Liberators: Flags for 1817-18 Chilean Project
The Patriot flags seemed to be in a state of flux during the 1817-18 Chilean Campaign so I thought I'd summarise the various bits of information. For reasons outlined below this is my best guess for which flag for which unit at which battle.
| Origin
|
Name
|
Chacabuco | Talcahuano | Cancha Rayada | Maipo |
| 12 Feb 1817 | 6 Dec 1817 | 19 Mar 1818 | 5 Apr 1818 | ||
| Argentine | HQ San Martin | Flag? | - | Flag? | Flag of the Army of the Andes |
| Argentine | Cazadores a Caballo de la Escolta del General | Flag? | - | Flag? | Flag? |
| Argentine | Granaderos a Caballo | Flag? | Flag? | Flag? | Flag? |
| Argentine | 7th Infantry Regiment |  |
|
|
|
| Argentine | 8th Infantry Regiment |  |
- | |
|
| Argentine | 11th Infantry Regiment |  |
|
|
|
| Argentine | Cazadores de los Andes (Cazadore Infantry Regiment #1) |
 |
- | |
|
| Argentine | Grenadier and/or Cazadore Battalion(s) | No Flag | No Flag | - | - |
| Chilean | HQ O'Higgins | - |  |
- |  |
| Chilean | Caballeria Cazadores de la Escolta Directorial | - | |
|
|
| Chilean | Lancers | - | - | - | Flag? |
| Chilean | 1st Infantry Battalion | - | |
|
|
| Chilean | 2nd Infantry Battalion | - | - | |
|
| Chilean | 3rd Infantry Battalion | - | |
|
|
| Chilean | 4th Infantry Battalion | - | - | - | |
| Chilean | National Guard Battalion | - | |
- | - |
| Chilean | Coquimbo Cazadore Battalion | - | - | |
|
| Chilean | Infantes de la Patria Battalion | - | - | - | |
| Chilean | Santiago Military Cadets (Esculea Militar) | - | - | - | |
| Chilean | Ad Hoc Assault Party | - | No Flag | - | - |
| Chilean | Engineers | - | Probably no flag | - | - |
General comments
- All line and light battalions of both the Chileans and Argentines had flags.
- Ad hoc formations, such as converged grenadier and cazadore battalions, did not.
- Cavalry also carried flags.
- Paintings suggest the headquarters of the generals had flags.
- The painting the Embrace of Maipu (Abrazo de Maipu) has the flag of the Army of the Andes next to the lone star flag of Chile.
- In the Rugendas painting of the Battle of Maipu (Batalla De Maipu) you can see the Chilean flag with three stripes, the Chilean Lone Star, and the striped blue-white-blue Argentine flag.
Argentine Flag 1817-18
 |
Although other styles of flag were in use, this set represents what I think is the most likely pattern for the 1817-18 period. The first example is the Argentine National flag adopted in 1813 (based on Fletcher, 2005). It has the blue-white-blue stripes typical of Argentina. The second is my rendition of the flag of the HQ of the 5th Regiment in 1813 based on that in Argentine Flags of the War of Independence, 1810-1824. The last is the flag for the 9th Regiment in 1816-1820 (by David Prando and appears in the Museo de Armas, Buenos Aires). The second and third flags have the regimental number in the centre, although that of the 9th has the number 9 inside a laurel wreath. In the absence of other evidence, I assume the rest of the Army of the Andes fighting in Chile in 1817-18 used something similar. |
Chilean Flag 1817-18
 |
Both of these are based on Fletcher (2005, p. 37). The "Flag of the Transition" (Bandera de la Transición) was commissioned after the Battle of Chacabuco (12 Feb 1817) (Wikipedia: Flag of Chile). The Chilean forces probably used this flag during the remainder of the 1817-18 campaign in Chile. On 18 Oct 1817 the "Lone Star" pattern officially replaced the “Flag of the Transition”. Apparently, however, it was only used for the first time at the Chilean proclamation of the Independence (12 Feb 1818) (Miguel Landero on Liberators 1810-1830 Yahoo Discussion Forum). It is possible that some new units carried it at the latter battles of the 1817-18 campaign. At Maipo in particular some units are more likely than other to have carried the Lone Star (Miguel Landero on Liberators 1810-1830 Yahoo Discussion Forum):
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