Battle of Cruces
The battle of Cruces was a naval confrontation between the Peruvian and the Gran Colombian navy which occurred from 22 to 24 November 1828. The following blockade of the port of Guayaquil by the Peruvian Navy proved decisive in obtaining maritime dominance during the war and subsequently marked the end of the naval campaign between Peru and Gran-Colombia.
Background
Following the naval battle of Punta Malpelo on 31 August 1828 which saw the Peruvian navy victorious over that of Gran-Colombia, the Peruvian navy next set their sights on the strategic port of Guayaquil in modern-day Ecuador. The Peruvian navy assembled a fleet consisting of the Frigate Presidente, Corvette Libertad and Schooner Peruviana under the command of Vice Admiral Martin George Guisse with the goal of capturing the port and establishing a naval blockade. A number of raids were conducted by the fleet near Guayaquil before the decision was made to attack the port city directly on 22 November 1828.The Battle
When the Peruvian fleet reached Las Cruces Castle near Guayaquil on 22 November 1828, Vice Admiral Guisse aboard his flagship Presidente ordered his ships in attack formation and readied his 259 crew and 52 guns for battle. Guisse managed to break through the natural defence that the estuary offered and overran the Gran-Colombian defences, inflicting heavy damage on the fort of Las Cruces in the process, which was abandoned by its defenders after suffering multiple casualties. The troops on board the Schooner Peruviana were ordered to disembark and capture the now evacuated fort, while the Corvette Libertad went on to capture the shipyard.By the next morning, the Gran-Colombian Brig Adela engaged the Peruvian fleet in battle with cover from the battery stationed in the customs office. The Peruvians quickly overpowered Adela and her crew decided to scuttle their ship by setting her ablaze as to not let her fall into enemy hands, while the battery ceased firing. At 3pm Guisse decided to abandon the fort of Las Cruces and destroyed 2 out of her 3 batteries, while dismantling the third to incorporate it into the Peruvian fleet. The fort was thereafter set on fire and subsequently destroyed. At the same time the Gran-Colombian Schooner Guayaquileña along with her 12 guns fell into Peruvian hands, she was also a veteran of the
High tide ultimately came by noon of 24 November 1828 and Presidente was refloated. Still under fire from the Gran-Colombian forces, Presidente hastily made sail towards the rest of the Peruvian fleet, but one of the last shots fired during the battle by a sniper struck Vice Admiral Martin George Guisse in the chest, mortally wounding him. First lieutenant who was in command of the Corvette Libertad became the commanding officer of the fleet following Guisse's death. 12 other men died alongside Vice-Admiral Guisse while the number of casualties on the Gran-Colombian side remain unknown.