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{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict    = Battle of Cotagaita
|partof      = [[Bolivian War of Independence]]<br/>[[Argentine War of Independence]]
|image       =
|date        = October 27, 1810
|place       = Santiago de Cotagaita, [[Bolivia]]
|coordinates = {{coord|20|49|3.87|S|65|39|35.24|W|type:event|display=inline,title}}
|map_type    = Bolivia#South America#America
|map_size    = 300px
|map_caption =
|map_label   =
|territory   =
|result      = Royalist victory
|combatant1  = {{flagicon|Argentina|alt}} [[Primera Junta|Provinces of the Río de la Plata]]<br/>{{flagicon image|State flag of Bolivia (1825-1826).svg}}[[Republiqueta]]s
|combatant2  = {{flagicon|Spain|1785}} [[Spanish Empire]]<br>{{flagicon|Spain|1785}} [[Viceroyalty of Peru]]
|commander1  = {{flagicon|Argentina|alt}} [[Antonio González Balcarce]]<br />[[Juan José Castelli]]
|commander2  = {{flagicon|Spain|1785}} [[José Fernando de Abascal y Sousa]]
}}
{{Campaignbox Upper Peru Campaigns 1810–1817}}

The '''Battle of Cotagaita''' was fought on October 27, 1810 during the Campaign of [[Upper Peru]] in the [[Argentine War of Independence]] when the troops of the [[Army of the North]] were sent by the [[Primera Junta]] government in [[Buenos Aires]] to Upper Peru to fight the Royalists. It was the first skirmish of the Army of the North in this theatre. The battle was fought near the town of [[Santiago de Cotagaita]], nowadays in the [[Potosí Department]] in [[Bolivia]].

General [[José Manuel de Goyeneche, 1st Count of Guaqui|José Manuel de Goyeneche]] was appointed by the [[Viceroyalty of Peru|viceroy of Perú]] to command the royalist forces in Upper Peru, who along with the president of the [[Real Audiencia of Charcas]], Vicente Nieto, decided to establish a forward post in Cotagaita under the command of [[Frigate Captain]] [[José de Córdoba y Rojas]]. These forces were left isolated after the calls for independence of [[Cochabamba]] (September 14) and later of [[Oruro, Bolivia|Oruro]] (September 24) in favor of the Junta in Buenos Aires.

The royalist forces comprised the provincial battalion of Potosí, under commander Indalecio González de Socasa; the Puno battalion; veterans of Borbón; the King's Volunteers; dragoons of Chichas and lancers of Cinti. The revolutionary forces included the first battalion under commander Gregorio Perdiel; sixth battalion under commander Carlos Forest, Hunters battalion under commander [[Manuel Dorrego]]; Blandengues battalion under commander [[Abraham González (general)|Abraham González]]; and the Husars Regiment under commander [[Martín Miguel de Güemes]].

The attack started in the early hours of the morning and ended at 2&nbsp;pm the same day. Not having been able to dislodge the royalists from their trenches, Balcarce effected an orderly retreat without being chased.

After the Cotagaita action, the revolutionary forces were obligated to retreat towards [[Tupiza]] and then Suipacha, to await reinforcement, where later they achieved their first victory at the [[Battle of Suipacha]].

== References ==
*{{in lang|es}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20080703065830/http://www.camdipsalta.gov.ar/INFSALTA/cotagaita.htm History of Salta]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotagaita, Battle of}}
[[Category:Battles of the Spanish American wars of independence]]
[[Category:Battles of the Argentine War of Independence]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1810]]
[[Category:Battles involving Spain]]
[[Category:Battles of the Bolivian War of Independence]]
[[Category:Battles involving Bolivia]]
[[Category:October 1810]]
[[Category:History of Potosí Department]]