Among these men was Col. Andres Caceres, who successfully gained the sympathies of the farmers who lived totally disconnected from the preceding campaigns.

The Chilean occupation was directed by the recently appointed Admiral Patricio Lynch, who sent a division divided into several columns with the intention of sweeping the Andes and gaining control of the towns in the region.

The first major force to be sent was a division under the command of Col Ambrosio Letelier, who was successful in his task, but committed abuses against the population.

In 1882, Col. Estanislao del Canto was sent to the Junin Department with orders to maintain control on the region and to find and eliminate Caceres forces.

The peasants arrested Salazar in early July 1882 on the arrival of two columns sent by Caceres to reorganize the guerrillas with orders to attack Concepción.

Gasto, with Pucara Nº4 and America battalions, plus the Libres de Ayacucho columns, was to join the Salazar guerrillas (montoneras) at Comas and to march toward Concepcion.

Meanwhile, Col. Maximo Tafur was sent to La Oroya, with the objective of destroying the bridge there and closing any escape route for del Canto.

[4] After an initial success, the lack of supplies and medicines, combined with high mortality among Chilean lines owing to unknown illnesses and cold temperatures, forced Estanislao del Canto to retreat from the Andes to Lima.

The garrison posted at Concepcion was the 4th company of the "Chacabuco" 6th Line Battalion, consisting of 77 soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Ignacio Carrera Pinto.

He did not know that when Col. del Canto finally could leave his position at Huancayo, its south wing was defeated by Caceres' followers at Marcavalle, delaying again the advance of the Chilean troops towards Concepcion.

Meanwhile, the montoneras of Ambrosio Salazar and the Peruvian regular forces of Juan Gasto were already gathered at Leon hill and waiting for the attack signal.

Since he was outnumbered, Carrera Pinto's plan was to fortify the garrison at the town central square, blocking its four corners, and to resist there until del Canto's arrival.

[6] On July 8 Salazar's forces left Comas, arriving that night in San Antonio de Ocopa, where they made camp.

The Chilean division of Del Canto, after leaving Huancayo, was attacked by Cáceres' Peruvian forces, delaying his return to Concepción.

Peruvian forces began to descend toward the square: Ambrosio Salazar with the guerrillas in the south from El Leon and the soldiers of Juan Gasto from Piedra Parada, encircling the town.

Carrera Pinto tried a bayonet charge in order to break the siege and escape, but was wounded in his left arm, leaving him no choice but to fall back to the church and garrison his troops inside.

The Peruvian attack continued, including sniper fire from roofs and windows, until all of the Chileans retreated to the center of the square, a very exposed position.

The Chilean lieutenant, aware of the desperate situation, sent three soldiers to connect with del Canto's division stationed at Huancayo and to inform them of the attack they were sustaining.

May God keep youIn the capital of Chile, in one of its main streets, stands immortalized in bronze the statue of the father of our Independence, General Don Jose Miguel Carrera, whose own blood runs through my veins; that's why you will understand that neither as a Chilean nor as a descendant of him will I be intimidated by the number of your troops nor by the obligatory threats.

Ambrosio Salazar ordered Cipriano Camacachi and Pablo Bellido to spray with fuel the roofs of the convent to force out the Chileans, who returned fire from the windows of the building.

", after these words he ordered a final rifle barrage, and then led a bayonet charge with his remaining soldiers, all of whom were killed by Peruvian gunfire.

After a 27-hour battle, the Peruvian army had suffered more than 40 casualties (injured or killed) based on Ambrosio Salazar's official report.

Concepcion is one of Peru's Heroic Cities and on the day of the Peruvian victory, in its honor a national youth Marching band competition is held here.