My previous posts covered a couple of victories for General Belgrano. The next two battles in this series were both defeats.
Vilcapugio (1st October 1813)
The Royalists, now commanded by Pezuela, withdrew northward while gathering strength. Despite facing logistical challenges in the rugged Andean terrain, Belgrano hoped to unite with guerrilla forces under leaders like Vicente Camargo and Eustaquio Méndez to encircle the enemy. However, coordination problems, difficult mountain supply lines, and unreliable communications slowed the Patriot advance.
By late September, Belgrano took position near Vilcapugio, a plateau offering open ground for battle. He believed the Royalists were vulnerable and prepared to strike before they could receive further reinforcements. Pezuela, however, had regrouped and planned to attack first, aiming to break the Patriot army’s cohesion and morale.
Royalists: 3 x Column Infantry, 1 x Light Cavalry, 1 x unreliable Artillery, 1 x unreliable Elite Disciplined Light Cavalry
Patriots: 3 x Column Infantry, 1 x Elite Light Cavalry, 1 x Light Cavalry, 1 x unreliable Artillery
Royalists (Attackers)
Patriots (Defenders)
The battle began on the morning of 1 October. Belgrano opted for his usual cavalry attack on the flank, whilst his infantry contained the Royalist lines. Initially this worked, and another Patriot victory seemed likely. But at the moment of crisis the Patriot army lost momentum. This coincided with a unit of Royalist cavalry appearing in their right-rear.
Pezuela’s forces exploited the disarray, hitting the Patriot centre and left with coordinated infantry and cavalry charges. Patriot supply wagons were overrun, and ammunition shortages worsened the situation. Attempts to regroup failed as Royalist pressure mounted from multiple sides. By late afternoon, Belgrano ordered a retreat to avoid total destruction, leaving much of his artillery and baggage in enemy hands.
The defeat at Vilcapugio shattered the Patriots’ advance into Upper Peru and forced them to withdraw south to reorganise. Royalist morale soared, while Patriot forces suffered heavy losses in men and equipment.
Design Notes
I have weakened the obligatory Patriot cavalry attack by not starting them in the reserve. But the Patriots can still win this one if the Royalist cavalry don't turn up.
The Royalists under Pezuela, buoyed by their recent victory, pursued aggressively with around 5,000 men, outnumbering Belgrano’s 3,000. They had better artillery, more cavalry, and the advantage of momentum. Pezuela sought to destroy the Patriot army completely before it could recover, while Belgrano aimed to hold his ground and protect the revolution’s foothold in the region.
In the days before the battle, Belgrano attempted to inspire his troops, appealing to their patriotism and promising reinforcements from local guerrillas. However, those reinforcements never arrived, leaving his force at a severe disadvantage.
Belgrano ordered the advance of his infantry and cavalry toward the enemy right flank, but they could not overcome both the rugged terrain before Pezuela'stroops. To make matters worse, Belgrano' light guns were no match for the Royalist artillery. Belgrano was forced to retreat. The retreat quickly turned into a rout, with heavy losses in men, horses, and equipment.
Ayohuma was a crushing defeat, forcing Belgrano to retreat far south into present-day Argentina. The royalists regained control of Upper Peru, ending the patriots’ second campaign there. The loss damaged Belgrano’s military reputation, and command of the Army of the North would soon pass to José de San Martín, marking a shift in the revolution’s northern strategy.
Ayohuma (14th November 1813)
Following the defeat at Vilcapugio in October 1813, Belgrano retreated south to regroup his battered army. Morale was low, supplies were short, and many men were wounded or demoralised. Despite the setback, Belgrano decided to make another stand rather than withdraw completely from Upper Peru. He chose Ayohuma, near the town of Potosí, as his defensive position, hoping the open ground would allow for better manoeuvre.
The Royalists under Pezuela, buoyed by their recent victory, pursued aggressively with around 5,000 men, outnumbering Belgrano’s 3,000. They had better artillery, more cavalry, and the advantage of momentum. Pezuela sought to destroy the Patriot army completely before it could recover, while Belgrano aimed to hold his ground and protect the revolution’s foothold in the region.
In the days before the battle, Belgrano attempted to inspire his troops, appealing to their patriotism and promising reinforcements from local guerrillas. However, those reinforcements never arrived, leaving his force at a severe disadvantage.
Royalists: 1x elite Column Infantry (Flank Attack), 1 x fortified Line, 1 x Line, 1 x Light Cavalry, 1 x Artillery
Patriots: 4 x Column Infantry, 2 x Light Cavalry
Royalists (Attackers)
Patriots (Defenders)
On the morning of 14 November, Pezuela executed a flanking manoeuvre, approaching from higher ground to strike the Patriot right from an unexpected angle. It was suggested to Belgrano that he counter-attack this move, but he declined. Royalist artillery opened a devastating bombardment, softening up the Patriot lines.
Belgrano ordered the advance of his infantry and cavalry toward the enemy right flank, but they could not overcome both the rugged terrain before Pezuela'stroops. To make matters worse, Belgrano' light guns were no match for the Royalist artillery. Belgrano was forced to retreat. The retreat quickly turned into a rout, with heavy losses in men, horses, and equipment.
Ayohuma was a crushing defeat, forcing Belgrano to retreat far south into present-day Argentina. The royalists regained control of Upper Peru, ending the patriots’ second campaign there. The loss damaged Belgrano’s military reputation, and command of the Army of the North would soon pass to José de San Martín, marking a shift in the revolution’s northern strategy.
Design Notes
Weighting this against the Patriots is quite hard. Putting their cavalry in the front-line and not giving them any artillery with which to support them helps. The Royalists front-line are mostly line to reflect them sitting in rough terrain receiving the Patriot assault. The Royalists have a full-strength artillery unit in order to reflect their total superiority. As an option try downgrading it to Unreliable, and adding Fortified to the left-flank Line. This will reduce the pre-battle bombardment effects, but make it harder for the Patriots to attack.
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