Objective:

This article reviews the construction of the historical account by Bartolomé Mitre, the interference of fiction in this narrative, and the analysis of the position of the subordinate within the military hierarchy that this narrative presents.

Methodology:

The battle of San Lorenzo (1813) is one of the icons of Argentine culture since it is the only one fought on national soil by the Mounted Grenadiers Regiment, led by Colonel San Martín. This work has a starting point in a theoretical apparatus consisting of three pillars (Benjamin, Auerbach and Ginzburg) that throws light on a detail in the narration that Mitre makes of this battle: the moment in which San Martín has fallen from his horse and is being aided by the soldier Juan Bautista Cabral, who lost his life in this act.

Originality:

Bartolomé Mitre is considered the founder of Argentine historiography due to his thoroughness, erudition and accuracy. In this case, the sources that he consulted to organize the account of this particular battle are compared. The originality can be appreciated in the fact that the literary sources used to narrate this episode refer to a similar event involving the legendary Gonzalo de Córdoba, called the Great Captain (as San Martín would later be called) during the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs in the 15th century.

Conclusions:

It is concluded that Mitre, despite his statements regarding his attention to oral and written documentary sources, has no qualms about resorting to fictional sources when writing an episode of the History of San Martín and the South American emancipation.