Happy long weekend!

Happy Victoria Day!

Indeed, a Happy Vic Day goes out to my northern bretheren. And us Yanks can look forward to a long weekend next week! ;)

I wonder if there is really an historical value for those days, It seems weird that all historical events would all happen in the same week.
In my case, there is. On may 18, 1811, José Artigas (our national hero, the Uruguayan equivalent to George Washington) led the small and barely armed rebel army to the first major victory over the Spanish army. This was a battle with a tremendous historical value to us. At the end of the battle Artigas issued an order that surprised the defeated army and stays, to this day, as one of the most remarcable examples of his unique personality: "heal the wounded, free the prisioners". No enemies were kept captive, much less executed, as was the norm in those days. He even refused to take the defeated Spanish Captain Posadas' saber, since he cosidered that humilliating.

Wargamers would find this battle very interesting: the Spaniards had a trained army of 1.200 men, 6 cannons and 2 mortars capable of launching explosive granades, and were armed with the best rifles available at the time. They were waiting for the rebel army in a high place (in a grassland enviroment, no mountains here). Artigas' army was composed by 400 soldiers on foot and 600 with horses. Only a few had military training, most of them were just gauchos (cowboys), who were expert horsemen and skillful in the use of bolas and pikes with cattle. Artigas sent part of his men to fake an attack, advancing just to shooting distance. As soon as the Spaniards opened fire, the rebels begun a retreat. As the Spanish army begun to chase them, leaving their advantadgeous position, Artigas' cavalry, hidden behind a nearby hill, launched a side attack that left them surrounded by the rebels. The battle lasted for about five more hours, until Posadas rised the white flag in surrender. A clever strategy let Artigas win the battle against a stronger and better positioned rival. :-)

Seo