Disaster of Curalaba

Battle of Curalaba
Part of Arauco War
Date December 21, 1598 Location Decisive Mapuche victory
Belligerents
Spanish Empire	Mapuche
Commanders and leaders
Martín García Oñez de Loyola †	vice toqui Pelantaru
Strength
50 Spanish and 300 Indian auxiliaries	300 Warriors
Casualties and losses
All but two Spaniards were killed,[1] as were most of the Indian auxiliaries.	?

The Disaster of Curalaba is the name given to a battle (or surprise attack) between Spanish conquerors led by Martín García Óñez de Loyola and Mapuche people led by Pelantaru on a place called Curalaba (which means broken stone in Mapudungun), in southern Chile. In Chilean historiography this event marks the end of the "Conquista" period in Chile's history, although the fast Spanish expansion in the south had already been halted in the 1550s.

History

On December 21, 1598, the governor, Martín García Oñez de Loyola, traveled to Purén leading only 50 men. On the second day they camped in Curalaba, without taking measures of protection. The Mapuche people were aware of their presence, and with their cavalry led by Pelantaru and his lieutenants, Anganamon and Guaiquimilla, with three hundred men, shadowed his movements and made a surprise night raid. Completely surprised, the governor and nearly all his soldiers and companions were killed.

This event was called the Disaster of Curalaba by the Spaniards. It involved not only the death of the Spanish governor, but the news rapidly was spread among the Mapuche and resulted in a great general revolt long prepared by the toqui Paillamachu that destroyed Spanish camps and towns south of the Bío-Bío River over the next few years.

Additional information

References

1. ^ The Spanish survivors were a priest, Bartolomé Pérez, who was captured, and Bernardo de Pereda, a soldier left for dead with 23 wounds who made his way to La Imperial after 70 days.

Sources

• Vicente Carvallo y Goyeneche, Descripcion Histórico Geografía del Reino de Chile (Description Historical Geography of the Kingdom of Chile), PDF E Libros from Memoria Chilena (History of Chile 1542-1788)
• Tomo I History 1542 - 1626, Tomo 8 de Colección de historiadores de Chile y de documentos relativos a la historia nacional. Santiago : Impr. del Ferrocarril, 1861. Primera parte. Tomo I; Capítulo LXXIX. Llega a Chile un refuerzo de tropa del Perú - Levanta el Gobernador una ciudad en la provincia de Cuyo - Visita el país meridional de su gobernacion, i los indios le quitan la vida.