Battle of Guayacanes (1863)

The Battle of Guayacanes, also known as the Action of Guayacanes, was a battle in 1863 of the Dominican Restoration War where the Spanish royal army first under the command of Captain Florentino García (or Florentino Martínez), then replaced by the Captain of the Vitoria battalion Alejandro Robles and finally Captain José de los Ríos would face the Dominican independence army commanded by Gaspar Polanco, Benito Monción and Pedro Antonio Pimentel on August 22, 1863 during the reign of Isabel II of Spain.

Battle of Guayacanes
Part of the Dominican Restoration War
Date August 22, 1863 Location Guayacanes, Dominican Republic Result Dominican victory
Belligerents
Dominican Republic	Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
Gaspar Polanco Benito Monción Pedro Antonio Pimentel	José de los Rios Alejandro Robles Florentino Garcia Valentín Dañoveitia Alverola
Strength
Unknown	280 soldiers
Casualties and losses
Unknown	150 dead

The Dominican victory was one of the most violent battles of the war and three Spanish captains would die, but Captain Alverola was the only one who was executed by Gaspar Polanco, who had previously been in the Provincial Reserves of Santo Domingo. He would desert the royal army and join the independence ranks that same day. According to José de la Gándara, it was "one of the most heated events of the war, perhaps the most distinguished battle and the least known of that campaign.”

Warrant of Manuel Buceta

On August 20, 1863, when the news of the separatist uprising and the persecution of the independentists to the Brigadier Manuel Buceta arrived in Santiago de los Caballeros, a column composed of 3 companies of the Vitoria battalion with 280 infantry, 50 horses of African hunters and 2 mountain pieces under the command of Captain Florentino García came to his aid, but they had no sign of Brigadier Manuel Buceta (he was in the mountains where he continued to be pursued), the only thing they found was Captain Alverola along with 3 soldiers, they also had no knowledge of his whereabouts. On August 21, 1863, they found a wounded man on the road who turned out to be one of Brigadier Buceta 's companions , whom they left behind because they had given him up for dead. He would report on the battle of Guayubín and that the towns on the border line were in the hands of the revolutionaries. He also said he did not know where Brigadier Buceta was and recommended returning to Santiago de los Caballeros because the insurrection took an unexpected turn.

The Battle

On August 22, 1863 in the morning of the Barranca de Guayacanes, while the Spaniards were still looking for Brigadier Buceta, they encountered the troops of the Dominicans under Benito Monción and Pedro Antonio Pimentel. There, the insurgents began their first attack, using machetes, but the Spanish artillery forced them to back off and they suffered many casualties in the first two attempts made by the independentists. After two hours, the separatist attack returned for a third attempt, and as the early hours of the morning began, the fighting became more brutal. In that battle, Lieutenant Valentín Dañoveitia, despite having received a serious wound, continued the shrapnel fire until he fell dead with most of the gunners from the two pieces he commanded. He managed to contain the separatists and save the column with his self-denial and bravery. The gunners from the section he commanded perished, along with Dañoveitia himself. The Spaniards went into the woods where they continued to defend themselves from the attack and then entered the forest, continuing to repel the independence attacks until Captain José de los Ríos ordered the retreat at night. The Spanish defeat left the field strewn with dead on both sides and the Spaniards kept their 2 pieces of artillery.

Aftermath

The Spanish troops were able to leave thanks to a Dominican peasant only known by the name Matías, who offered to lead them through the bushes and onto a road that led to Santiago. The Spaniards spent the night in the woods, certain that they were not being sought, waiting for dawn to return to Santiago. On August 23, 1863, the bugle call was given, the trumpet called the column to form ranks to take the roll call and begin the march back. When they were about to leave, suddenly Brigadier Buceta emerged from the bush. He was tired, half-naked, emaciated, thirsty, hungry and almost fainted, as were the two soldiers who accompanied him. He was given water and a piece of bread. He did not speak much and was distressed by what had happened. Once he had recovered, he would mount a horse and take command of the column, returning to Santiago at noon.