illuminate known truths. Among the Afro-descendants who fought in the Argentinean armies during the 19th century, some barely left memories or documents that can prove their actions. Most of them saw their blood spilled without any posthumous recognition, but it was possible to reconstruct the military career of some army officers, such as Colonel Lorenzo Barcala, along with other ranks engaged in the crossing of the Andes Mountains. San Martín began to organize this campaign in 1814, when the royalist forces reconquered Chile; in May 1816, he planned the patriotic reconquering through that crossing.
A Feat in the Heights In his 1869-written and 1887-published work History of San Martín and the South American Emancipation, the most comprehensive biographer of General San Martín, Bartolomé Mitre, had no qualms in describing the crossing of the Andes as one of the most extraordinary events in military history. The historian and former Argentine President added that this campaign came out of nowhere, was admirably executed and ended up being praised by the own San Martín’ s enemies and by specialists in the art of war. Miter said that San Martin was encouraged— in the camp of Mendoza— by " a superior will; he knew what he wanted and what he was doing, and everybody wanted to comply; he ordered everything, instilling the certainty of the victory in the souls of his soldiers "( Miter: 1950, 279, 302, 309, 324). San Martin was designated Captain General for the Andean Army by the Congress of Tucumán, as before Manuel Belgrano for the Northern Army. It was not easy to cross such risky mountain passes with so many troops. The heights caused sleepless nights for the general, who was more worried about them than about the very enemy forces. His army had considerable dimensions. According to sources from the Central Library of the Army ' s Commander-in- Chief, he had more than 5,000 troops. From 40 % to 50 % were blacks. The army broke down into 4,000 soldiers plus 1,200 militia from the Cuyo’ s cavalry as auxiliary force; a brigade of 250 artillerymen and the personnel in charge of various tasks, as muleteers and workshop staffers. It is important to note that 16 slaves ceded by their owner in the province of Mendoza formed the first music band of the patriot army( Miter: 1950, 305, 308, Lanuza: 1979, 72, 164). San Martin had estimated the army’ s needs in 1 million shots, 1 500 fighting horses and more than 12,000 pack mules. At the end, he had available 900 000 rifle and carbine rounds, 2 000 cannon balls, 200 loads of shrapnel and 600 grenades, as well as 1 600 battle horses and 10 000 pack and riding mules. The supplies included 600 live cattle plus other items such as jerky and cheese. After returning eight years later to Buenos Aires, the combatants numbered 159 and should quickly be ready for the imminent war against the Empire of Brazil. Preparing the army was a San Martín’ s constant concern. In 1816, he wrote his ally Juan Martín de Pueyrredón, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata: " Let’ s not kid ourselves: the army( that of Peru) needs at least one year to be organized, and that is with all the efforts by the government; consequently, we’ re giving all this time to the enemy for harassing us and for killing us off "( Mitre: 1950, 283). The Andean Army departed from Camp Plumerillo( Mendoza). The British merchant Samuel Haigh visited the camp and rendered a laudatory remark on the combatants of African descendant: " We interpreted the silent and gloomy fierceness of the soldiers,
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