Page:Decisive Battles Since Waterloo.djvu/489

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BATTLE OF MIRAFLORES.
447

sias maintained himself for several hours, but was finally driven to the point of Chorillos where he surrendered in order to prevent further slaughter. The reserve under Suarez should have reinforced Iglesias, but owing to a conflict of orders it did not. A portion of the reserve was engaged with the Chilian 2d division, but was driven back, and by 2 p.m. the fighting was over and Chorillos was in possession of the Chilians, who speedily sacked and burned it.

The losses of the Chilians were reported at 2,000 killed and wounded, and the Peruvian loss was placed at double that number. As soon as the defence of Chorillos became hopeless. General Pierola and his staff with their escort retired to Miraflores, where they busied themselves with endeavors to put the second line of defence in condition to repel the advance of the Chilians.

No advance was made on the 14th January. On the 15th, the diplomatic corps in Lima endeavored to prevent further bloodshed, and asked for a suspension of hostilities, which was granted, though the Chilian commander insisted upon carrying out a movement of troops that had been commenced. The armistice was to last until midnight of the 15th, but it was broken by a collision of the troops of the contending armies, through a misunderstanding of their commanders at one point. From this collision the action became general.

The second line of defence was stronger than the first, as it was better mounted with artillery, and the water-courses were utilized as far as possible to serve as ditches in front of the breastworks. There were five redoubts on this line mounted with artillery and with intrenchments between them. The line was defended by about 12,000 Peruvians, and the assaulting force was about 13,000 strong. Miraflores was the central point of the position, and between Miraflores and the sea the line was continued to a semicircular redoubt on the extreme right of