172 A HISTORY OF CHILE The patriots of Santiago seeing the necessity of ex- traordinary efforts subscribed mone}', plate and jewels for the cause ; 4,800 infantry and eight hundred cavalry, newly clothed and recovered from the recent disaster, were gathered together in a few days outside the cap- ital. The artillery had been lost at Cancha Rayada, but a few fieldpieces were secured, in the main, two big guns and a park of artillery. The army was ably officered; besides San Martin himself and O'Higgins, there were Balcarce, Alverado, Quintana, I^as Heras, Borgono, Martinez, the intrepid Nichochea, Blanco Encalada and others. There were four French officers, and O'Brien, Miller, Lowe and Lebas, Britons. The gallant Mackenna was no longer of the number, and General Brayer, the distinguished French officer who had commanded the cavalry, now resigned because of some dispute between him and San Martin. The patriot arm}^ moved about a league farther away from Santiago to the farm of Espejo, which was about three leagues from the capital, and there awaited the enemy, who was cautiously advancing. On the afternoon of the 3rd of April, 1818, Osorio crossed the Maypoand came to the plains, the flanks and rear of his army constantly harassed by parties of patriot cavalry. Skirmishing was kept up during the afternoon of the 3rd and all day the 4th. On the 5th the royalist army took up a position on the brow of a hill; the famous Spanish Burgos regiment occupied the right wing, the Infantos of Don Carlos the left, the Peruvian and Con- cepcion troops the centre. Four squadrons of dragoons flanked the right, a body of lancers the left, with a battery placed on a hill still farther to the left. The royalist lines were about a mile in length, and con- fronted by the patriot ranks. The left of the patriot columns was commanded by General Alverado, the cen-
