Page:A history of Chile.djvu/204

 1 84 A HISTORY OF CHILE Leaving Guayaquil on the 21st of December, Coch- rane sailed to Valdivia with the "O'Higgins" and re- connoitered the harbor and fortifications, with a view to making a subsequent attack upon the place, and, by capturing it, free Chile from the last stronghold of the royalists. Off the harbor he captured the Spanish brig, "Potrillo, " and then sailed for Concepcion to solicit men and supplies of General Freire, the commander of the place. Receiving there a detachrnent of two hundred and fifty troops he returned in February to Valdivia, with a force all told of three hundred and eighteen men, the "O'fiiggins," a brig, and a schooner as transport. On the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of February, 1820, Lord Cochrane accomplished the brilliant exploit of taking the strongly fortified city of Valdivia, an achievement which has seldom been surpassed for gallantry and cool judgment. One after another he possessed himself of the enemy's batteries and then of the town itself. Valdivia was situated upon a navigable river about fifteen miles from the sea. Nine forts defended the place, situated upon both sides of the river and extend- ing from the city to the anchorage. They mounted one hundred and eighteen cannons and were garrisoned by over one thousand men. The commander landed first at Aguada del Ingl6s, a strongly fortified point just outside the harbor, and at sunset disembarked his troops, the enemy in the mean- time collecting a considerable force behind precipices which tower above the beach at this point. These were driven back before they had time to give the alarm ; the Aguada del Inglds was taken and San Carlos, the next fort, stormed and captured, so rapidly that the gar- risons were sent flying in a boat toward the next fort in the line toward the city, called Chorocomago. The other forts on that side were opened to receive the fugi-