Atlas of Battles

battle, major, nineteenth century

Battle of Boyacá

Battle of Boyacá was a battle fought on 7 August 1819 at Boyacá Department, in what is now Colombia. It was part of the Colombian War of Independence, which ran from 1810 to 1825. The recorded result: Patriot victory. Recorded strength: 2,850; 2,350 infantry; 500 cavalry against 2,670; 2,300 infantry; 350 cavalry; 20 gunners; 3 guns.

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The Battle of Boyacá in the War of Independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama against Spain (Boyacá, Colombia, 1819). Painting of Martín Tovar y Tovar exhibited in the Federal Palace, Car
The Battle of Boyacá in the War of Independence of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama against Spain (Boyacá, Colombia, 1819). Painting of Martín Tovar y Tovar exhibited in the Federal Palace, Car. Martin Tovar y Tovar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought7 August 1819
WhereBoyacá Department, Colombia5.450N, 73.429W
OutcomePatriot victory
BelligerentsVenezuela; New GranadaagainstKingdom of Spain and the Indies (the Spains)
Casualties and losses13 killed; 53 woundedand100 killed; 150 wounded; 1,600 captured
Part ofColombian War of Independence1810 to 1825

Where it sits in the Colombian War of Independence

Battle of La Ladera (1812), 1812Battle of Juanambú, 1814Battle of Cebollas, 1814Battle of Tacines, 1814Battle of the Palo River, 1815Spanish Siege of Cartagena de Indias, 1815Battle of Cachirí, 1816Battle of Ceja Alta del Cancán, 1816Battle of Cuchilla del Tambo, 1816Battle of Vargas Swamp, 1819Battle of Boyacá, 1819Battle of San Juanito, 1819Siege of Cartagena, 1820Battle of Bomboná, 182218121822Battle of Boyacá, 1819
16 placed engagements of the Colombian War of Independence in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date7 August 1819
PlaceBoyacá Department, Colombia
5.450N, 73.429W
KindBattle, nineteenth century
Strength2,850; 2,350 infantry; 500 cavalry2,670; 2,300 infantry; 350 cavalry; 20 gunners; 3 guns
Casualties and losses13 killed; 53 wounded100 killed; 150 wounded; 1,600 captured
Commanders
  • José María Barreiro Manjón
Battle of BoyacáBattle of BoyacáBattle of ChocontáBattle of Vargas Swamp1980 Dominican Embassy Siege in BogotáSiege of BogotáBattle of TocaremaBattle of ChocontáBattle of Vargas Swamp1980 Dominican Embassy Siege in BogotáSiege of BogotáBattle of TocaremaChiquinquiráHondaPuerto BerríoSocorroGirardot100 km5.450N, 73.429W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Boyacá
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Boyacá today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-08-26. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 2,732 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 2,302 to 3,257 m, 954 m of relief, mountainous country and today it is 52% grassland, 37% tree cover, 9% cropland.

grassland: 52%tree cover: 37%cropland: 9%grassland 52%tree cover 37%cropland 9%
west to east, 10.0 km2,432 to 3,085 mnorth to south, 10.0 km2,723 to 3,121 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1819

Combat data (CDB90)

Attacker: PATRIOT ARMYDefender: SP ARMY
Strength3,0003,000
Casualties66 (2.2%)1,800 (60.0%)
Mission accomplishment, 1 to 1093
Outcomeattacker won
Duration2 days
Front width1.5 km1.5 km
Attacker advanced0.5 km

From the US Army Concepts Analysis Agency Database of Battles (CDB90, battle 150), public domain, in the CC0 tidy edition by Jeffrey B. Arnold. Figures are the database's estimates, compiled in 1990 from published histories, and may differ from the Wikipedia infobox above.

Battle of Boyacá is one of 3,694 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 44 in present-day Colombia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1150410, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Boyacá, revision 1379060649, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.