Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-09-26
BRAZIL AND PARAGUAY.
The Fall of HumaIfa and its
Probable Results.

From tn Pail Mall Gazette, Sept. 9th.l
The following account Of recent events
at the seat of war in Paraguay, and of
the pressnt position of affairs there,
comes from one who usually has good in
formation from Paraguay. OF course 1t
must be read as Paraguaysn account (;
but 1t clears uo several Inconsistencies in
in the story rs 1t has hitherto appeared
from Brazilian sources, and we have on
former occasions found Paragusyan in
formation the more correct:
The true character and object Of the
last Paraguayan canoe attack on the
Brazilian iron-clads have not yet been
made known In Europe. It wBs ma
roeuvre to cover supply Of provisions
for the suffering garrison OF II malta.
Msrshal Lopez called for volunteers to
make this attack and divert attention
from the boats laden with provisions for
Humaita. Five hundred men immedi-
ately volunteered. In the night of July
9th twenty-five canoes, each containing
twenty men, attacked two Brazilian
iron clads, and for six hours the Para
guaysns remained masters of the moni-
tor Rio Grande. The fight lasted eight
hours, and during this time the provis-
Ions were safely landed at Humaita.
The Paragusyans then retired from the
irOu-elads, with loss of about two hun
dred men. On July 18th, q week later,
Marshal Oaxias attacked Humaita with
from twelve to fifteen thousand men,
under the command of Gen. Osorio but
the Brazilians were defeated with loss
vsriousIy stated at from four to five thou
sand. This battle was considered on the
river Platte as destructive to the
allies ss their defeat at Curupaits OfSep-
ten Der, 1866. In the battle of Humaits,
Brazilian troops only were engaged.
Marshal CaXias ordered 3 force OF nine
thousand Argentines, under command
of Martinez de Hos and Gaspar CampOs,
to take small redoubt of two guns in
the ChaeO, an outwork of the Paraguay
an fort limbo. This attack took place
two days after the battle Of Humaita, on
July 18Th. 1t ended in the defeat of the
Argentinee, with loss of nearly two
thousand men, and Martinez de Hos,
the commander, Wss taken prisoner. He
had a reserve of one Thousand Brszilians,
who were not brought into action; they
fled as soon as they saw the main body
in retreat.
From the 18th to the 25th of July the |
allies we're inactive, but Lopez was busy
Withdrawing his men from Humaita. |
This he did unknown to the allies, and |
without the loss OF q single man. All /
the light artillery of Humaita was car
ried away, everything too heavy to be /
removed was destroyed. All the large |
guns of position were spiked, aud those |
Of the water batteries were thrown into /
The river. The stiffness Of Humaita on /
July 25th revealed to the allies that the /
garrison had escaped them, and they
marched ia to find nothing but four
faoD RsaziIiau nFfs0nopa
The evacuation Of Humaita will possi-
bly, lead to peace, as Brazil can now say,
after four years OF war, aud an expendi-
ture of some E40, ,0O0, 900 sterling, that she
has occupied an eInpsy shell which once
was Humsits. BIT II Brazil should still
refuse to entertain the offered mediation
OF the United States, Bolivia and Chile,
Paraguay will go on fighting; and she is
net nearly 80 exhausted as brazil. Par
sgusy does not want money; she re-
4uires to buy nothing, has no allies to
Ind funds for, has no interest on loans to
pay. Brazil Is now obliged to raise
money at exOrbitant rates. She must
raise q new army to attack Lopez on
lis new lines Of fortifcstion on the Te-
OlcuarI, which are said to be formidable
Lopez is, believe, at this moment mas
.er of so 900 men. He has plenty Of am
Suu EtNUh. u6 OpSu cOuulIy !
provides food in abundance, while the
3 az liRLs have great difficulty for their
Even should the allies
ucceed in driving Lopez from the Te-
,icuarl and la takiHg limbo, they will (
Ind themselves surrounded by a desert
or 200 miles, and Lopez waiting them
It Villa Rics, we'll suited for defense in ,
fork of the Tebicuari. General Or {
Iulzzs, who has 20,000 guachos under
rms in Entre Rios, is believed 20 be
esdy to take part against Brazil
Paraguay serving him to cover l
n onslaught directed against the elec- I
ion of SsrmientO as President Of the Ar (
entine Republic. 1
1t has been generally said that the {
srrison Of Humsita retired to the Cha I
0 but 1t is much more likely that ey S
)inel Lopez on the Tebicuarl Che S
tory of the revolution in Assumption [
rae not believed In Buenos Ayres the t
sscribed to Lopez was be- (
eved to be Brazilian forgery. Ber- $
es, Psrsgusysn Minister for Foreign l
Affairs, was not likely to be In a revolu- g
on, and Csrrsras was a sworn enemy i
( Brszil, exilsd from Montevidso. The 9
ews Of the taking Of limbo By the Bra o
ilians is not confirmed, Z