Battle of Pavón
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Pavón was a key battle of the Argentine civil wars
fought in Pavón
, in Santa Fé Province
, Argentina
, on September 17, 1861, between the Army of Buenos Aires
, commanded by Bartolomé Mitre
, and the National Army, commanded by Justo José de Urquiza
. The withdrawal of Urquiza left the field to Mitre.
It led to the end of the Argentine Confederation
("Confederación Argentina"), and to the incorporation of Buenos Aires Province
as a dominant member of the country.
One difference between porteños and people from the provinces is that the former did not align directly with the two political parties of the time. Unitarians
and Federalists
existed both in the capital and in the provinces. Even though they were against each other politically, when it came to defend their own local interests, they joined to confront their common enemy (be it the capital or the provinces, whatever the case may be).
From the Battle of Caseros
, or more exactly from the porteño revolution of 11 September 1852, the country was divided into the Confederación Argentina and the State of Buenos Aires, confronted by an intermittent civil war
. The Battle of Cepeda (1859)
and the Unión San José de Flores Pact, from 1860 had united Buenos Aires province with the rest of the country, at least in nominal form. In reality they had not solved the issue as both sides believed they would confront each other again in the future.
's government, the interior provinces had been at peace, with the notable exception of San Juan
, where a political crime served as catalyst for the civil war that ended at Cepeda, things changed when president Santiago Derqui
took the post.
President Santiago Derqui issued a decree to establish new elections in Buenos Aires. The provincial authorities rebelled and annulled the Pact of San José.
and Derqui gave Entre Ríos
's general and ex-president Urquiza the post of commander in chief of the national forces to return the rebel province to the fold. At the same time, the porteño governor Mitre
was commander in chief of the Buenos Aires army.
There were several attempts at mediation, from individuals, and foreign governments, all failed due to Mitre's and Derqui's intransigence. Urquiza, tried until the last moment to preserve the peace and declined to take the initiative against the porteño army, as was the request of his colonels Ricardo López Jordán
and Prudencio Arnold.
President Derqui organized an army in Córdoba
, gathering an heterogeneous group of infantry
units. These forces were augmented by Urquiza's, with people from Entre Ríos
, Corrientes
and Santa Fé
provinces plus some porteño emigrants; with the majority of these forces being cavalry. In total the federalist army had about 17,000 men, where 8,000 came from the center provinces and 9,000 from Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, and Santa Fé's volunteers.
Mitre's army was made of 22,000 men and 35 artillery
pieces, plus a considerable numeric superiority of arms and artillery and infantry training.[The British had supplied the artillery pieces and the trained British artillery crews to operate them]
Derqui advanced up to Rosario
, where he left command in the hands of general Urquiza while Mitre advanced to the north of his province and invaded Santa Fé province.
Arriving at 800 m (2,625 ft) from the ranch, Mitre deployed his infantry, preparing for an assault on the enemy's center. But Urquiza's artillery started combat, opening great gaps in the porteño infantry, easy targets due to their colorful uniforms.
Combat lasted only two hours, during which the federalist left wing under colonel major Juan Saá, with the Santa Fé and renegade porteño men of Ricardo López Jordán
, completely vanquished the porteño First Cavalry, under general and ex-Uruguay
an president Venancio Flores
, chasing them past Arroyo del Medio
(a creek forming the border between Buenos Aires and Santa Fé provinces). The porteño Second Cavalry, under the command of veteran general Manuel Hornos, offered more resistance; but it had to retreat, leaving behind most of their heavier weapons and supplies plus many prisoners. The right wing, under general Miguel Galarza steamrolled the small left-wing cavalry of Buenos Aires.
In the federalist center, instead, composed by untrained militia from the interior of the country, was forced to retreat by the better trained and equipped porteño infantry battalions.
Seeing the center's collapse, Urquiza abandoned the field of battle without adding the 4,000 men from Entre Ríos that he had maintained in reserve, and marched to Rosario, then following to San Lorenzo
and Las Barrancas. At that point he received information of his cavalry's victory but he did not return.
Historians have attempted to explain his retreat but there is no satisfactory answer. The most common reason is attributed to Urquiza's being ill and another saying that he mistrusted president Derqui and feared treason.
Urquiza's unexpected decision left the field open to the porteño army, which had retreated to San Nicolás de los Arroyos
. Mitre decided then to consolidate his position before marching later on Santa Fé.
, Caseros
and Pavón were possibly some of the armed conflicts with the most significance in Argentine history, by the institutional consequences, as by the realignment of almost every other political actor after each of the battles.
After seeing Urquiza's inaction, Mitre gathered his troops. Part of the federalist cavalry advanced to Pergamino
, occupying the town. After a reaction from the porteño cavalry, the federalists retreated back to Santa Fé, and Mitre started his advance into that province. Several months had passed from the date of the battle.
In the following months, the porteño advance was unstoppable. The only federalist army capable of opposing them was Urquiza's, but he did not act and almost dismantled it.
Seeing the interior being invaded, Derqui resigned and took refuge in Montevideo
. A few weeks later vicepresident Pedernera
declared the national government dissolved. Starting on that moment, Mitre projected his influence in the whole country: all the federal governors — with the notable exception of Urquiza — were deposed in the final weeks of the year and the first few weeks of 1862. Some were deposed by local unitarians, counting on the closeness of the porteño army, and others directly by the porteño army who invaded those provinces. The ones that avoided that fate united together to accept that the national government was over and left to Buenos Aires governor Bartolomé Mitre the task of national reorganization.
Mitre was elected president of the nation by means of new elections organized by the new governors where the federalist candidates were forbidden. Together with Mitre the porteño central power was felt, taking the ministries and a good part of the seats in Congress.
The country's capital, which had been relocated to Paraná
, was again moved to Buenos Aires. The national government had to accept being a guest of the Buenos Aires city government. The location of the new national capital allowed the porteños to defend their interests very effectively.
In the following years, Argentina maintained a nominally federal organization, but the strength and preponderance of Buenos Aires was unbroken.
Argentine Civil War
The Argentine Civil Wars were a series of internecine wars that took place in Argentina from 1814 to 1876. These conflicts were separate from the Argentine War of Independence , though they first arose during this period....
fought in Pavón
Pavón, Santa Fe
Pavón is a town in the Constitución Department, in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. It lies from the provincial capital, and from the city of Rosario, near the Rosario-Buenos Aires Highway.- Schools :* "Unidad Nacional", 222 pupils...
, in Santa Fé 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...
, 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...
, on September 17, 1861, between the Army of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, commanded by Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
, and the National Army, commanded by Justo José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza y García was an Argentine general and politician. He was president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860.He was governor of Entre Ríos during the government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, governor of Buenos Aires with powers delegated from the other provinces...
. The withdrawal of Urquiza left the field to Mitre.
It led to the end of the Argentine Confederation
Argentine Confederation
The Argentine Confederation is one of the official names of Argentina, according to the Argentine Constitution, Article 35...
("Confederación Argentina"), and to the incorporation of 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...
as a dominant member of the country.
Political postures
During most of the 19th Century, Argentine history was defined by the theoretical, political and military confrontation between two postures:- On one side the porteñoPorteñoPorteño in Spanish is used to refer to a person who is from or lives in a port city, but it can also be used as an adjective for anything related to those port cities....
s from Buenos Aires wanted to impose their hegemonyHegemonyHegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
over the whole country. - On the other, the people from the provinces wanted to decentralize the nation, giving state autonomyAutonomyAutonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
to the provinceProvinceA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s.
One difference between porteños and people from the provinces is that the former did not align directly with the two political parties of the time. 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...
existed both in the capital and in the provinces. Even though they were against each other politically, when it came to defend their own local interests, they joined to confront their common enemy (be it the capital or the provinces, whatever the case may be).
From the Battle of Caseros
Battle of Caseros
The Battle of Caseros was fought near the town of Caseros, more precisely between the present-day train stations of Caseros and Palomar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 3 February 1852, between the Army of Buenos Aires commanded by Juan Manuel de Rosas...
, or more exactly from the porteño revolution of 11 September 1852, the country was divided into the Confederación Argentina and the State of Buenos Aires, confronted by an intermittent 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....
. The Battle of Cepeda (1859)
Battle of Cepeda (1859)
The Battle of Cepeda of 1859 took place on October 23 at Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina. The Republic of the Argentine Confederation army, led by Federal Justo José de Urquiza defeated the Province of Buenos Aires forces, led by Unitarian Bartolomé Mitre.-The battle in context:Before the...
and the Unión San José de Flores Pact, from 1860 had united Buenos Aires province with the rest of the country, at least in nominal form. In reality they had not solved the issue as both sides believed they would confront each other again in the future.
Conflicts in the interior
If during president UrquizaJusto José de Urquiza
Justo José de Urquiza y García was an Argentine general and politician. He was president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860.He was governor of Entre Ríos during the government of Juan Manuel de Rosas, governor of Buenos Aires with powers delegated from the other provinces...
's government, the interior provinces had been at peace, with the notable exception of San Juan
San Juan Province (Argentina)
San Juan is a province of Argentina, located in the western part of the country. Neighbouring provinces are, moving clockwise from the north, La Rioja, San Luis and Mendoza. It borders with Chile at the west....
, where a political crime served as catalyst for the civil war that ended at Cepeda, things changed when president Santiago Derqui
Santiago Derqui
Santiago Rafael Luis Manuel José María Derqui Rodríguez was president of Argentina from March 5, 1860 to November 5, 1861. He was featured on the 10 Australes note, which is now obsolete....
took the post.
- Several local caudilloCaudilloCaudillo 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, generically unitarians, had been at peace with the central government. With the new president, they publicly became part of the opposition: such was the case with Manuel Taboada from SantiagoSantiago del Estero ProvinceSantiago del Estero is a province of Argentina, located in the north of the country. Neighbouring provinces are from the north clockwise Salta, Chaco, Santa Fe, Córdoba, Catamarca and Tucumán.-History:...
, or José María del CampoJosé María del CampoJosé María del Campo was an Argentine priest and Unitarian Party leader....
in TucumánTucumán ProvinceTucumán is the most densely populated, and the smallest by land area, of the provinces of Argentina. Located in the northwest of the country, the capital is San Miguel de Tucumán, often shortened to Tucumán. Neighboring provinces are, clockwise from the north: Salta, Santiago del Estero and...
.
- Córdoba's governor Mariano Fragueiro maneuvered poorly in his relations with the opposition, and when the situation became violent, Derqui intervened in the provincial government (Derqui was originally from Córdoba).
- The gravest situation developed again in San Juan, where governor Virasoro was deposed and assassinated with the support of some porteño politicians, among them future president SarmientoDomingo Faustino SarmientoDomingo Faustino Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history...
who was from San Juan. President Derqui sent federal troops to intervene in that province, but the new governor, Antonino Aberastain, confronted them with his militia. Aberastain was defeated and assassinated which allowed the porteños to accuse Derqui of having provoked the crime.
Elections in Buenos Aires
To cement the union of the rebel province to the nation, they elected — in Buenos Aires — provincial deputies for the national legislature. It was flawed as it was run in accordance with the electoral laws of Buenos Aires, not the national government. The new deputies where rejected in Congress, and the Senators staged a walkout in solidarity.President Santiago Derqui issued a decree to establish new elections in Buenos Aires. The provincial authorities rebelled and annulled the Pact of San José.
Civil war
Congress considered this an act of seditionSedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
and Derqui gave Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
's general and ex-president Urquiza the post of commander in chief of the national forces to return the rebel province to the fold. At the same time, the porteño governor Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
was commander in chief of the Buenos Aires army.
There were several attempts at mediation, from individuals, and foreign governments, all failed due to Mitre's and Derqui's intransigence. Urquiza, tried until the last moment to preserve the peace and declined to take the initiative against the porteño army, as was the request of his colonels Ricardo López Jordán
Ricardo López Jordán
Ricardo Ramón López Jordán was an Argentine soldier and politician, one of the last influential "caudillos" in the history of Argentina...
and Prudencio Arnold.
President Derqui organized an army in Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, gathering an heterogeneous group of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
units. These forces were augmented by Urquiza's, with people from Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos Province
Entre Ríos is a northeastern province of Argentina, located in the Mesopotamia region. It borders the provinces of Buenos Aires , Corrientes and Santa Fe , and Uruguay in the east....
, Corrientes
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
and Santa Fé
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...
provinces plus some porteño emigrants; with the majority of these forces being cavalry. In total the federalist army had about 17,000 men, where 8,000 came from the center provinces and 9,000 from Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, and Santa Fé's volunteers.
Mitre's army was made of 22,000 men and 35 artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
pieces, plus a considerable numeric superiority of arms and artillery and infantry training.[The British had supplied the artillery pieces and the trained British artillery crews to operate them]
Derqui advanced up to Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
, where he left command in the hands of general Urquiza while Mitre advanced to the north of his province and invaded Santa Fé province.
The battle
The armies clashed by the Pavón creek, (40 km (25 mi) south of the city of Rosario, in Santa Fé province, about 260 km (162 mi) northwest of Buenos Aires. Urquiza formed his troops in a defensive position, forming an extended line due east of the Domingo Palacios ranch. On the wings he formed his cavalry.Arriving at 800 m (2,625 ft) from the ranch, Mitre deployed his infantry, preparing for an assault on the enemy's center. But Urquiza's artillery started combat, opening great gaps in the porteño infantry, easy targets due to their colorful uniforms.
Combat lasted only two hours, during which the federalist left wing under colonel major Juan Saá, with the Santa Fé and renegade porteño men of Ricardo López Jordán
Ricardo López Jordán
Ricardo Ramón López Jordán was an Argentine soldier and politician, one of the last influential "caudillos" in the history of Argentina...
, completely vanquished the porteño First Cavalry, under general and ex-Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an president Venancio Flores
Venancio Flores
Venancio Flores Barrios was a Uruguayan political leader and general. Flores was President of Uruguay from 1854 to 1855 and from 1865 to 1868.-Background and early career:...
, chasing them past Arroyo del Medio
Arroyo del Medio
The Arroyo del Medio is a small river of Argentina, located on the border between the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe. Its catchment basin comprises about 3,200 km². The Arroyo empties into the Paraná River at the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Buenos Aires, opposite the Constitución...
(a creek forming the border between Buenos Aires and Santa Fé provinces). The porteño Second Cavalry, under the command of veteran general Manuel Hornos, offered more resistance; but it had to retreat, leaving behind most of their heavier weapons and supplies plus many prisoners. The right wing, under general Miguel Galarza steamrolled the small left-wing cavalry of Buenos Aires.
In the federalist center, instead, composed by untrained militia from the interior of the country, was forced to retreat by the better trained and equipped porteño infantry battalions.
Seeing the center's collapse, Urquiza abandoned the field of battle without adding the 4,000 men from Entre Ríos that he had maintained in reserve, and marched to Rosario, then following to San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo, Santa Fe
San Lorenzo is a city in the south of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, located 23 km north of Rosario, on the western shore of the Paraná River, and forming one end of the Greater Rosario metropolitan area...
and Las Barrancas. At that point he received information of his cavalry's victory but he did not return.
Historians have attempted to explain his retreat but there is no satisfactory answer. The most common reason is attributed to Urquiza's being ill and another saying that he mistrusted president Derqui and feared treason.
Urquiza's unexpected decision left the field open to the porteño army, which had retreated to San Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the western shore of the Paraná River, 61 km from Rosario. It has about 138,000 inhabitants . It is the head town of the partido of the same name...
. Mitre decided then to consolidate his position before marching later on Santa Fé.
Consequences
The battles of CepedaBattle of Cepeda (1859)
The Battle of Cepeda of 1859 took place on October 23 at Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina. The Republic of the Argentine Confederation army, led by Federal Justo José de Urquiza defeated the Province of Buenos Aires forces, led by Unitarian Bartolomé Mitre.-The battle in context:Before the...
, Caseros
Battle of Caseros
The Battle of Caseros was fought near the town of Caseros, more precisely between the present-day train stations of Caseros and Palomar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 3 February 1852, between the Army of Buenos Aires commanded by Juan Manuel de Rosas...
and Pavón were possibly some of the armed conflicts with the most significance in Argentine history, by the institutional consequences, as by the realignment of almost every other political actor after each of the battles.
After seeing Urquiza's inaction, Mitre gathered his troops. Part of the federalist cavalry advanced to Pergamino
Pergamino, Buenos Aires
Pergamino is an Argentine city in the Province of Buenos Aires. It has a population of about 104.922 inhabitants as per the and is the seat of the partido of the same name. Its UN/LOCODE is ARPGO.-History:...
, occupying the town. After a reaction from the porteño cavalry, the federalists retreated back to Santa Fé, and Mitre started his advance into that province. Several months had passed from the date of the battle.
In the following months, the porteño advance was unstoppable. The only federalist army capable of opposing them was Urquiza's, but he did not act and almost dismantled it.
Seeing the interior being invaded, Derqui resigned and took refuge in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. A few weeks later vicepresident Pedernera
Juan Esteban Pedernera
Juan Esteban Pedernera was interim President of Argentina during a brief period in 1861.Born in 1796 in San Luis Province, he studied in a Franciscan monastery when young, and left his studies to join the Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers being summoned by José de San Martín to fight in the War of...
declared the national government dissolved. Starting on that moment, Mitre projected his influence in the whole country: all the federal governors — with the notable exception of Urquiza — were deposed in the final weeks of the year and the first few weeks of 1862. Some were deposed by local unitarians, counting on the closeness of the porteño army, and others directly by the porteño army who invaded those provinces. The ones that avoided that fate united together to accept that the national government was over and left to Buenos Aires governor Bartolomé Mitre the task of national reorganization.
Mitre was elected president of the nation by means of new elections organized by the new governors where the federalist candidates were forbidden. Together with Mitre the porteño central power was felt, taking the ministries and a good part of the seats in Congress.
The country's capital, which had been relocated to Paraná
Paraná, Entre Ríos
Paraná is the capital city of the Argentine province of Entre Ríos, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, opposite the city of Santa Fe, capital of the neighbouring Santa Fe Province...
, was again moved to Buenos Aires. The national government had to accept being a guest of the Buenos Aires city government. The location of the new national capital allowed the porteños to defend their interests very effectively.
In the following years, Argentina maintained a nominally federal organization, but the strength and preponderance of Buenos Aires was unbroken.