. By the end of 1831 the Unitarian Party would be defeated in all the provinces of Argentina.