re this culminated in
the battle of Tacna (May 26th), in which the Chileans attacked at
first in several disconnected bodies, and suffered severely until all
their forces came on the field. Then a combined advance carried all
before it. The allies engaged under General Narciso Campero, the new
president of Bolivia, lost nearly 3000 men, and the Chileans,
commanded by Manuel Baquedano, lost 2000 out of 8500 on the field. The
defeated army was completely dissolved, and it only remained for the
Chileans to march on Arica from the land side. The navy co-operated
with its long-range guns, on the 7th of June a general assault was
made, and before nightfall the whole of the defences were in the hands
of the Chileans. Their second campaign had given them entire
possession of another strip of Peru (from Pisagua to Ylo), and they
had shown themselves greatly superior, both in courage and leadership,
to their opponents. While the army prepared for the next campaign, the
Chilean navy was active; the blockade became more stringent and
several fights took place, in one of which the "Covadonga" was sunk;
an expeditionary force about 3000 strong, commanded by Patricio Lynch,
a captain in the Chilean navy, carried out successful raids at various
places on the coast and inland.

The Chilean army was reorganized during the summer, and prepared for
its next operation, this time against Lima itself. General Baquedano
was in command. The leading troops disembarked at Pisco on the 18th of
November 1880, and the whole army was ready to move against the
defences of Lima six weeks later. These defences consisted of two
distinct positions, Chorrillos and Miraflores, the latter being about
4000 yds. outside Lima. The first line of defence was attacked by
Baquedano on the 13th of January 1881. Reconnaissances proved that the
Peruvian lines could not be turned, and the battle was a pure frontal
attack. The defenders had 22,000 men in the lines, the Chileans
engaged about 24,000. The battle of Chorrillos ended in the complete
defeat of the Peruvians, less than a quarter of whose army rallied
behind the Miraflores defences. The Chileans lost over 3000 men. Two
days later took place the battle of Miraflores (January 15th). Here
the defences were very strong, and the action began with a daring
counter-attack by some Peruvians. Neither party had intended to fight
a battle, for negoti