# Battle of Torata

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The **Battle of Torata** is part of the [Peruvian War of Independence](/source/Peruvian_War_of_Independence), which occurred on 19 January 1823 on the heights around Torata (town located northeast of [Moquegua](/source/Moquegua)) between the Liberation Army of Peru, under command of Argentinean General [Rudecindo Alvarado](/source/Rudecindo_Alvarado), and [Royal Army of Peru](/source/Royal_Army_of_Peru) under Gen. Brigadier [Jerónimo Valdés](/source/Jer%C3%B3nimo_Vald%C3%A9s) and culminated with the defeat of Patriots whose army would be almost completely destroyed two days later at the [Battle of Moquegua](/source/Battle_of_Moquegua) with support of General [José de Canterac](/source/Jos%C3%A9_de_Canterac).

## The battle

After José de San Martín had abandoned Peru in September 1822, command of the United Peruvian army fell to General [Rudecindo Alvarado](/source/Rudecindo_Alvarado), under whose command the United army was ordered to defeat the bulk of the Royalist troops that were still intact in the south and the country's mountains. The first goal was to take the remaining ports under Spanish control, intermediate between [Arequipa](/source/Arequipa) and [Tarapacá](/source/San_Lorenzo_de_Tarapac%C3%A1). Therefore this expedition was called the **First Intermediate Campaign**.

In the first days of October, Alvarado's expedition, composed of approximately 4,300 troops and 10 pieces of artillery, sailed from [Callao](/source/Callao) and on 6 December, it landed in [Arica](/source/Arica). Spanish Viceroy [José de la Serna](/source/Jos%C3%A9_de_la_Serna), located in [Cusco](/source/Cusco), ordered Brigadier [Gerónimo Valdés](/source/Ger%C3%B3nimo_Vald%C3%A9s) to immediately march to [Arequipa](/source/Arequipa) to take command of the troops stationed there, and attack the army of Alvarado.[1] Both armies met at Torata and the battle ended in a defeat for the Patriots, mainly because of dissensions between the officers and a lack of discipline amongst the troops.[2]

## References

1. [Memorias para la historia de las armas españolas en el Perú, Volume 2 page 27, by Andrés García Camba](https://books.google.com/books?id=1rsCAAAAYAAJ&q=Torata)

1. [Memoirs of general Miller, in the service of the republic of Peru,1828. Volumen 2,Chap XVII,p 20](https://books.google.com/books?id=xLEetVdPOsIC&dq=Battle+of+torata&pg=PA20)

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