Battle of Matasiete

Battle of Matasiete
Monument on the battle ground
Date 31 July 1817 Location {{{place}}}
Belligerents
Venezuela	Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
	Pablo Morillo
Strength
1,300	3,000

The Battle of Matasiete was a battle in the Venezuelan War of Independence that took place on 31 July 1817 near the city of La Asunción on Isla Margarita in Venezuela. It was fought between pro-independence forces led by Francisco Esteban Gómez and Spanish forces under the command of Pablo Morillo. The outcome was a Spanish defeat.

From 1816 the island of Margarita was the stronghold of the Venezuelan revolutionaries. Morillo invaded the island in 1817. The revolutionary forces, heavily outnumbered, were pushed back by Morillo's forces in his march to the provincial capital, La Asunción. Finally they dug in on the Matasiete hill, located to the east of La Asunción, to make a stand against Morillo's forces.

On 31 July Morillo ordered the assault of the peak. The battle began at 08:30. The battle was fierce, with the Spanish pressing hard against the front of the defenders. General Esteban Gómez himself drew his sword and fought the Spanish, receiving several wounds. While the infantry were engaged in hand to hand combat, the republican batteries Carante and Libertad fired constantly against the attackers.

By 04:00 the battle had been decided, with the Republicans the victors. Morillo's campaign in Margarita would continue until August 1817 without subduing the revolutionaries, ending when news arrived of the triumph of the Republicans in Guyana.

References

Citations

Sources

• Batalla de Matasiete - Alcaldía del Municipio Arismendi