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Primary sourceBook1829

Sketches of Buenos Ayres and Chile

Samuel Haigh · 1829

A British merchant's 1829 travel book giving an eyewitness description of San Martín and events following the Battle of Maipú.

An eyewitness British account describing San Martín and the aftermath of the Battle of Maipú.

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Plain dark red cloth-bound book cover with a vertical ridged texture and a spine edge on the left side. No title or lettering is visible.
Samuel Haigh, Sketches of Buenos Ayres and Chile, 1829.

About this source

What it is

This book was written by Samuel Haigh, a British merchant who travelled through South America. Published in 1829, it describes his travels in Buenos Aires and Chile, including scenes he witnessed in the years around the independence wars.

Why it matters

Haigh's account gives an outsider's view of José de San Martín, describing him at the time of events following the Battle of Maipú. Foreign travellers' journals like this are valuable because they record impressions of famous figures from people who were not politically involved in the independence movement.

Look closer

  • Why might a merchant's observations differ from an official history?
  • What does the detail about everyday life (like dinners and social gatherings) tell us about the period?
  • Can you tell if Haigh admired or criticized San Martín from this excerpt?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of José de San Martín and Bernardo O'Higgins on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Curved Saber of San Martín

early 19th century

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Letter to Bernardo O'Higgins Announcing the Victory at Maipú

José de San Martín · 5 April 1818

Open booklet with a printed facsimile page on the left titled 'Maximas para mi hija, 1825' listing numbered maxims in Spanish, and a handwritten manuscript page on the right with the same maxims in cursive. Caption notes it is a facsimile of a document in the Museo Mitre.Document

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Máximas para mi Hija

José de San Martín · 1825

Handwritten Spanish manuscript page on lined paper, with a faded seal at upper left. The text begins 'En el Nombre de Dios todo poderoso' and continues with San Martín's will, mentioning his daughter Mercedes, a pension for his sister Elena, and his sable given to Juan Manuel de Rosas.Document

Primary source

Testamento de San Martín

José de San Martín · 1844

Oil painting of a man with dark, swept-back hair and sideburns wearing a dark military uniform with gold embroidered collar and cuffs and gold epaulettes. He holds a light-colored staff and a light blue and white flag with a laurel branch at upper right.Painting

Primary source

Portrait of José de San Martín

c. 1828

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