The War Between Peru and Chile, 1879-1882
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F 3097 M37 1882 c. 1 ROBA THE WAR BETWEEN PERU AND CHILE, 1879 1882. BY CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, C.B., F.R.S. SiEH BY PR ATiON \ SERViCtS SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON, CROWN BUILDINGS, l88, FLEET STREET. O 1882. ry [All rights reserved.] ^\ / ^ Y LONDON : 1-KINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE. TO JEemoru OF Dr. DON FRANCISCO DE PAULA GONZALEZ VIGIL, The great Peruvian Scholar and Philanthropist, and Author of " Paz Perpetua," is dedicated this narrative of the undeserved misfortunes of that land of the Yncas which he served so long and faithfully, and loved so well. He who laboured earnestly and nobly to secure the blessings of perpetual peace for South America, and who denounced all he with wars of aggression and of conquest ; who exclaimed, " feelings of deepest pity and sorrow, Heu miseri qui bella gerunt/" would still have approved the heroic struggles of his countrymen in defence of their native land. A 2 PREFACE. THE war on the west coast of South America between Peru and Bolivia on one side and Chile on the other has continued for nearly four years There have been naval operations of considerable interest, and there were three distinct and successive campaigns in different and widely separated regions, but all three on the Pacific coast. The naval campaign is deserving of attention, because in it the armoured-ships of recent con- struction encountered each other for the first time, and because guns of extraordinary range, torpedo- boats and torpedoes, and other late inventions have, also for the first time, been used in actual war- fare. A study of the operations on shore, during the course of the three campaigns, brings the English reader once more into communion with the descen- dants of those Spaniards and Indians of whom he has read, surely with more than passing interest, in the pages of Prescott and Helps. The battle-fields are in the land of the Yncas. The combatants belong to two races, to that race which was ruled over by vi PREFACE. Atahualpa and attained to the highest civilization of which aboriginal Americans were capable, and to that race which followed Pizarro in his career of conquest. The results of the war will permanently affect the welfare of those races. For this reason the campaigns on the Pacific coast should have an interest for readers in this country. The authentic materials for a narrative of the war are now sufficiently extensive, although they are almost exclusively supplied from the Chilian side. The ground has been carefully described in a series of publications issued by the Chilian Hydrographic " Department, entitled Noticias sobre las provincias litorales." The official despatches, diplomatic notes, and reports of correspondents, are contained in the " Boletin de la guerra del Pacifico," published at Santiago periodically from April, 1879, to March, 1881. The history of the three .campaigns, has been written, in copious detail, by one of the most dis- tinguished literary men in Chile, Don Benjamin 1 Vicuna Mackenna. The author's powers of descrip- tion, of delineating character, of critical analysis are of a very high order. His industry in collecting materials is extraordinary, and it is equalled by his ability in arranging them. Vicuna Mackenna is above all things an historical biographer. He could not, if he would, omit a trait or an incident, however much 1 " " " Guerra del Pacifico " Historia la ; de Campana de Tarapaca (2 vols. pp. 865 and 1189); "Historia de la Campana de Tacna y " " Arica" vol. Historia de la (i pp. 1172) ; Campana de Lima (i vol. pp. 1216). Santiago de Chile, 1880, 1881, 1882. PREFACE. vii their mention might tell against the view he advo- cates. His love of historical truth amounts to a passion. From no writer, since the days of Ercilla, are we more certain to get the good, equally with the bad points of an enemy. His work is, therefore, in- valuable. " Don Diego Barros Arana, in his Historia de la guerra del Pacifico," gives us the history of the. three campaigns, as well as of the naval warfare. His narrative is less interesting and not nearly in such full detail as that of Vicuna Mackenna. We also have the Memoir of the Chilian Minister of War 2 rise for 1 88 1, which gave to an acrimonious paper war between the minister and the general command- ing the army, and thus many things were made public. The general replied in a volume containing 3 all the official despatches. There are also a few " monographs of special actions, such as El Combate " " Homerico and Estudios sobre la vida del Capitan Arturo Prat," which are useful. Chile, assuredly, has been fully heard. But Peru and Bolivia, apart from official reports, are silent so far as we are aware. If books have been published they have not become accessible here. The whole letters story, with the exception of private regarding and mere the proceedings or the fate of individuals, official utterances, is told by Chilians. Impartiality and common fairness, therefore, demand the utmost * " Memoria del Ministerio de la Guerra correspondiente al ano " 1881. de 1881 (pp. 193). Santiago, 3 "Partes oficiales de las batallas de Chorrillos y Miraflores" 1881. (pp. 420). Santiago, viii PREFACE. care in judging of the acts and motives of their opponents. If an unbiassed stranger does not adopt the Chilian view with regard to the causes of the war, the justice of its continuance, and the character of some of the events, he at least argues from the same premises. The facts have been supplied almost one side and if the historian feels exclusively by ; obliged to condemn the proceedings of Chilian states- men and soldiers, he must, at the same time, commend the fairness of Chilian writers. CONTENTS. DEDICATION . iii PREFACE . v f . INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS. CHAPTER PACK I. Peru under Yncas, and under Spanish Viceroys I II. Chile under Spanish rule . 15 III. The War of Independence 19 IV. The Republic of Peru 29 V. Social Condition of the People of Peru .... 49 VI. The Republic of Bolivia 67 VII. The Republic of Chile 73 THE WAR. I. Cause of the War ........ 81 II. Naval and military strength of the three Republics . 93 III. Gallant defence of Calama by the Bolivians Proceedings of the Chilian Fleet Bombardment of Pisagua . .102 CONTENTS. IV. Destruction of a Chilian corvette by the Huascar Loss of the Indepcndencia 108 V. Proceedings of the Huascar 115 VI. Notice of Admiral Grau Brave defence of the Huascar Death of the Admiral Capture of the Huascar . .122 VII. The Peruvian Army in Tarapaca 133 VIII. The defence of Pisagua Slaughter at Jermania Battle of San Francisco 145 IX. The Peruvian Victory at Tarapaca 159 X. Nicolas Pierola as Supreme Chief of Peru General Campero, President of Bolivia 171 1 XI. Blockade of Arica and Callao . ..... iS ! XII. The Tacna Campaign 191 XIII. Destruction of the Loa and Covadonga by the Peruvians Chilian bombardment of defenceless towns Predatory Expedition of Captain Lynch Importance of long- range guns Torpedoes and torpedo practice . 209 XIV. Failure of the Peace Conference at Arica Chilian ex- peditionary force against Lima Appointment of neutral officers to the contending armies 224 XV. The defence of Lima 231 XVI. The Battles of Chorrillos and Miraflores . .239 XVII. Va Victis 262 WORKS ON PERU BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 1. Cuzco AND LIMA. 8vo, 419 pp. 1856. 2. TRAVELS IN PERU AND INDIA. 8vo, 572 pp. 1862. 3. PERU. Sampson Low and Go's. "Foreign Countries Series," 192 pp. 1880. 4. TRIBES WHICH FORMED THE EMPIRE OP THE YNCAS. Royal Geographical Society's Journal. 1871. 5. PERUVIAN BARK : with accounts of the cultivation of Coca, Peruvian Cotton, Cuzco Maize, and Quinua. 8vo, 550 pp. 1880. 6. QUICHUA GRAMMAR AND DICTIONARY. 8vo, 223 pp. 1864. TRANSLATIONS. 7. OLLANTA. An ancient Ynca drama. 8vo, 128 pp. 1871. 8. CHRONICLE OF PERU, by Cieza de Leon. Translation, with introduction and notes. First Part, 1864. Second Part, 1883. 9. ROYAL COMMENTARIES OF THE YNCA (Garcilasso de la Vega). 2 vols. Translation, with introduction and notes. 1869. 10. SEARCH FOR EL DORADO. Translation, with introduction ana notes. 1 86 1. 11. NARRATIVE OF THE ADELANTADO ANDAGOYA. Introduction. and notes. 1865. 12. LIFE OF ALONZO DE GUZMAN. Translation, with introduction and notes. 1862. 13. EXPEDITIONS INTO THE VALLEY OF THE AMAZON. Trans- lation, with introduction and notes. 1861. 14. REPORTS ON THE DISCOVERY OF PERU (Xeres and Astete). Translation, with introduction and notes. 1872. intro- 15. RITES AND LAWS OF THE YNCAS. Translation, with duction and notes. 1872. 16. ACOSTA'S HISTORY OF THE INDIES. 2 vols. Translation, with introduction and notes. 1879. THE WAR BETWEEN PERU AND CHILE. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS. CHAPTER I. PERU UNDER THE YNCAS, AND UNDER SPANISH VICEROYS. THE war between the Republics of the Pacific coast has been an unmixed evil. Peru has been thrown back into a worse state of anarchy and confusion than she has known since the while the independence ; advantages secured by conquest may bring more evil than good to the successful belligerent. It is not a policy of aggression and foreign conquest which has hitherto secured prosperity to Chile. But there are useful lessons to be derived from this contest, from more than one of view and the reader who point ; has a general knowledge of the former history of the of the countries engaged in it, will find that the story war is not without interest. B EMPIRE OF THE YNCAS. It will be well, therefore, to preface the narrative of military events of the last two years, with a brief review of the history of Peru and of her former dependencies.