Battle of Matasiete

11°02′13″N 63°51′06″W / 11.036876°N 63.851702°W / 11.036876; -63.851702Result Venezuelan victoryBelligerents Venezuela Kingdom of SpainCommanders and leaders Francisco Esteban Gómez Pablo MorilloStrength 300-1,300 ^[a] 3,000 ^[2]Casualties and losses unknown 559 killed or wounded

The Battle of Matasiete was a battle in the Venezuelan War of Independence that took place on 31 July 1817 near the city of La Asunción on Isla Margarita in Venezuela. It was fought between pro-independence Republican revolutionaries led by Francisco Esteban Gómez and Spanish Royalist forces under the command of Pablo Morillo. The outcome was a Spanish defeat.

Background

The revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar arrived in the island of Margarita in May 1816.^[4] On 6 May 1816 Bolívar declared the Third Republic of Venezuela and an Assembly of Notables recognized Simón Bolívar as Supreme Chief in the church of Santa Ana.^[5] Bolívar then went on to the mainland. That year the Republicans were generally successful in their struggle with the Royalist forces.^[4] The Spanish general Pablo Morillo returned to Venezuela in December 1816, and decided to first take Margarita, then move on to Guayana Province, both important Republican bases.^[4] After some difficulties in collecting supplies and troops, Morillo sailed to Margarita in late June 1817, where he steadily gained control in a hard-fought campaign.^[6]

On 24 July 1817 Morillo occupied the San Carlos de Borromeo Fortress at Pampatar, at the southeast tip of the island a few miles from Asunción. The Revolutionaries had evacuated the castle and withdrawn to Asunción, where they concentrated. They were followed by Morillo's forces.^[7] The Spanish occupied the hill of Matasiete, which overlooked the city and its surroundings from the east, with a force of 2,000 infantry and 600 cavalry.^[7] There was no resistance to this move.^[8] The approach to the town was difficult, however, due to the rugged terrain that the defenders had fortified with redoubts, moats and parapets.^[9]

Battle

On 31 July 1817 Morillo launched the assault, which began at eight thirty in the morning. The struggle was fierce, with the Spanish pressing hard against the defensive front.^[1] In his later report on the battle, Morillo paid tribute to the stubborn courage of the Republicans, who repelled repeated cavalry charges.^[10] During the course of the fighting, many unarmed men and women from the town joined the defenders, taking up the arms of those who had been killed or wounded.^[11] General Esteban Gómez himself was hit by bullets several times, and his horse was killed under him.^[12]

The Republican artillery batteries Carante and Libertad played an important role in the defense. The Libertad, commanded by Felipe Villalba, fired incessantly.^[12] The Patriots also rolled huge boulders down the slope into the Spanish line.^[13] By four in the afternoon the battle had been decided, with the Republicans the victors. 559 of the Royalist troops had been killed or wounded.^[1] On 1 August Morillo retired to the fortified position of Pampatar, followed by Gómez with a harassing force of 200 infantry and 300 horsemen.^[14]

Aftermath

The battle had saved the city, but the Revolutionaries continued to lose ground to the Spanish in the island. By mid-August they held only Asunción and the fortaleza del norte.^[6] Morillo then heard that the Revolutionaries on the mainland had captured Ciudad Guayana on 18 July, occupied Baja Guayana on 3 August, and were threatening Caracas. Morillo left the island without completing the conquest, but was unable to recover Guayana. The Republicans were in a stronger position after the campaign of 1817 than they had been before.^[6] La Asunción became the provisional capital of the independent Republic of Venezuela.^[13]

A column has been erected on the site of the battle.^[15] The Castillo de San Carlos de Borromeo in Pampatar displays a painting that commemorates the battle, the most popular item in its collection.^[16] In 1974 Matasiete hill was decreed a Natural Monument of Margarita.^[17] Gómez Municipality, Nueva Esparta, birthplace of the victorious general, is named in his honor.^[18] The anniversary of the battle is now celebrated as a special holiday on Margarita.^[19] On 31 July 2012 a reenactment of the battle was staged at the site by over 500 volunteers.^[20]

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