Battle of Las Piedras
Las Piedras, Canelones, Uruguay
What happened
Revolutionary forces led by José Gervasio Artigas fought Spanish royalist troops under José Posadas. In 1811 people in the Banda Oriental, today's Uruguay, rose up against Spanish rule. Royalist troops camped at Las Piedras near Montevideo to force a decisive battle. Artigas's army attacked, about 200 royalist soldiers switched sides, and Posadas surrendered.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It helped keep the independence movement alive in the region after setbacks elsewhere. Artigas ordered that the defeated, including the wounded and prisoners, be treated with mercy, which was unusual at the time.
What came next
Royalists were left holding only Montevideo and Colonia. Artigas became Uruguay's national hero, honoured today as the 'Father of the Nation'.
Did you know?
Artigas's order to his troops was 'Clemencia para los vencidos', meaning 'Mercy for the defeated'.
Timeline
- 18 May 1811Artigas wins at Las Piedras.
- 1811Artigas besieges Montevideo.
- 20 June 1814Montevideo falls to the patriots.
- 1820Artigas goes into exile in Paraguay.
- 1977Artigas's remains are moved to his mausoleum in Montevideo.