on august that same year, 1814, san martin assumed the office of provincial governor of cuyo province fronting the chilean border, and the regiment set up its new home in the province the next year with the 3rd and 4th squadrons moving there, followed in the next year by the 1st and 2nd squadrons. assisted by now lieutenant colonel mariano necochea, the regiment prepared itself for the liberation of chile from spanish rule and thus, together with the newly formed mounted rifle squadron with necochea as its commanding officer, raised with 300 horse grenadiers, formed part of the army of the andes with san martin himself as its commanding general. it rode towards the chilean border as part of the crossing of the andes in the late summer of 1817, and upon reaching chile, fought bravely in the battle of chacabuco in february, later distinguishing themselves the following year in the second battle of cancha rayada and the battle of maipú. the regiment, thus, was witness to the chilean declaration of independence in santiago on 12 february 1818, one year after the victory in the chacabuco fields.