The Lima campaign is the third land campaign of the War of the Pacific, carried out by Chile between December 1880 and January 1881. The campaign ended with the Chilean occupation of the Peruvian capital and the establishment of the Chilean authority in it and other surrounding territories, which would extend until 1883, with the end of the war.
Background
After the battles of Alto de la Alianza and Arica, which occurred on May 26 and June 7, 1880, respectively, the governments of Bolivia, Chile and Peru began talks to end the war in the port of Arica. In addition, the Lynch Expedition departed from the port with the aim of destroying the sugar estates that contributed financially to Peru and demanding war contributions from the Peruvian landowners.
U.S. intervention was carried out through Secretary of State William M. Evarts, who promoted the Arica Conferences in order to stop the conflict, since, as a result of Chilean attacks, civilian properties had been involuntarily affected, both of Europeans and Americans. The peace negotiations were unsuccessful, however.
The Government of Chile demanded the transfer of some territories already occupied in various ways, which was promoted in the Chilean Congress by the deputy José Manuel Balmaceda, and the new Minister of War and Navy, José Francisco Vergara, pressured by public opinion. Chilean tax revenues began to improve with the taxes collected by the exports of minerals from the regions that were occupied, thereby paying for the war. The tax charged by Chile was $ 1.60.
Nicolás de Piérola, dictator of Peru, thought that the Chilean landing in the capital would take place in Ancón and Barranco, north of Lima. Against this opinion was Colonel Andrés Avelino Cáceres and other military leaders who were of the opinion that the Chilean landing would take place in the south. De Piérola allocated a large part of the defense to the north and south in Pisco, leaving a force of 3,000 men under the command of Colonel Anselmo Zamudio. Chile sent an expedition under the command of Rear Admiral Patricio Lynch to stop the production of the haciendas on the Peruvian coast. In it, Lynch committed looting and burning, as well as collecting war quotas.
In this expedition, buildings and public services, sugar and cotton farms were affected, where their owners refused to pay the war quotas. Chinese workers worked in the haciendas in conditions of semi-slavery, who were freed as the Chilean troops passed by and joined as porters.
On the coast of Lima, the Chilean ships "Loa" and "Covadonga" were sunk by torpedoes prepared by Peruvian engineers. Faced with these sinkings, the ship "Cochrane" bombed the towns of Chorrillos, Ancón and Chancay.
Landing in Pisco
The port of Chilca, which is located 70 km south of the city of Lima, obtained the preference of the Chilean General Staff. The presence of major Peruvian forces was thought unlikely.
On November 20, 1880, the 1st Division of the Chilean Army, with 8,800 men, embarked on 15 transports and the corvettes Chacabuco and O'Higgins, arrived in Pisco, coming from Arica, under the command of General José Antonio Villagrán. The Division was reinforced with 3,500 soldiers who arrived on December 2 in the corvettes Abtao and Magellan under the command of Colonel Francisco Gana.
Contrary to Andrés Avelino Cáceres' belief that the landing would take place in the south, president de Piérola arranged his troops between Ancón and Barranco, north of Lima; to the south, in the city of Pisco, he left a force of 3,000 soldiers under the command of Colonel Anselmo Zamudio, who, seeing the Chilean numerical superiority, withdrew.
On December 14, the Chilean 1st Division arrived at Tambo de Mora and from there two brigades marched under the command of captain Patricio Lynch. Colonel José Domingo Amunátegui's brigade followed later. On their way through the desert towards the Cañete river's valley, the brigade was forced to return to Pisco due to time constraints caused by a lack of water wells. The delay meant the replacement of General Villagrán by Patricio Lynch, whom Manuel Baquedano appointed the new head of the 1st Division.
Landing in Curayacu
On December 22, 1880, 15,000 soldiers under General Baquedano's command landed in 29 transports, along with the Blanco Encalada and Cochrane armored vehicles, the O'Higgins corvette and the Angamos transport ship.
The Peruvian military command ordered troops under the command of Andrés Avelino Cáceres to march south from Lima in order to occupy Lurín, but the desert and the lack of means of transportation ended up forcing these forces to return to Lima.