Gen. Baquedano's forces marched into Lima triumphant, while Peru's president and his officers fled into the interior, leaving the country without any government.

Even after the fall of Lima, the war continued between the occupation army and the troops of Andres Caceres for another three years.

During the occupation of Lima, Peru's National Library was burned, while a number of other monuments were ransacked by Chilean forces and taken as war trophies.

During the battle, Peruvian naval officer Captain Juan Fanning became a national hero for leading a spectacular infantry charge of marines that nearly outflanked the enemy.

This line was divided in three sectors:[3] The Army of Chile had a strength estimated about 12,000 men and was divided into three divisions and one reserve as it follows:[4] Because of a skirmish between a small groups of Chilean and Peruvian forces, in the night of January 14, Colonel Lagos ordered his Chief of Staff José Eustaquio Gorostiaga to send out a small force in order to scout the terrain at the south of Barranco.

On the vanguard were deployed a company of the "Santiago" 5th Line Regiment and 40 soldiers of the Acongagua Battalion and some artillery pieces, adding up 150 Chilean troops at the north of Barranco.

At this time, in the Peruvian lines, Gen. Pedro Silva made a formal review of his troops to rise the morale, which was very low due to the impact of the defeat at Chorrillos two days ago.

At 10:45 hrs Gorostiaga, who was even more concerned about the vicinity of the Peruvian forces, persuaded Col. Lagos to put the whole division in formation.

[4] Baquedano wanted to check out the troops situation, and moved dangerously close to the front line.

In a short time, the cross fire became general, and the battle started unexpectedly at 14:00 hrs.,[1] catching both sides unprepared.

Cáceres saw the chance to destroy Lagos' division and sent the Guardia Chalaca and Guarnición de Marina battalions against Barceló, while a fraction of Col. Suárez' Corps engaged Urriola, who wasn't formed yet.

[3] Lagos ordered the "Santiago" 5th Line Regiment to catch Cáceres in a pincer maneuver, while the rest of the brigade were to hit the Peruvians with a frontal charge.

When the whole of Lynch's division gathered and when Barbosa's brigade reinforced the left flank, the Peruvian offensive weakened.

Lagos' III Division fought in the front line the entire battle, so had the biggest losses, 1,131 men were dead or wounded.