The battle that sealed the freedom of our country was waged between the royalist troops of General

Melchor Aymerich and the patriotic forces led by Gen. Antonio José de Sucre. After an exhausting
military campaign that had begun in Guayaquil in early 1822, in mid-May and Sucre was approaching the
city of Quito and, to avoid encountering the Spanish, arranged for his troops flank the enemy rising to
frost Cotopaxi slopes, to appear on May 16 in the beautiful valley of the Chillos. That same day, upon
discovering the strategy of Sucre, the Spaniards withdrew and entered Quito, occupying the main streets
of the south of the city.

On the night of May 23, 1822, protected by the shadows, the army of Sucre - made up of 2,971 men from
Guayaquil, Cuenca, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru - began to climb the Pichincha volcano, looking
for the best location for the battle that would seal the independence of this part of America; to the
vanguard, General Cordova advanced with the "Magdalena" while the "Albion" was responsible for
protecting the rearguard, and guard and distribute the park.

At dawn on May 24, in the foothills of Pichincha and with freedom as a reward, the city and the people of
Quito were excited witnesses of the most glorious moment of their history.

At nine thirty in the morning the first shots were fired. From the beginning of the fight, the Yaguachi and
his commander Colonel Antonio Morales, in a fierce struggle, used up the cartridges and replaced them
with the bayonet. Tremolaba the blue and white of the flag led by the young Lieutenant Abdón Calderon.
These units held the strongest of the combat until the arrival of Mires with the rest of the infantry.

The battle was bloody and fierce, as the royalist forces were aware that their defeat would mean the end
of Spanish rule in this part of the continent
Sucre organized his forces so that they arrived in waves successively. When the Hunters of
Paya and the Trujillo Battalion, led by their chief Santa Cruz, after valiant action exhausted
their ammunition, they were relieved by two other battalions that under the orders of General
Mires and Colonel Morales pushed back the royalists until they too They finished with their
ammunition.

Then the "Paya" and the "Albion" returned to the charge, reinforced this time by Colonel
Cordova who came at the head of two "Magdalena" companies. In the heat of the fight, the
men of the Yaguachi battalion demonstrated a bravery that frayed in the heroism and that
forced the Spaniards to undertake the retirement. Finally, the commander Cestaris finished
with the realistic cavalry, commanded by the Crnel. Tolrá and conformed by 400 brave and
good riders