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 THE RE VOL UTIONAR Y PERIOD i6 1 bal of the Andes" was tall and well-formed; his whole appearance was soldierly; he had an olive complexion, black hair, wore large side-whiskers without moustache ; his eyes were large and black and full of fire ; his coun- tenance was expressive, his deportment gentlemanly and insinuating. He was a cautious, brave general, with a Napoleonic talent for organization. He was in command at Mendoza in 1814, when the Chilean fugitives fled there after the battle of Ranca- gua. In the dispute which had before sprung up between Carrera and O'Higgins or, primarily, between the Carreras and other factions, San Martin, as we have seen, had espoused the cause of the latter, per- haps because the Carreras had attempted to seize the government of Mendoza, and were unwilling to be second in command. He now collected the wreck of the Chilean army, and incorporated the patriot sol- diers with the troops of his own command, part of whom were drawn from the forces of General Belgrano in the upper provinces, and part raised in Mendoza. He succeeded in the latter part of 1816, in getting to- gether a formidable army of five thousand men, to which the title, "Liberating Army of the Andes," was given. General San Martin displayed his great ability as an organizer by his successful efforts in getting together his army and giving it a thorough course of discipline. His principal force was the cavalry, a branch of the service for which his gauchos, or Pampas men, were peculiarly well-fitted. He was a reticent man and rarely divulged his plans to his associates; wlien he was ready to act he usually proceeded without seeking counsel, relying upon his own judgment. That he had ulterior designs in this expedition, we may suppose; we discover his secret plans afterward when he declares