Battle of Clarines

The Battle of Clarines (Spanish: Batalla de Clarines) was a battle in the Venezuelan War of Independence. Royalist forces attacked a north-bound force from the Third Republic of Venezuela near the town of Clarines. The outnumbered and poorly armed Royalists secured a victory against the Patriot rebels.

Battle of Clarines
Part of the Venezuelan War of Independence
Date9 January 1817
Location
Clarines
Result Royalist victory
Belligerents
Third Republic of Venezuela Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Simón Bolívar
Juan Bautista Arismendi		 Francisco Jiménez
José María Chaurán
Chief Chauràn
Strength
800-1600 soldiers ~550 soldiers
~330 native archers
+10 horsemen
Casualties and losses
~900 Unknown

Background

After arriving from Port-au-Prince, revolutionaries Simón Bolívar and Juan Bautista Arismendi gathered a force of 700 soldiers at Margarita Island for a new campaign to take the city of Caracas.

Battle

On 9 January 1817, 10 days after Bolívar's and Arismendi's arrival in mainland Venezuela, the force, which had been bolstered with 900 more soldiers, was on the way to Puerto Píritu. It was there that they were attacked by a force from an entrenched Royalist position near the Unare River. The group had around 890 soldiers, including 330 native archers and 10 horsemen. During the course of battle, a native force, led by the Chief of Clarines, travelled from the south and surprised the Patriot forces. This outflanking caused the Patriot forces to be massacred.[1] Many survivors were driven into the forest, where they drowned or were later captured and executed.[2] In all, around 900 Patriot forces were killed.[1][3][4]

The battle was a major loss for the Patriot forces. Few survived the battle, including Bolívar, Arismendi, and five more officers.[3]

Aftermath

Bolívar and Arismendi fled to Barcelona by way of mule, with Bolívar moving into Guyana to reorganize the Patriot army and prepare for the Second Battle of Angostura.[3]

References
  1. "09 DE ENERO 1817 BATALLA DE CLARINES". CAVIM (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  2. Gerdler, Yesimar (9 January 2020). "09 de enero: 203 años de la Batalla de Clarines". Televen (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  3. Díaz, José Domingo (1829). Recuerdos sobre la rebelion de Caracas (in Spanish). L. Amarita.
  4. Petre, Francis Loraine (1910). Simon Bolivar "El Libertador": A Life of the Chief Leader in the Revolt Against Spain in Venezuela, New Granada & Peru. J. Lane.

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