The Battle of Ayohuma

After his defeat at Vilcapugio in October 1813, General Belgrano rested and reorganised his troops as best he could, but his army was short of both experience and, crucially, artillery. Against the advice of his officers, he advanced against the Royalist army under Joaquin de la Pezuela. Pezuela's army was in a strong position, with its flanks protected by hills and front protected by a gully. Despite being outnumbered, outranged, outclassed and outgunned, Belgrano attacked.

He lost. The Royalist army compromised his right flank, a cavalry assault against the Royalist right failed and a frontal assault by his infantry was shot to pieces by artillery and the Royalist infantry as it struggled past the ravine.

The survivors struggled back to Tucuman, where Belgrano resigned his command, it being taken up by Jose de San Martin.

Given the setup - an inferior force attacking an enemy in a strong position - this didn't seem worth setting up and playing, but John Fletcher's 'Liberators' book has it as a scenario, and I thought it was trying at least once. I used the OOB from his scenario, and came up with the following forces for Liberated Hordes:

Royalists - General Pezuela (Good)
3 x Militia Infantry
5 x Regular Infantry
2 x Militia Cavalry
2 x Regular Artillery
1 x Regular Skirmisher

Republicans - General Belgrano (Poor and predictable)
5 x Militia Infantry
4 x Regular Infantry
2 x Militia Cavalry
1 x Regular Cavalry

Both forces consist of around 3,000 men.

I went with this setup. Republicans are in the foreground. All of the hills are bad going, as are the gullies.

The Republicans opened with the traditional cavalry charge. The aim was to get the horse across the gully before the Royalists got into a good position beyond it. Belgrano himself accompanied the cavalry, but was pragmatic enough to lead the regular reserve rather than the front-rank militia.

The Republican infantry advanced in a fragmentary manner, hampered by the rough terrain. The cavalry crossed the gully and engaged the Royalists ...

... but were repulsed, the militia units quickly routing. General Pezuela moved to lead his cavalry in what he hoped would be a crushing counter-attack.

The Republican infantry advanced steadily in the centre, and in support of their shattered cavalry wing.

Disaster! Pezuela found himself trapped in the gully and was slain as the cavalry he was with routed.

The Republicans pushed forward against the leaderless Royalists. But all the Royalists had to do was stand and shoot, and they did it well.

The Republicans charged, but were repulsed.

On the Republican left their cavalry had finished off the Royalist horse, but the militia infantry supporting it would have to be dealt with as well before a flanking attack could roll up the exposed Royailst line.

The cavalry victory came too late though. The two armies exchanged musketry in the centre, and the Republicans came off worse.

The Republican centre fled, and the battle was lost.

So the result was much the same as the historical battle, although the Royalists did lose their general and all of their horse.