The Bloody Decade: Commonwealth-Colombian War: Battle of El Gaupo
The Battle of Gaupo April 17, 1842
General Cristobal Jose Lopez and his 5th Field Army arrived at the town of El Gaupo around 2 pm on April 15, 1842 he quickly surveyed the area and decided that that the ridge behind the town would be the best place to deploy his men. As the stream to the east of the town was easily fordable. He deployed his men n a line running North South along the ridge, His line was just over 2 miles long; and had his men start entrenching and clearing fields of fire.
Two days later Tyler’s Scouts reported that a Colombian Army was dug in on the hills west of the Village of El Guapo, Tyler pushed his men to advance and by 1100h his Cavalry and secured the bridge across the river and his vanguard was deploying on the western side, albeit under the constant bombardment of the Colombian’s artillery. By 1135 the first of his batteries were deploying on the western side of the river and beginning to respond to the Colombian batteries. It was now with the two divisions of the Combined Corps deployed that Tylor ordered his first attack. The Marylanders and North Carolinians Charged up the hill to be greeted with Rifle fire and exploding shells crashing down around them, as they charged the trenches where the fight became a hand to hand battle with Bayonet, spade, as much as the rifle. Here the Commonwealth McKnight rifle shone once more, giving them the advantage of multiple shots without the need to reload in the middle of a trench fight. The fight for the Hills near the town lasted for two hours with the Colombians holding on for dear life fighting tooth and nail for every inch of ground they were forced to give up until finally a division of Bolivian’s came up the hill reinforcing the Americans and forcing the Colombians to finally fall back surrendering their first line of trenches retreating back into the still wooded hills. With the first set of hills in and around the village secured Tyler had his bridge head, however to get it the Combined corps had paid dearly and was fought out. Of the 23,000 infantry that made up the two divisions of the Corps at the start of the battle just 19,000 were still capable of fighting and of that number 2,500 were walking wounded. The Corps had lost over two thirds of its Regimental officers and NCOs. After darkness fell Tyler would pull them out of the line replacing them with Cuban units. And allow the Combined Corps to rest during the following day. Meanwhile, the Colombians mounted a Counter attack at 1745 aimed at dislodging Tyler’s men from the hill but this attack would peter out after about forty five minutes of combat.
As April 19, 1842 dawned the and the second day of the battle began Tyler was not fully on the offensive he used his numbers to make Colombians stretch their line searching for their flank. Throughout the day he made up to five separate attacks on the northern and southern flanks of the Colombian line attempting to flank his enemy however the dense forest, high ground advantage and simple tenacity of the Colombian defense lead to each of these attacks being repulsed. Finally as the daylight was starting to wane Tyler ordered an attack on the Center of the Colombian line. This attack would come close to breaking the Colombian line with only Lopez committing his last reserves as darkness fell saved his center from collapse. As the second day of the battle ended both sides were battered and bruised. However Tyler had the numbers in his favor and Lopez had his orders to keep his command intact with as few losses as possible and he felt that he had accomplished so under the cover of darkness he gathered up what wounded he could and ordered his army to march west.
When the Sun rose on April 20,1842 the Colombians were gone Tyler ordered his cavalry to give chase but this was half hearted. Tyler had won the battle but it had been bloody. He had lost 3,200 men killed, 7,000 wounded and 1,200 missing over the course of the two day battle. By his estimate the Colombians had lost 1,700 killed, 4,000 wounded and 2,600 captured. Tyler chose to keep his army at El Gaupo seeing to his wounded and burying the dead before he gave chase to the Colombians. Lopez would fall back to Caucagua and wait for Tyler to advance to meet him once more. However the losses that he had taken had shocked Tyler who would instead send his Bolivian component North to secure the undefended port of Higuerote and wait for reinforcements from the Commonwealth before he advanced again.
General Cristobal Jose Lopez and his 5th Field Army arrived at the town of El Gaupo around 2 pm on April 15, 1842 he quickly surveyed the area and decided that that the ridge behind the town would be the best place to deploy his men. As the stream to the east of the town was easily fordable. He deployed his men n a line running North South along the ridge, His line was just over 2 miles long; and had his men start entrenching and clearing fields of fire.
Two days later Tyler’s Scouts reported that a Colombian Army was dug in on the hills west of the Village of El Guapo, Tyler pushed his men to advance and by 1100h his Cavalry and secured the bridge across the river and his vanguard was deploying on the western side, albeit under the constant bombardment of the Colombian’s artillery. By 1135 the first of his batteries were deploying on the western side of the river and beginning to respond to the Colombian batteries. It was now with the two divisions of the Combined Corps deployed that Tylor ordered his first attack. The Marylanders and North Carolinians Charged up the hill to be greeted with Rifle fire and exploding shells crashing down around them, as they charged the trenches where the fight became a hand to hand battle with Bayonet, spade, as much as the rifle. Here the Commonwealth McKnight rifle shone once more, giving them the advantage of multiple shots without the need to reload in the middle of a trench fight. The fight for the Hills near the town lasted for two hours with the Colombians holding on for dear life fighting tooth and nail for every inch of ground they were forced to give up until finally a division of Bolivian’s came up the hill reinforcing the Americans and forcing the Colombians to finally fall back surrendering their first line of trenches retreating back into the still wooded hills. With the first set of hills in and around the village secured Tyler had his bridge head, however to get it the Combined corps had paid dearly and was fought out. Of the 23,000 infantry that made up the two divisions of the Corps at the start of the battle just 19,000 were still capable of fighting and of that number 2,500 were walking wounded. The Corps had lost over two thirds of its Regimental officers and NCOs. After darkness fell Tyler would pull them out of the line replacing them with Cuban units. And allow the Combined Corps to rest during the following day. Meanwhile, the Colombians mounted a Counter attack at 1745 aimed at dislodging Tyler’s men from the hill but this attack would peter out after about forty five minutes of combat.
As April 19, 1842 dawned the and the second day of the battle began Tyler was not fully on the offensive he used his numbers to make Colombians stretch their line searching for their flank. Throughout the day he made up to five separate attacks on the northern and southern flanks of the Colombian line attempting to flank his enemy however the dense forest, high ground advantage and simple tenacity of the Colombian defense lead to each of these attacks being repulsed. Finally as the daylight was starting to wane Tyler ordered an attack on the Center of the Colombian line. This attack would come close to breaking the Colombian line with only Lopez committing his last reserves as darkness fell saved his center from collapse. As the second day of the battle ended both sides were battered and bruised. However Tyler had the numbers in his favor and Lopez had his orders to keep his command intact with as few losses as possible and he felt that he had accomplished so under the cover of darkness he gathered up what wounded he could and ordered his army to march west.
When the Sun rose on April 20,1842 the Colombians were gone Tyler ordered his cavalry to give chase but this was half hearted. Tyler had won the battle but it had been bloody. He had lost 3,200 men killed, 7,000 wounded and 1,200 missing over the course of the two day battle. By his estimate the Colombians had lost 1,700 killed, 4,000 wounded and 2,600 captured. Tyler chose to keep his army at El Gaupo seeing to his wounded and burying the dead before he gave chase to the Colombians. Lopez would fall back to Caucagua and wait for Tyler to advance to meet him once more. However the losses that he had taken had shocked Tyler who would instead send his Bolivian component North to secure the undefended port of Higuerote and wait for reinforcements from the Commonwealth before he advanced again.
