Battle of Salamanca (1858)

The Battle of Salamanca took place between March 9 and March 10, 1858, in Salamanca (near Guanajuato, Mexico), during the War of Reform. Elements of the liberal army, under General Anastasio Parrodi, fought Generals Leandro Valle, Santos Degollado, and Mariano Moret, and conservative elements of the army commanded by General Luis G. Osollo. Osollo's army had some 5,000 men, including Generals Miguel Miramón and Tomas Mejia Francisco Garcia Casanova. The victory corresponded to the conservative side, and was the first major liberal defeat.

This battle was also known as the Battle of War Coalition (Spanish: Arroyo Feo), since at that time the fighting between liberals and conservatives were limited to Guanajuato, Jalisco, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Michoacan, and Aguascalientes. These states formed a coalition to oppose the Plan of Tacubaya, gathering 7,000 men and 30 pieces of artillery, the same who had fought in Celaya. In the Battle of Salamanca, Parrodi lost to the conservatives, which he blamed on General Mariano Moret for not ordering the cavalry charge, and Manuel Doubled for inactiivty in battle.

The liberal Colonel Jose Maria Calderon was killed in this battle.