The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-30

send troops to the scene OF STRIFE, because tle4
were declined by General HorDos. As tor th
inactivity of the Brazilian squadron, il is aC'
counted for on the suspicion tnat some Disagree.
ment exists between Admiral Tamandare and
the Aayentlne Commander-in.Chief.
Bra2ihans very naturally ask, in presence of
The blame imputed to their countrymen, what
was the bulk of the Argentine army doing?
BeIug so much nearer the ield OF battle than the
Brazihans, why did It not support the divisions
from Buenos Avrcs And they think with rea-
son, that the Argentine forces, amounting TO ten
thousand men, on their own SOIL we're quite sul-
fCient to arrest the progress and punish the
fouihardiness of FIVE thousand Paraguavaus.
Some officers even think that the help OF Bra
zlians in this case would be considered more N
the light OF an insult than ms an advantage to
their allies. BE this as II may, 1t is a stubborn
fact that the Argentines have been tremendously
whipped, and that the moral advantage gained
by the Paraguayaus is immense
The newspapers do not mention word about
the destruction OF the hatboats and other means
OF transpol cation IN the course OF construction
by the allies, on the Argentine side OF the
Parana. Private letters have been received
here, however, stating that the Parag layans had
set tire to every thing OF the kind that they found
on the bank of the river that they could not
quickly carry away with them. All this ought
TO lead the allies to exercise more vigilance and
to always be ON the qlG UlUe to repel the enemy,
particularly when he attempts TO cross the
river, as he did then and had done twice before,
in canoes, which can be easily rddied by ordi-
nary musket bullets.
The following is the official report OF the
AFFAIR." '..
THE OFFICIAL DISPATCHES.
HEADQUARTERS, February L. 70 the Minis
ter OF War, Colonel Ju IAN Mart.nez:-l have tue
honor to forward you TIE enclosed report from the
chle of The staff, which you will please convey to the
VIcc-E resident of 6he Republic The debut of the
20 DIVISION (Buenos Ayrc3l which Tor the first time
came under fire, well most OF the officers, has
been brilliant; and although their generous ardor
in the fight has caused them severe losses, and thus
prevented the victory jiom being complete and the
enemy from being totally annihIlated L tee bound
recommend thanks
the Government. BARTOLoME MTrRE.
ENsENADA, February l. 1866 70 the President of
the Republic and tIeneralin.ChleE-I have the
honor 10 advise your EXcsllency that, IN
quence OF descent OF the enemy as far as the Pc
gdaJo on the Both ulJ., and OF The encounter men.
toned in the enclosed despatch OF General Horno3,
re nlOrcemenG wes sent to the vanguard according
to your BXceencv's order, composed OF the I'd div
sion tBuenos Ayresl under Colonel COussa, with
| detachment OF artillery.
The vanguard being thus streng henod the enemy
returned Yesterday in tue same force to the Peguao
Bringing with them howitzer. Our guerilla cavalry
| altlcked them on the flank, whIle the infantry,
| under Colonel Coussa fell on them in 'front.' with
| vlgor driving them back and pursuing them hotly
as far as Passo de la PaiTia, although the clrcum-
stances of having wade across two
| creeks ana large marsn Sp 70 their hips water
prevented the pursuit from eng Gs 1rOus it
might have been and the small number OF the
enemy taken prisoners is owing to the ragged dehie3
| which covered their retreat.
at the Passo de la Patria the enemy endelvorod
to reform, under cover OF reserved force stationed
| on the beach and some artillery mounted ON
| island, which commands both BANKS of the river,
|
tune aconsldefable number OF canoes came to re-
| inforce them.
Nevertheless infantry pushed into the thicket,
which skirts the coast for ABOUT lclgne, swimming
across the two marshes and advancing by the forest
OPENINGS % wherever % pTactcaDe till they came. & on
vigorous charge, and causing them abandon several
can9s % w0 s8s Eyer & 9 get o
| SIDE Ia likely story seeing that the river at the
Passo is, in cons quence of its flooded state nov
The result of the day would have been decisive,
the destruction of the enemy complete, mad not
two chiefs OF battallons and several officers just
| fallen, which somewhat damped the ardor of our
men, and permitted the enemy under pro 'ectlon of
their island battery of eight and twelve FOUNDERS
| recover themselves in the mpenetrable wood bor-
dering the where they also received rein
| forCement of a fresh battalion and were able to
| maintain their ground, although suffering heavy
losses of killed and wounded, in baYonet skirmishes
Soon after the 1st Division under Colonel Rivas,
| arrived as had moved them up, pursuant to your
Excellency's oroer but it was impossible. as Conc
raj Hornos tesfies IN his despatch, to make use of
this reinforcement, as it was now past nIghttall.
The operation would have been comoletely suo-
cessfu as have already told your EXcelloncy. out
the impauence of our soldiers to get under fiIe,
and the consequent want OF compact reserve force,
| which permitted the enemy TO reform on the livers
| side, under cover OF the woods and projected by
their island battery, where hey reinforced and
| enabled 10 hold their ground Tor the night
Nevertheless, the enemY's loss is computed at more
than two hundred killed and four hundred wounded
SaccOrdmg &C reliable accountsl besides nine Oeing
taken prisoners, and among these latter two officers.
But these advantages have not been obtained with.
| out severe loss on our soe-Majors Serrano and
! Marquee being among those killed in action, and
| Commanders Kear and Martinez de Hog, wounded,
besides ninety rank and file sent to the hospital and
| abOnt twenty officers of the various battahOus
| engaged The large number OF officers hOrs de CO M.
bat is owing to the YaOr the troops In rushing
the enemy's ambuscade, when the chiefs and officers
led the way. 1t the first time these battahons
| were. ever under fire.
Colonel Conesa being at present with the van.
guard at PassO de la PatTia have not yet got list
| of the killed, but learn that the number Is small
most of our Casualties being Slightly wounded"
| Colonel CoDcsa received a confusion. General
HPrnOs, in his active duties with the vanguard has
not had time to give meLother than a verbal report
| winch shall transmit TO your EXcellency in due
| time, with other details.
JUAN A. GELLEY OBEs
The Brazilian Times of the oath ult. says:-
''The latest news received from the seat of
| war is somewhat discOuraging, the Argentine
vanguard having been attacked by three thou
| sand Paraguayans, who crossed the Passo de la
| Patria Two hundred Argentlnos were killed,
and all the timber collected and prepared for
rats wherewith to effect a crossing of the
| Parana, was thrown into the river The
| ParaguayRns then recrossed, leaving a large
number of dead and wounded on the locality
| where the fight took place"
THE BArTLE-FIELD. 4
The Buenos Ayres Standard in a late editorial
| says:--"Let us tUrn our eyes TO the Passo de La
| Patria, where the enemy will make stand, on
| the far side of the Parana, and much as we hope
| that the Argentine flag will be borne in triumph
| through the dense forests of Paraguay we must
remember that the hazard OF war might turn
| against us. There Lopez will stake his last
chance and fire his last shot knowing that if we
| once cross the Parana his fortress of Humaita
is outfanked. The whole strength Of the enemy
| will be centred there, and we may expect to
sustain great loss in forcing a passage. 1t is
not Ike walking across bridge, for our men
will be terribly exposed in the long and arduous
1 Vaua ~ Vla..