Letters from the Battlefields of Paraguay. Richard Francis Burton
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which, amongst us, makes a peerage valuable to a man whose father refused it. Upon my return to Buenos Aires, I was shown the plaster model of a crown, apparently that of the first Napoleon, which, stuck to a board, had been forwarded for any alterations which the Marshal-President might suggest. Suspecting this to be a ruse de guerre in order to stir up popular odium, I consulted President Sarmiento. This statesman, in the presence of witnesses, declared to me that it had been sent out bond fide by a Parisian house, and that it had been embargo^ by the Argentine Government, together with furniture ordered by the Marshal-President. The furniture, destined for one room, and worth about 400/., consisted of fine solid curtain hangings, showy chairs, white, red, and gold, and tinsel chandeliers, with common cut glass and white paint showing under the gilding. It bore the arms of the Republic, but it was evidently copied from the Tui- leries. A hard fate caused it to be sold by auction at Buenos Aires.
Using the state of political parties in the Banda Oriental as a pretext. President Lopez, in early 1864, began actively to prepare fcr war. There is little doubt that he thought the proceeding one of self-preservation against his mortal enemies the Liberal party, which threatened incontinently to hem him in, and he is said to have declared, " If we have not a war with the Brazil now, we shall have it at a time less convenient for ourselves." Since then, in a mani- festo, he stated, " Paraguay must no longer consent to be
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lost sight of when the neighbouring states are agitating questions which have more or less a direct influence upon her dearest rights/^ Moreover he felt poignantly in his inmost soul the ^' ribald articles/^ those edged tools with which the press of Buenos Aires delighted to play^ calling him for instance "cacique/^ and Asuncion his "wigwam."
The following is a simple abstract of the dates which render the five years' war remarkable. The precis may be useful to the reader, and I have given in the Preface the briefest possible sketch of the campaign in its two phases^ offensive and defensive.
October 16, 1864. — The Brazilian army invades the Banda Oriental, despite the protestations of President Lopez, who declared that such invasion would be held a casus belli.
December 4^, 1864. — President Lopez despatches an expe- ditionary column to invade the Brazilian province of Matto-Grosso.
April 13, 1865. — After vainly soliciting permission from the Argentine Bepublic to march his troops across Corrientes, in order to attack the Brazil, President Lopez seizes two Argentine ships of war in the port of Corrientes and occupies the city.
May 1, 1865.— The " Treaty of May 1^' concludes a triple alliance, oflPensive and defensive, between the Brazil, the Argentine Republic, and the Banda Oriental again«t the government of Paraguay.
May, 1865. — Paraguay invades the Brazilian Province of Rio Grande do Sul, and her left corps d'armee marches down the valley of the Uruguay River.
June 11, 1865. — The Paraguayan fleet is defeated at the Battle of Riachuelo, and the right corps d'armeCy marching down the Parana, is compelled to retreat.
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September 18, 1865. — The Paraguayan left corps d'arm6e surrenders in Uruguayana to the Emperor of the Brazil, commanding the allies.
November 1-3, 1865. — The Paraguayan right corps d'armee retreats behind its own proper frontier, the line of the Parana River, and thus terminates the offensive phase of the campaign.
For nearly a year, between November 1865, and Sep- tember 1866, the Allies having crossed the Parana River, hold their ground despite the frantic efforts of the Para- guayans to dislodge them. Amongst the actions the most severe are the Battle of Estero Bellaco (May 2, 1866,) and the Battle of Tuyuty (May 24, 1866). The Commander-in- chief, Mitre, at last determines to force the line of the Paraguay River.
September 3, 1866. — The Paraguayan works at Curuzu, an outwork of Humaita, are stormed by the Allies. This is followed by the Conference of Ytaiti-Cora, where Presidents Mitre and Lopez coidd not come to terms.
September 22, 1866. — The Allies attack Curupaity, an- other outwork of Humaita, and are repulsed with terrible loss, especially of the Argentine army.
This fait d'armes is followed by nearly a year of com- parative inaction ; Marshal Caxias assumes command of the Brazilian army, and Admiral Tamandare retires from the fleet.
August 15, 1867. — The Brazilian iron-clad squadron steams past the batteries of Curupaity.
January 14, 1868. — General Mitre retires from the war, and is succeeded by Marshal Caxias as Generalissimo.
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February \S, 1868. — The Brazilian iron-clads run past the batteries of Humaita.
March \, 1868. — The Paraguayan canoes attack the Bra- zilian ironclads. Marshal-President Lopez retires from his Head-Quarters at Paso Pucii to Timbo, and thence to the line of the Tebicuary River. A general movement in advance on the part of the Allies takes place (March 21)^ the result being that the batteries of Curupaity are evacuated (March 22).
June 18-20^ 1868. — Marshal-President Lopez discovers, or suspects that he has discovered, a conspiracy with revolutionary intentions, headed by General Berges. Many executions are reported.
July 24, 1868. — The garrison of Humaita, surrounded on all sides and starved out, evacuates the so-called stronghold, makes for the Gran Chaco, on the other side of the river, and on August 6th surrenders.
August 22, 1868. — The Paraguayans evacuate the batteries of Timbo, north of Humaita.
August 28, 1868. — The Allies become masters of the deserted line of the Tebicuary Biver. Marshal-Pre- sident Lopez retires to Villeta, up stream.
Oct. 1, 1868. — Four ironclads force the Angostura bat- teries.
November, 1868. — Marshal Caxias determines once more to turn the enemy^s right flank, and directs Marshal Argolo to begin a military road through the Gran Chaco. Admiral Viscount de Inhauma forces the Pass of Angostura, November 15.
December 5, 1868. — The vanguard of the Brazilian army crosses the Paraguay River and lands unopposed on the left bank at San Antonio.
December 21-27, 1868.— The ^^ Waterloo of the war.^' After four several actions, Marshal-President Lopez,
INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 79
compelled to abandon Loma Valentina, and accom- panied by a handful of horsemen, dashes through the enemy and reaches Cerro Leon.
December 30, 1868. — The celebrated Angostura batteries, commanded by Lieut. -Col. George Thompson, C.E., and Colonel Carrillo, surrender.
January 2, 1869. — The Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Caxias, enters in triumph Asuncion, finds it evacuated, and declares the war to be " ended.^^
At this point finishes the second act of the war, and begins the third, which is not yet concluded. Marshal- President Lopez, safely sheltered by the mountains, de- termines upon a guerilla warfare, and collects for that purpose the last of the doomed Paraguayan race.
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