Spanish reconquest of New Granada

Part of the Spanish American wars of independence

Date	1815–1816
Location	Viceroyalty of New Granada
Result	Reconquest of New Granada by the Spanish monarchy

Belligerents

United Provinces of New Granada

Kingdom of Spain

Commanders and leaders

Custodio García Rovira
Liborio Mejía

Ferdinand VII of Spain
Pablo Morillo

Strength

10,000 men
60 ships

The Spanish Invasion of New Granada in 1815–1816 was part of the Spanish American wars of independence in South America. Shortly after the Napoleonic Wars ended, Ferdinand VII, recently restored to the throne in Spain, decided to send military forces to retake most of northern South American colonies, which had established autonomous juntas and independent states. The invaders, with support from loyal colonial troops, completed the reconquest of New Granada by taking Bogotá on May 6, 1816

In 1815, Spain sent to its most seditious colonies the strongest expeditionary force that it ever sent to the Americas up to that time. Colonel Pablo Morillo, a veteran of the Spanish struggle against the French, was chosen as its commander. The expeditionary force was made up of approximately 10,000 men and nearly 60 ships. Originally, they were to head for Montevideo in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, but soon it was decided to send these forces to the Viceroyalty of New Granada (present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama) and Venezuela.

Leaving the port of Cádiz on February 17, 1815, the force initially landed at Carupano and the island of Margarita in April, where no resistance was encountered. After leaving the island, Morillo's troops reinforced existing royalist forces in the Venezuelan mainland, entering Cumaná and Caracas in May. A small part of the main corps set off towards Panamá, while the main contingent was directed from Puerto Cabello towards the Neogranadine coastal city of Santa Marta which was still in royalist hands.

...
Wikipedia