In said city he contacted Major Juan Buendía y Noriega who organized a column of militiamen with the residents of the port of Iquique and emigrants from Tacna, thus setting off for Tarapacá on January 5, 1842.

Thus, the date and time chosen to repel the invaders was due to intelligently articulated planning a Bolivian troop without sleep for two nights in a row, also without rest and poorly fed for the same period.

The account of the combat by Juan Buendía himself was issued in the following terms: A mi aproximación a Tarapacá, se me reunió bastante gente aunque con pocas armas.

As an interesting fact, it should be added that the brave Tarapacan priest who managed to obtain the lead for the shots of the heroes of the local resistance, was still alive at the time when Ricardo Palma immortalized the entertaining story in his famous book on the Tradiciones Peruanas.

Colonel José María García perished in the fight 40 soldiers and 5 officers were prisoners they would later be executed, the captured weapons were distributed among the neighbors and the Bolivian troops did not attempt to advance on Tarapacá again.