616 



PARAGUAY. 



march for their camp, when an attack made 

 upon the force left behind obliged them to re- 

 turn. A successful charge was made upon the 

 enemy's cavalry, which was broken and driven 

 upon his infantry, but heavy reinforcements 

 from his intrenchments changed the aspect of 

 the day, and the Brazilians, overpowered by 

 numbers, were driven across the Estero, over 

 which the Paraguayans did not attempt to pass. 

 The loss of the Brazilians was 418 men and 

 officers, in killed, wounded, and missing. That 

 of the Paraguayans was unknown, as they re- 

 mained upon the field of battle. For this un- 

 fortunate affair the Brazilian arms received 

 ample compensation upon the 3d of October. 

 At early morn upon that day a body of 1,500 

 Paraguayan cavalry issued from Humaita with 

 the intent of making a coup de main against the 

 Brazilians stationed at S. Solano, at the ex- 

 treme right of the allied positions. Such a 

 move having, however, been anticipated, the 

 Brazilians were on the alert, and the Marquis 

 de Caxias himself proceeded to the threatened 

 point, setting in motion the various corps de- 

 tailed to aid the defence. On the arrival of 

 these, the Paraguayans were found maintaining 

 a smart skirmishing fire with the Brazilian 

 cavalry in occupation of the post, and were 

 evidently trying to draw these within range of 

 the cannon of the Paraguayan works. At a 

 few shots from two Brazilian field-pieces 

 brought into range the Paraguayans drew back 

 a portion of their force to the shelter of a wood, 

 apparently declining battle, the Brazilian gen- 

 eral equally objecting to attack them within 

 reach of their fortifications. At this point the 

 Marquis de Caxias ordered the retreat of various 

 bodies of his troops, and the enemy, tempted 

 by the opportunity, suddenly issued from the 

 wood and fell on the left of the retiring sixth 

 division of cavalry. This resisted bravely, and 

 was strengthened with a brigade from the first 

 division, while the second, returning, charged on 

 the enemy's rear. A severe fight ensued, but 

 the Paraguayan cavalry, charged in rear and 

 front, and decimated by the heavy fire of the 

 fiftieth corps of infantry, was routed with great 

 slaughter, losing more than half its number, 

 535 of their dead having been counted on the 

 field of conflict, and 200 prisoners remaining in 

 the victors' hands. Four standards, a quantity 

 of arms, and most of the horses, were likewise 

 captured. The Brazilian loss in killed and 

 wounded is officially reported at 94 men and 

 officers out of the force of 2,000 which was 

 brought upon the ground. 



On the 28th October the commander-in- 

 chief of the Brazilian forces, the Marquis de 

 Caxias, detached a column of 2,000 cavalry, 

 2,400 infantry, and four rifled field-pieces, 

 under the command of Brigadier - General 

 Barreto, to occupy the potrero* Ovella and 



* Potrero is the name given by the South American Span- 

 iards to a piece of land completely surrounded by dense 

 woods, rivers, lakes, or marshes, into which cattle are driv- 

 en for pasture. 



Tayi. The only entrance to the potrero was 

 through a narrow passage defended by two 

 deep trenches, a lake, and a battalion of infan- 

 try. After three hours' fighting the place was 

 taken, the Paraguayans losing 80 men killed 

 and 56 prisoners, besides 200 muskets, 1,200 

 head of horned cattle, and 50 horses. The 

 Brazilians lost 67 men and 9 officers killed, and 

 255 men and 18 officers wounded. The place 

 was immediately put in a state of defence, and 

 the genera], leaving there half of the force, 

 marched on with the rest to Tayi, which was 

 found to be occupied only by a very small 

 force, which fled, leaving two prisoners. On 

 the night of the 1st of November, a column of 

 about 800 Paraguayan infantry were perceived 

 landing a little higher up, under the protection 

 of three steamers. Next morning the Brazil- 

 ian infantry received orders to dislodge the 

 enemy, who had commenced to fortify the place 

 with incredible rapidity. The Brazilians ad- 

 vanced in three columns, and, without firing a 

 shot, carried the place with the bayonet. 



President Lopez, finding his position desper- 

 ate, on the morning of the 3d sent 5,000 infan- 

 try and 1,000 cavalry to attack the lines of 

 Tuyuty. The right of these lines was very 

 strong, and latterly some of the fortifications 

 had been imprudently razed to shorten the 

 road for the supplies of Tuyucne. The defence 

 of the position had been confided to a corps of 

 Corrientine soldiers and the Paraguayans serv- 

 ing in the Argentine army. On the morning in 

 question the latter were doing duty at the out- 

 posts, and on seeing their countrymen advance 

 retired without giving the alarm, and may be 

 said to have led the enemy into the centre of 

 the Brazilian camp, whence they were repulsed, 

 after four hours' very hard fighting, leaving up- 

 ward of 2,000 dead, of which number 78 were 

 recognized as officers, and 155 prisoners. The 

 Brazilians lost 205 men and 8 officers killed, 

 and 533 men and 54 officers wounded. A 

 Brazilian battalion, nearly 400 strong, was 

 surprised, surrounded, and made prisoners be- 

 fore help could arrive. The Paraguayans also 

 took four Argentine field-pieces, but of these 

 three were afterward found in the marshes. 



The Moniteur states that on the 3d of No- 

 vember the Paraguayans carried the allied 

 camp by storm, but not having taken necessary 

 precautions, they were attacked in their turn 

 and driven back with great loss. Their object 

 was, however, partly obtained, as they had 

 time to destroy the enemy's magazines and 

 spike a number of their guns. A dispatch 

 from General Mitre, in the Tribuna of Buenos 

 Ayres, states that in the two following days, 

 November 4th and 5th, the allies buried 2,040 

 Paraguayans, including 72 officers, and that 

 additional numbers cf killed were hourly being 

 discovered on all sides. Sixteen hundred and 

 fifty muskets had been collected on the field by 

 the Brazilian troops, and 260 by the Argentine. 

 The Brazilian loss was 600 killed and wounded, 

 and one 32-pounder, while that of the Argen- 



