Battle of La Rinconada de Ate

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Battle of La Rinconada de Ate

The Battle of La Rinconada de Ate took place on January 9, 1881, in Rinconada de Ate, in the Lima region of Peru. It occurred during the Lima campaign of the War of the Pacific and happened a few days before the Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos.

Chilean and Peruvian forces
- Chilean side: about 2,000 infantry and two artillery pieces, commanded by Colonel Orozimbo Barbosa.
- Peruvian side: about 330 defenders under Colonel Mariano Vargas, with some cavalry and one artillery battery, fortified in a trench and surrounded by mines.

What happened
- The Chileans had reconnoitered the area and prepared to attack the Peruvian defenses at Rinconada de Ate as part of an plan to move toward Lima.
- Barbosa led his division along the Manchay–Ate road, reaching Rinconada de Ate where Vargas’s troops formed a strong defensive position with a dike, a parapet, and mines.
- The assault began around 8:30 AM. Chilean troops attacked frontally while other units climbed the hills to outflank the Peruvians. The Chileans also used their two mountain guns to support the attack.
- The Peruvian defenders, though brave, could not hold against the frontal assault and the Chilean flanking movement. Vargas decided to retreat to the fortress of Vásquez to avoid being surrounded.

Outcome and casualties
- By about 11:00 AM the fight ended, and the Chileans withdrew back to their camp by 1:00 PM.
- Chilean losses were around 1 dead and about 10 wounded. Peruvian losses were around 20 killed and wounded, with exact numbers varying by source.
- The battle opened the Ate approach to Lima for the Chilean expedition for that day.

Aftermath
- Lima’s defense was reinforced at Ate, but Piérola viewed a wide attack along Ate as unlikely for that moment.
- A captured local administrator, an American engineer named Murphy, provided important information about the Peruvian lines defending the capital.