Battle of Márquez Bridge

Part of the Argentine Civil War

Date	26 April 1829
Location	Márquez Bridge, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina Coordinates: 34°39′35.52″S 58°45′24″W / 34.6598667°S 58.75667°W / -34.6598667; -58.75667
Result	Federalist victory

Belligerents

Federalist army

Unitarian army

Commanders and leaders

Juan Manuel de Rosas
Estanislao López

Juan Lavalle

Strength

7,000 men

1,000 men

The Battle of Márquez Bridge (located on the border between current-day Villa Udaondo and Paso del Rey, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina), fought on 26 April 1829, during the civil war between Unitarians and Federalists, resulting in a victory for the Federal Party forces of Juan Manuel de Rosas and the governor of Santa Fe Province, Estanislao López, over general Juan Lavalle, who had usurped the office of Governor of Buenos Aires Province.

After the fall of the Bernardino Rivadavia administration, the leader of the Federalist Party, Colonel Manuel Dorrego, was elected governor of Buenos Aires Province. An alliance of the Unitarian Party with the army chiefs that had fought against the Brazilian Empire deposed Dorrego on 1 December 1828. Days after, Dorrego was defeated at the Battle of Navarro and shot by order of Lavalle.

Rosas, Buenos Aires Province chief of the army, marched to Santa Fe Province, where he joined with Santa Fe governor Estanislao López starting to march on Buenos Aires, to avenge the crime and depose the Unitarian government. Lavalle anticipated and attacked Santa Fe, but López had stronger forces and left Lavalle without effective cavalry and forced him to retreat. Several minor caudillos from the South of Buenos Aires Province forced the Unitarian forces to divide and fight, forcing Lavalle to retreat.

Lavalle wanted to stop the advance of the Federalist forces on a defensible site, selecting the Márquez Bridge, over the Conchas River (today Reconquista River). he awaited them there with 1,000 men, veterans and well armed, against the 4,000 militiamen of López and Rosas, which were accompanied by about 3,000 Indians.

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