The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-21
THE PLATTE WAR.
DETAILS of the BATTLE OF YATAY
HEROIC BRAVERY OF THE TROOPS.

From The River Platte tMOntevideo) Times, August 90
Onthe odd instant Don Eduardo Flores
was the bearer of the following intelli-
gence from the army of the vanguard of
the allies, which he left at noon on the
18th instant, at which hour, after q san
culinary engagement, victory had de-
clared in favor of the allied arms.
The battle took place at 1atay, on the
right or Corentino bank of the Uruguay,
about three leagues south of Uruguay
ana, which is on the opposite or Brazil
ian shore, in latitude 20 degrees 49 min
utes south, and longitude 81 degrees "a
minutes west.
THE ALLIES IN MOTION.
The army, under General Flores, after
| the incorporation of General Paunero,
| consisted of about $500 men, and the
| Parayguayan column, under Duarte, OF
| about 3,4OO. On the 18th, at fifteen min
| utes past seven A. NJ, the allied army
marched in the direction of the Paso de
| los Libres in parallel columns, sufficient
ly apart to admit of deploying in line.
After a leagues march, they found the
enemy had deserted the Paso de los Lii
bres and fallen back about one-half q
league to the Ombusito.
TAKING UP POSITION.
The army then bore away to the left,
and O came in sight of the enemy,
who had formed on the opposite side of
the marshy banks of the Ombusito.-
Their position was fortified by a triple
fosse. the trenches being three yards
wide and two deep; their sharpshooters
occupied the first ditch, and their line
extended along the bottom of the marsh,
both TANKS as we'll as the front being
protected by the trenches. Gen. Flores
placed the Argentine and Brazilian
troops under the command OF General
Paunero, reserving to himself to open
the engagement withthe Oriental troops
and artillery.
i. ADVANCING IN sKIRMIsHING ORDER.
The action was commenced by Com
mander Bustamente, who extended his
battalion of volunteers in skirmishing
order, and their fire was replied to by
the tirailleurs of the enemy.
;. REpULsE OF THE ~PARAGUAYAN CAVALRY.
The enemy's cavalry then made q
heavy charge, which was mel ana
checked by Segovia's First cavalryof the
line and by the escort, commanded by
/. Major Fortunate Flores, who, in the
thick of the fight, broke his lance.
I TIE NGAGEMENT BECOMES dENEhAL,
The action became general, and the
!. allied tirailleurs, who had won the hrs1
trench, attacked the second and encoun
: tered heavy firing from the Paraguayar
line. The allied artillery came into &C,
ton and delivered a murderous fire a
= five hundred PAGES on the enemy's IN
fantry, which threw them into consid'
cradle confusion.
THE ~pARAGUAYANs BROKEN N DRIVEN OFF
THE FIELD.
The allied infantry advanced, and
Nelson's artillery, which had got with.
-. in five hundred yards of the enemy on
, the opposite side, was SO effective as tf
, drive the Paraguayan troops into an UNI
manageable mass, incapable of being re
v formed, their cavalry and artillery be
ing mingled with the infantry.
RETREATING AT THE POINT OF THE BAYoNET
I'll Thev then commenced q retreata t tn
point Of the bayOnet, but Obstinately de
tended every inch of ground until oblig
:, ed to disperse by showers of grape.
splendid bayonet charge by the allied in
fantry completely broke them up, an
G then ensued a hand to hand fight, sus
o tanned by groups o. twenty to thirty me
each, always retiring, and the two be
4 dies of infantry became so mixed t.
gether that the artillery had to ceas
firing. n,,r
p At this moment the First regiment
cavalry, Argentine, n the escort
General Flores made a most brllllal
charge, and it was all over with the ei
envy, who betook themselves to preclp
" tate flight.
" TAKING TO II R%IvER-ALL ESCAPE CUT OFF
The largest body of the enemy sougl
the banks of the Yatay, and there, bein
clear of the allied infantry, were expo
- ed to a CALLING fire of grapeshot, und'
" which they broke in utter disorder, an
1t the greater part crossed the Yatay
L.. swimming; but asa force OF two tho
" sand five hundred cavalry went in IN
. mediate pursuit, there WdS h1ue Pf0Oe
bility that single MAJ aOoutd escape.
The fight lasted one hour and twen'
minutes. reckoning to the time VINE
the enemy commenced their retreat.
81 BRAZILIAN CASUALTIES.
Colonel Fidelis, who commanded q
- BRAZILIAN volunteers, was dangerous
/ and Colonel Regules, of the Orient
.lDiyision, slightly wounded. No list
casualties had arrived, but, doubles
l. Rustamente's volunteers must have 81
fered severely, as well as other corr
Is from the line firing of the ParaguayaI
n and i'm the cavalry charges.
HOW THE pARAGUAYANs TREATED APR0POs
in OF SURRENDER.
a ourdays prior to the battle Gener
Flores senta note to Commander Duar'
is representing to him the inequality,
their respective forces, and offering M
honorable terms of surrender, to whl'
~ Duarte replied by shooting the messe
nj ger.
GENERAL FLORES ACCOUNT OF THE BATH
ei MAGNIFICENT FIGHTING OF THE VANQOlshi
GENERAL FLORES TO GENERAL MTRE.
81 PAso DE LOS LrBREs, August IS, 1866
1g After q painful march, through hea'
Ie- rains and a country flooded with watt
we arrived yesterday morning at ha
n mast ten i'm front of the enemy's fore
in consisting of rather more than thr
h, thousand men. Of these n thousal
sr, seven hundred are left dead upon t
field. n thousand two hundred,
GLIDING the commander, Duarte,, q
1T prisoners, more than three hundred
Il. ing wounded. Four standards the mi
Of tary stores and ammunition, eight ca
and ali their wretched horses are in pc
session of the allied army.
~ The army of the vanguard had abo