102 



BRAZIL. 



surrection had spread through the southern part 

 of the State and most of the towns were in the 

 hands of the rebels, the Central Government de- 

 cided to send forces to defend the established 

 authorities. Arms and ammunition destined for 

 the rebels fell into the hands of the Government. 

 The Uruguayan authorities, anxious to avoid the 

 imputation of a breach of the neutrality laws, 

 disarmed some of the Federal revolters who were 

 driven over the border, and seized a cargo of 

 arms. Gen. Tavares was compelled to retreat 

 from his intrenchments before Santa Anna do 

 Livramento by a large force that came to the 

 relief of the garrison just as it was about to yield. 

 Gen. Tellos, commander of the State troops, pur- 

 sued the rebel general, who took up a favorable 

 position, and on March 17 routed the attacking 

 army of 3,000 men. Tavares occupied the town of 

 Santa Anna, and had scarcely dispatched a large 

 detachment toward Uruguayana, when he was 

 attacked by 800 Government troops under Gen. 

 Portugal. Notwithstanding a vast superiority 

 in numbers the Federals were driven from their 

 position and put to utter rout. They were pur- 

 sued across the frontier, and found no safety on 

 Uruguayan soil till the commander of the Uru- 

 guayan forces that guarded the frontier inter- 

 vened and demanded the withdrawal of the 

 Brazilian troops. Instead of complying, the 

 Brazilian commander ordered an attack on the 

 Uruguayans, whom he charged with giving shel- 

 ter to the rebels. The Uruguayans returned the 

 fire, and being re-enforced drove the Brazilians 

 back over the line. Saraiva appeared soon after- 

 ward at Alegrete, and after a desperate battle 

 drove the State forces from their intrenchments 

 and took possession of the city on March 27. The 

 place was afterward recaptured by a small force 

 of regular soldiers. Tavares also was beaten 

 when he appeared near Bage. Wherever the 

 insurgents showed themselves in numbers they 

 were met by Government troops, which were 

 strengthened until 3,000, supplied with repeating 

 rifles, mitrailleuses, and field guns, and includ- 

 ing 500 cavalry, were stationed near the frontier. 

 The raids were not effectually checked, and the 

 population suffered from depredations commit- 

 ted by the partisans on both sides, while the bar- 

 barities incidental to guerilla warfare intensified 

 the bitterness of the parties. The insurgents in 

 all cases evaded a conflict with the national army, 

 and, lacking arms and money, were only able to 

 keep up the struggle by exacting ransom from 

 haciendas and villages adhering to the Castilhista 

 cause. Nevertheless the insurrection spread. 

 San Juan, Tuarahy, and Ibicuy rose against the 

 Government, and bodies of the State militia went 

 over to the rebels with their commanders. A 

 battle was fought near San Luis between the 

 forces of Tellos and Tavares, in which there was 

 much loss of life, though neither achieved a de- 

 cided victory. Gen. de Moura went to Rio Grande 

 do Sul to assume the direction of the Government 

 troops and make an inquiry into the demands of 

 the two parties, with the view of finding a way 

 to terminate the conflict and pacify the State 

 with the co-operation of the Governor. His fail- 

 ure to come to an agreement with Gov. Castilho 

 had a depressing effect. The President had to 

 consider whether he should insist on mediation 

 or even remove the Governor, or on the other 



hand continue to support Castilho. His choice 

 of the latter alternative was condemned by some 

 who were prominent in the State councils. One 

 of the Government regiments deserted to the in- 

 surgents. A fight between Castilhista partisans, 

 who entered Uruguay to steal horses, and the 

 Uruguayan frontier guard increased the existing 

 tension between the two republics. The Uru- 

 guayan minister to Brazil entered a firm protest 

 against the violation of Uruguayan territory. 

 Gen. Lima, while pursuing a body of revolution- 

 aries, was drawn into an ambush near Inhanduhy, 

 and about 200 of his men were killed or wound- 

 ed. But the Government forces were strong 

 enough to hedge in the Federals in the frontier 

 districts. By the end of May the forces led by 

 Silva Tavares and other commanders of the re- 

 bellion had been driven into Uruguay, and only 

 the bands of Gumersirido Saraiva remained in 

 the field. The Government was prevented by 

 its own dissensions and dangers from proceeding 

 to the most extreme measures. Vice-President 

 Peixoto had a submissive majority in the House 

 of Representatives, but in the Senate the Oppo- 

 sition was strong. The weight of opinion in this 

 body was in favor of mediation between the par- 

 ties in Rio Grande do Sul and the conciliation 

 of the Federals. Admiral Eduardo Wandenkolk, 

 the representative of the navy in the Provisional 

 Government that established the Government, 

 who was compelled to leave the Cabinet and has 

 since been in the Opposition in the Senate, was 

 sent to Rio Grande do Sul to report on the situ- 

 ation to the Senate. After his arrival he entered 

 into correspondence with Martins, and soon he 

 openly espoused the cause of the rebels, obtained 

 the merchant steamers "Jupiter" and "Italia," 

 was joined by the gunboat " Camocin," and, re- 

 lying on support from the land forces, attempted 

 on July 11 to capture the city of Rio Grande. 

 Gen. Saraiva and Gen. Salgado were expected to 

 co-operate with him on land at the head of 3,000 

 revolutionists. Swollen streams delayed the 

 march of the land forces, and when Admiral 

 Wandenkolk arrived there were only a few bands 

 of insurgents on the spot, though from their ap- 

 pearance he supposed them to be a large body 

 ready for battle. In the mean time the Govern- 

 ment steamers that had been sent from Rio ap- 

 peared outside of the bar, and when Wandenkolk 

 retired, after a futile attack, the " Jupiter " was- 

 pursued by the gunboats " Republica " and 

 " Cananea,' 5 and was captured at Santa Catharina 

 on July 16 with Wandenkolk and all on board. 

 The " Italia " was seized by the Uruguayan au- 

 thorities, and the vessel was delivered up to 

 Brazil, but the demand for the surrender of the 

 officers and crew was refused. The Uruguayan 

 Government had a new cause of complaint, more 

 serious than the previous ones, on account of the 

 acts of Gen. Isidoro, one of the commanders of 

 State troops, who had chased insurgents across 

 the frontier, and killed not only fugitive Brazil- 

 ians but Uruguayan citizens who gave them 

 shelter. 



Cabinet Crisis. When, in May, the adminis- 

 tration decided to continue to support the legal 

 authorities in Rio Grade do Sul with the mili- 

 tary forces of the republic, Rear-Admiral Cus- 

 todio de Mello, Minister of the Navy, and Ser- 

 zedello Correa, Minister of Finance, handed in 



