# Battle of São Borja

vteParaguayan War :
Mato Grosso campaign
Marquês de Olinda
1st Corumbá
Fort Novo de Coimbra
Feio River
Dourados
Anhambaí
Coxim
Laguna
Apa River
2nd Corumbá
Alegre
Corrientes campaign
Corrientes
San Lorenzo River
Rio Grande do Sul
São Borja
Butuí
Uruguaiana
Riachuelo
Paso de Mercedes
Paso de Cuevas
Yatay
Pehuajó
Jaguarí
Humaitá campaign
Purutué Bank
Paso de Patria
Laguna Sirena
Itapirú
Estero Bellaco
Paso Cidra
1st Tuyutí
Yataytí Corá
Boquerón
Sauce
Palmar
Curuzú
Curupayty
Arroyo Hondo
Hacienda Laguna
Tuyú Cué
1st Passage of Curupayty
Pilar
Ombú
Estero Rojas
Perecué
Tatayibá
Potrero Obella
Humaitá
Passage
2nd Tuyutí
Paso Ipohy
2nd Passage of Curupayty
Laguna Cierva
Cabral and Lima Barros
1st Iasuií
2nd Iasuií
Poí Island
Barroso and Rio Grande
Acayuazá
Fortín Island
Pikysyry campaign
Yacaré
Paso de Tebicuarí
Surubí
Pikysyry
Dezembrada
Ytororó
Avay
Lomas Valentinas
Angostura
San Fernando
Asunción
Cordilleras campaign
Manduvirá River
Concepción
Ybytimí
Tupí-hú
Sapukái
Diarte
Piribebuy
Acosta Ñu
Piribebuy River
Hondo River
Itapytangua
Tacuaty
Curuguaty
Hucuratí
Loma Rugua
Caguijuru–Caraguataí
Iguatemi
Río Verde
Cambaceguá
Lomaruguá
Cerro Corá
Miranda :
The battle of São Borja was fought on 10 June 1865 at the beginning of the Paraguayan invasion of Rio Grande do Sul during the Paraguayan War.

## Battle

Even after the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Riachuelo, the Paraguayan soldiers continued advancing overland towards Rio Grande do Sul, under the command of lieutenant colonel Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia. A few days earlier, on June 8, the Paraguayan column, organized by major Pedro Duarte and numbering about 10,000 men, was in the Argentine village of Santo Tomé, close to 8 km (5.0 mi) from the border with Brazil. Along with them were 5 cannons, 20 canoes, and 30 carts with various supplies.
From that point onwards, Estigarribia began preparations for the offensive and 6,000 men were at his disposal. On the morning of 10 June 1865, on foot and by canoe, his troops slowly crossed the Uruguay River. Colonel Antônio Fernandes Lima, head of the Brazilian forces in the frontier, was warned about Paraguayan movements on the other side of the river, but did not believe in the speed of their preparations. The colonel ordered his forces of 2,000 soldiers to march unhurriedly towards the Paraguayans.
At 10 in the morning the Paraguayans began the attack on São Borja, encountering weak resistance from lancers commanded by colonel Ferreira Guimarães. After about 4 hours of fighting, reinforcements from the 1st Battalion of Fatherland Volunteers arrived at the scene under the command of lieutenant colonel João Manuel Mena Barreto, who found the Paraguayans penetrating the city, at the mouth of São João street (then called General Marques street). 1,400 Paraguayans from the column of captain Diogo Alvarenga were bayoneted by two hundred infantrymen commanded by Floriano Peixoto, who would later become President of Brazil.
Even though the number of reinforcements was only 650 soldiers, it was enough to hold position for two days, giving time for the local population to be evacuated safely. Soon after, on June 12, the village was abandoned by the Brazilians, being occupied and looted by the Paraguayans for a week. On the 19th, the Paraguayans, encouraged by the victory, left for Uruguaiana.