[7] U.S. intervention was carried out through Secretary of State William M. Evarts, who promoted the Arica Conferences in order to stop the conflict, since, as a result of Chilean attacks, civilian properties had been involuntarily affected, both of Europeans and Americans.

Nicolás de Piérola, dictator of Peru, thought that the Chilean landing in the capital would take place in Ancón and Barranco, north of Lima.

De Piérola allocated a large part of the defense to the north and south in Pisco, leaving a force of 3,000 men under the command of Colonel Anselmo Zamudio.

In this expedition, buildings and public services, sugar and cotton farms were affected, where their owners refused to pay the war quotas.

On November 20, 1880, the 1st Division of the Chilean Army, with 8,800 men, embarked on 15 transports and the corvettes Chacabuco and O'Higgins, arrived in Pisco, coming from Arica, under the command of General José Antonio Villagrán.

On their way through the desert towards the Cañete river's valley, the brigade was forced to return to Pisco due to time constraints caused by a lack of water wells.

The Peruvian command sent Colonel Pedro José Sevilla and the Cazadores del Rímac, with 200 cavalry horsemen armed with carbines, to monitor the advance of the Chileans, confronting them in Yerba Buena and then in Bujama.

The Chilean command sent Colonel Orozimbo Barbosa's brigade to confront the Peruvian troops, fighting in Manzano on December 27, 1880, where Sevilla was taken prisoner.

Chilean troops confiscated money and livestock from the wealthy owners of the Cañete valley, setting fire to and looting the towns of San Antonio and Mala.

[9] Since January 4, 1881, Peruvian Colonel Mariano Vargas had been in Rinconada de Ate with a force of 340 soldiers, made up of landowners and residents of the area armed with Minié rifles and artillery pieces.

The Sotomayor division enters into action by attacking first in Villa, and then turning and heading to the position of San Juan, defended by Colonel Cáceres' IV Army Corps.

After the actions of San Juan, part of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division, made up of the 4th in line and Chacabuco regiments, plus the navy's artillery advanced towards Marcavilca.

The first officer to enlist the help of Lynch's division was, of his own free will, Diego Dublé Almeyda, commander of the Atacama Regiment, who brought with him some ammunition.

The Peruvian defense line participating in the battle was made up of the civilian population of the city of Lima united with the battalions that had fought in San Juan.

After two hours of battle the attack is reinforced by two regiments and the bombardment of the ships Blanco Encalada, Cochrane and Huascar to the town of Miraflores.

[13] The occupation began in January 1881, with Chilean troops occupying the capital and establishing a military administration headquartered in the Government Palace.

Reports of Chilean destruction and looting resulted in a meeting between the different observing powers, concluding that such an event would not be allowed in Lima proper.

[2][3] In absence of a Peruvian President who was willing to accept their peace terms, on 22 February 1881, the Chileans allowed an open cabildo of notables outside of Lima to elect Francisco García Calderón as president, also allowing him to raise and arm two infantry battalions composed of 400 men each, as well as two small cavalry squadrons in order to give more consistency to the provisional government.

[16] Despite a relatively peaceful administration in comparison to the destruction in Barranco, Chorrillos and Miraflores, the city of Lima was looted by Chilean forces, such as in the case of the National Library of Peru.

After the occupation, Chile diverted part of its war efforts to crush Mapuche resistance in the south, with some of its equipment captured from Peruvian troops, as well as civilians.