Battle of Ayacucho

Battle of Ayacucho, last major engagement of the South American war for independence; fought on December 9, 1824, it resulted in victory by the South American rebel forces under Antonio José de Sucre over a Spanish army under José de La Serna, viceroy of Peru.

After Sucre and Simon Bolívar defeated a Spanish force at Junín in the central highlands of Peru (August 1824), La Serna marched against them from Cuzco with an army of 10,000 men. Sucre, with 6000 Peruvians and Colombians under his command, tried to avoid battle at first but finally made a stand at Ayacucho early in December. His men attacked the royalist army while it was on its way down from the neighboring hills to meet them, winning an advantage over La Serna before he had a chance to get his troops organized. After an unsuccessful attempt to outflank the rebels, the Spaniards were quickly overcome, and La Serna was taken prisoner. The Battle of Ayacucho marked the end of Spanish power on the mainland of South America.