Argentine War of Independence Chile, allied with the Mapuches. On April 4, Argentine Colonel Juan Gregorio de Las Heras had occupied Concepción, but the Royalists retreated to Talcahuano. In early 1818, Royalist reinforcements from the Viceroyalty of Peru arrived, commanded by general Mariano Osorio, and advanced towards the capital. San Martín then turned to scorched earth tactics and ordered the evacuation of Concepción, which he thought was impossible to defend. On 18 February 1818, the first anniversary of the battle of Chacabuco, Chile declared its independence from the Spanish Crown. On March 18, 1818, Osorio led a surprise attack on the joint Argentine-Chilean army,
Jaime Miguel de Guzmán de Avalos y Spinola, Marquis of la Mina, Duke of Palata and Prince of Masa Fernando Castle in Figueras and the reconstruction of the Montjuich fortress. He was buried in the Barceloneta "San Miguel del Puerto Church", an area much decayed along the times but now flourishing again after the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. At his death in Barcelona he was replaced by Irish-Spanish General Bernardo O´Connor. Jaime Miguel de Guzmán de Avalos y Spinola, Marquis of la Mina, Duke of Palata and Prince of Masa Jaime de Guzmán y Spinola, II Marquis of la Mina (1690–1767) was a Spanish Army commander and Captain General of Catalonia. He was also the Fifth Count of Pezuela