Battle of Zitácuaro

Battle of Zitácuaro
	Part of the Mexican War of Independence
	; The banner of Miguel Hidalgo, carried by the rebel forces even after his execution
Date	2 January 1812
Location	Heroica Zitácuaro, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico
Result	Spanish Royalist victory
Belligerents
Mexican Rebels	Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ignacio López Rayón; Ramón López Rayón	Félix María Calleja
Strength
22,000 soldiers	6,000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
300 dead	Unknown

The Battle of Zitácuaro was a battle of the War of Mexican Independence that occurred on 2 January 1812 in the area around Zitácuaro, Michoacán. The battle was fought between the royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown and the Mexican rebels fighting for independence from the Spanish Empire. The Mexican insurgents were commanded by General Ignacio López Rayón and the Spanish by Félix María Calleja. The battle resulted in a victory for the Spanish Royalists even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Context

The viceroy of New Spain, Francisco Javier Venegas de Saavedra y Ramínez de Arenzana, ordered the retaking of the city of Heroica Zitácuaro as it was the contemporary site of the "Suprema Junta Nacional Gubernativa", the headquarters for the direction of the entire insurgency against the Spanish crown.

The battle

The two armies came to blows in and around the city of Zitácuaro. During the battle, Ramón López Rayón, the younger brother of the supreme insurgent commander, Ignacio López Rayón, lost his eye. After many hours of battle, the city eventually fell to Spanish forces despite the numerical superiority of the rebel forces.

Aftermath

In the wake of the rebel defeat at Zitácuaro, the members of the Suprema Junta Nacional Gubernativa were made to flee the city and relocated to the towns of Tlalchapa and Sultepec.[1]

References

Zárate, 1880; 274-275

Bibliography

Zárate, Julio; Julio Zárate (1880). "La Guerra de Independencia". In Vicente Riva Palacio (ed.). México a través de los siglos (in Spanish). Vol. III. México: Ballescá y compañía. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
Bustamante, Carlos María de (1846). Cuadro histórico de la revolución mexicana, comenzada en 15 de septiembre de 1810 por el ciudadano Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Cura del pueblo de los Dolores (in Spanish). México DF: Impr. de JM Lara.

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[1] Zárate, 1880; 274-275