y that it was soon fleeing in a total rout. So utterly defeated and
demoralized were the royalists that Santiago, the capital, was abandoned
and was entered by San Martin at the head of his wild gauchos and host of
refugees on the 15th of February. His funds at this time consisted of the
two doubloons remaining in his pocket, while he had no military chest, no
surgeons nor medicines for his wounded, and a very small supply of the
indispensable requisites of an army. About all he had to depend on was the
patriotism of his men and their enthusiasm over their brilliant crossing
of the Andes and their easy victory over their foes.

For the time being Chili was free. The royalists had vanished and the
patriots were in full possession. Thirty or more years before, a bold
Irishman, bearing the name of O'Higgins, had come to Chili, where he
quickly rose in position until he was given the title of Don Ambrosio, and
attained successively the ranks of field-marshal of the royal army, baron,
marquis, and finally viceroy of Peru. His son, Don Bernardo, was a man of
his own type, able in peace and brilliant in war, and he was now made
supreme dictator of Chili, an office which San Martin had refused. The
banished patriots were brought home from their desert island, the
royalists severely punished, and a new army was organized to dislodge the
fragment of the Spanish army which still held out in the south.

On the 15th of February, 1818, the anniversary of the decisive victory of
the "Liberating Army of the Andes," O'Higgins declared the absolute
independence of Chili. A vote of the people was taken in a peculiar
manner. Two blank books were opened for signatures in every city, the
first for independence, the second for those who preferred the rule of
Spain. For fifteen days these remained, and then it was found that the
first books were filled with names, while the second had not a single
name. This vote O'Higgins declared settled the question of Chilian
freedom.

The Spaniards did not think so, for Abascal, the energetic viceroy of
Peru, was taking vigorous steps to win Chili back for the crown. Three
months before he had received a reinforcement of three thousand five
hundred veterans from Spain, and these he sent to southern Chili to join
the forces still in arms. United, they formed an army of about six
thousand, under General Osorio, the able commander who had subdued Chili
in 1814. It was evident that the newly declared indepen