Army of the Andes have it being as high as 6000 men. The army consisted of Argentines and Chileans, and included some 1200 auxiliaries to help in provisioning and supply, as well as a complement of artillery. The Congress of Tucumán endorsed San Martín's proposal to form an army to fight the royalists in Chile, and between August 1814 and February 1817, San Martín trained his troops to prepare them for their ordeal. While the army was made up of a less than experienced military force, San Martín intended to lead, with regular discipline and equipment, a proper army and not a "motley crew"
Army of the North a victory at Utarango but was later defeated on 12 February by the San Juan river. Rondeau received an order to retreat to Tucumán. The army, almost beaten, marched for nine months going through Potosí and Humahuaca until reaching Tucumán. On 7 August 1816 at Trancas, Rondeau was replaced again by Manuel Belgrano. Martín Miguel de Güemes was named commander of the northern border. Belgrano moved the army to the citadel built by San Martín in the city of Tucumán. There he attempted to rebuild the morale, and materials, in search for a new action in Upper Peru, combining with