oys created a feeling of
horror throughout the country, and a sensation of uncertainty as to what
measures of severity might not be practised in the future if Balmaceda
won the day. After the victory at Concon the insurgent army, under
command of General Campos, marched in a southerly direction towards Vina
del Mar, and thence to Placilla, where the final struggle in the
conflict took place. Balmaceda's generals Barbosa and Alcerrica had here
massed their troops in a strong position. The battle, on the 28th of
August, resulted in victory for the rebels. Both the Balmacedist
generals were killed and Valparaiso was at once occupied. Three days
later the victorious insurgents entered Santiago and assumed the
government of the republic. After the batile of Placilla it was clear to
President Balmaceda that he could no longer hope to find a sufficient
strength amongst his adherents to maintain himself in power, and in view
of the rapid approach of the rebel army he abandoned his official duties
to seek an asylum in the Argentine legation. The president remained
concealed in this retreat until the 18th of September. On the evening of
that date, when the term for which he had been elected president of the
republic terminated, he committed suicide by shooting himself. The
excuse for this act, put forward in letters written shortly before his
end, was that he did not believe the conquerors would give him an
impartial trial. The death of Balmaceda finished all cause of contention
in Chile, and was the closing act of the most severe and bloodiest
struggle that country had ever witnessed. In the various engagements
throughout the conflict more than 10,000 lives were lost, and the joint
expenditure of the two governments on military preparations and the
purchase of war material exceeded L10,000,000 sterling.

An unfortunate occurrence soon after the close of the revolution brought
strained relations for a short period between the governments of the
United States and Chile. A number of men of the U.S.S. "Baltimore"
having been given liberty on shore, an argument arose between some of
them and a group of Chilean sailors in a drinking den in Valparaiso.
Words led to blows. The Americans were badly handled, one of their
number being killed and others severely hurt. The United States
government characterized the affair as an outrage, demanding an
indemnity as satisfaction. The Chilean authorities demurred at this
attitude, and attempted t