Battle of Cepeda (1859)

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The Battle of Cepeda of 1859 took place on October 23 of that year in Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina, and in which Federal Justo José de Urquiza defeated Unitarian Bartolomé Mitre.

Given the years of confrontations that followed the declaration of Independence between the Federal forces of the provinces and the Unitarian Buenos Aires Province, the Congress of Paraná dictated on April 1 of 1859 a law for which Justo José de Urquiza –elected president of Argentina after the sanction of the Argentine Constitution of 1853– was to pacifically reincorporate the dissident province of Buenos Aires, but allowed the use of arms if this was not possible.

The government of Buenos Aires interpreted that law like a formal declaration of war, and in May the legislature of the province decided to repel with the province's troupes any military aggression. Valentín Alsina laid the command of the effectives to General Bartolomé Mitre.

Given the imminence of the conflict, Brazil, Paraguay, the United States and the United Kingdom tried to prevent it interceding friendly on the matter. The neighbour country of Paraguay sent young military Francisco Solano López, who in the state of emergency was named minister with special attributions. Attempts of pacific resolution failed since Alsina demanded Urquiza's resignation, who wouldn't comply.

Once decided the armed confrontation, Urquiza advanced with the army of the confederation over Buenos Aires, but saw Mitre's men at the Cañada de Cepeda, north of Pergamino . After some tactical movements both forces clashed on October 23 of 1859. The porteño Unitarian army was defeated and at the evening Mitre's forces fell back towards San Nicolás de los Arroyos, from where they embarked and returned to Buenos Aires city.