After hastily abandoning the city in the face of the hostility of its inhabitants and the advance of Santa Cruz, Salaverry retired to the vicinity of the town of Uchumayo where at the entrance to the bridge he had a series of parapets and trenches built in which he placed 2 pieces of artillery.

After a series of minor clashes, the United Army moved towards Uchumayo, with the vanguard led by General José Ballivián advancing.

Charging head-on and bare-chested, the Bolivian soldiers managed to reach the trenches, but the lack of reinforcements and the fierce resistance forced Ballivián to retreat, not without suffering heavy losses.

Emboldened by their initial success, the restorers abandoned their positions to occupy the heights of Paucarpata, for which they had to march in front of their enemy.

Bien pronto conoceran su impotencia y vuestro valor les arrancará los supuestos laureles que recogieron en Yanacocha.

Valientes del Ejército Restaurador: los extranjeros deben ser para vosotros menos odiosos que los habitantes de Arequipa, ese pueblo desnaturalizado que se ha convertido en vuestro más crudo enemigo, es el que mas merece vuestro rigor, yo lo entrego a vuestra venganza para que experimente todos los males que merece por su criminal obstinación.