, 1866-10-25
GREAT BATTLE IN PARAGUAY,
Il Pnrasuayan Fort Attacked and Cap
tnrcd By The EruzlIiSns-Ik 1SrazfIian
Iron Clad sunk With all On Hoard
Desperate Fighting.

EnfcO pT lac xSFnxlllSus--k Er1zIliIn
Iron CInl sunk with all On 7loard-
De.rcrare Fighting.
From the Anglo Brazilian TIncs.j
Tie news frsAln the seat Of rar tells of an
advance made against the positions OF the
PnraEuayans upon the Paraguay. These
We're tile tort Of Curupaity and another called
CurHzu, two miles lower down and almost
latter formed the advance work of Curupaity
and consisted of large redoubt with para
petted wall OF Garth about twenty feet high,
solid]y constructed, mounted with one sixty
eight polIndcr, two thirty-twos aud ten
smaller cannon, and surrounded with Z ditch
nsnc feet wide and six and 4 halfdeep. q thick
wood below also covering it from the fire Of
the ships and making land attack very diff
ticult and dangerous.
For thrse operations, General the Baron dc
disnsounseI Rio Grantle cavalry; with two
pieces Of cannon, numbering in all 1856
men, were embarked in eight transport
steamers, nrd u squadron Of six iron. .clads and
seven wooden vessels were detailed to bonn
bard and cannonadc the eneily's works and
protect the landing Ut the troops aud assault
Of the work.
At7a m Of the 1st of September, the
vessels got under way and moved slowly up
the winding channel, which was believed ~
he thickly strcwcd with torpcdocs. At the
isle OF Palmar the wooden Vessels anchored,
and the iton clads proceeded higher up to
attack the battery Of Curuzu. The fire
against this post was commenced about mid
day and Kept up until evening. apparently
with good effect, as the tire of the Paraguay
ans slackcf1ed and finally ceased before night
came on.
In this combat the iron-clad Rio dc Janefro,
| which was the most advanced vesstl, recc;v-
| cd tNosixty eight pound shots in port hole
Of her casenate, which disabled d cannon,
wounded niue men aud Killed two.
| Next morning the fire recommended, and
| four Of the iron-clads passed up through the
stockndc OF snnken vessels, and anchored
| within about twelve hundred yards Of the
fort Of Curupaity, with which it maintained
a heavy fire until plight. In this cannonade
the Lima Bafros, and particularly the Bahia,
suffered considerable damage from the heavy
cannon on the blutf, one Of them IN eighty
| pounder rifle.
| squadron searched the woods and engaged
the batteries, the transports were brought,
4 about half.past one, to point below Cnrtizu,
the troops were di5embarked with rapiditr,
and, supported By the Ere Of the squadron,
I were able to take position m the bank and
repel the enemy in the advance.
At two in the afternoon a disaster occurred
to the iEon-c1ad Rio de Janeiro, which in one
Of her erolutions struck upou two torpedoes
and sunk almost immediately with her com
crew perishing either In the vessel or from
the grape the Paraguayans inhnman1y show
cred into them while swimming from the
NEXT morning at dayb1eak the enemy
opened heavy tite on the ships and on tia
Brazilian forces on shore, which was warmly
replied to, and at seven o. n. the drum va
| beaten for the assault, to effect which }he
attacking forces had to march through nar.
row paths swept b. the encmy's fire ane
| surrounded By the woods which either acci
dental1y or purpose]y had been set on fire
filling the air with stlnocatinE and binding
smoke.
This was done Us rapidly as possible il
columns Of attack, mud line Of battle
being formed in 'front.' Of the enemy;
works the storlning parties rushed to the a.
esault, aided BY the Dire Of the remainder {
the army, and as fAr rs possible By the hr
of some Of the ships, some Of whose crap
, unfortunately caused losses TO- their or
countrymen The TwentY-niath (of Balm
: first to reach the work, who, jumping int
the ditch and using each others backs fl
) ladders, scaled the wall, and notEithstant
, | ing the explosion Of q mine just as they CT
| tered, drove the Parag1ayans from the
r guns, and, in few minutes were In posse
. sion. those Of the Pa1aguayans who were nt
e bpyonetted fleeing in disorder towards Cnrt
c patty, exposed to the grape Of the SHIPS AZ
+ the fire Of the pursuing troops, eoMp1Hu 81
G Of whom followed almost to the ditch OK VI
b rupaity. Nine pieces Of cannon, arms; ~
t tfou, &C., and three flags, remained "ten ~
e | yictors, whose losses in this snort ana1r
b one aud half hours were nearly tNo "
drcd killed aud eight hundred "o1uae'
5 that Of the P5ragusyan5, T!;oo Mao Aau roea aoo
= much greater, as It IS o1Hcislly stated ti5
q over seven hundred OF their dead were bur /
d bv the Braziliaus after the capture Of tb 9
9 doubt.