Page:A history of Chile.djvu/333

 THE PERUVIAN WAR 301 for an hour did deadly execution. The first and second divisions were moved forward a distance of four miles and deployed in line of battle. Shortly before noon the infantry advanced, led in four divisions by Colonels Amenguel, Amunategui, Barcelo, and Barbosa. The lines came within four or five hundred yards of the enemy before the latter opened fire upon- them. Then in the face of a tremendous hailstorm of bullets, the Chileans advanced on the double and charged, the first attack being upon the Bolivians on the left commanded by Colonel Camacho, which was the weakest point. The left was turned and a heavy enfilading fire opened from the rest of the line. The battle now became gen- eral ; Campero sought to reinforce the left and for a short time opposed nearly his whole force against the four thousand Chileans who had led the onslaught. For an hour they sustained the attack then began to waver ; but the Chilean cavalry made a brilliant charge ; the line reformed and resumed its former position. At 12:30 the Chileans were wavering and falling back, at I o'clock they were making a spirited advance. Their riflemen carried the intrenched position, their artillery constantly mowing down the ranks of the Aymara and Inca Indians upon the crest of the sand-hills. The allies fell back, retreated through Tacna and pursued their way toward Corocoro. Campero retired to La Paz and Montero with the Peruvians toward the north by way of Torata, which place was soon after occupied by Barbosa with a force of Chileans. The Chilean loss amounted to 2,128 in killed and wounded; the Peru- vians lost 2,500 killed and wounded; the Bolivian loss- es could not be accurately estimated ; four hundred prisoners were taken. An advance was soon made upon Arica. The Chilean cavalry pushed forward and unearthed a number of tor-