Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-07-03
Eoreiam.
Lieut.. Col. Margaret Ferreira I'm Conn
mand-Brig. Gen. Eliza Lynch's
From the Buenos Ayres Standard

Lieut.. Col. Margaret Ferreira IN Conn
mand-Brig. Gen. Eliza Lynch's
Camp;
From the Buenos Ayres Standard
Lieut. Col Margaret Ferreira and Capt.
| Anita Gill are the female officers in com
mand at the pass of the river Tebicuari,
where a very respectable force of girls and
women is held under arms to dispute the
passage of the river by the allies. This is
the tenor OF the advices that last came
down from Paraguay, and every well in
formed person in military matters, knows
that they are correct.
Brigadier General Eliza Lynch, with the
main body OF the female army, is encamp-
ed midway between the pass of the river
and small inland town. On the road to
Villa Rica, the right wing of her army, un-
der the command of the mother of Capt.
Herrero, has deployed slightly TO the left,
so as to hang on the invaders should
they effect crossing of the
river, and cut up Mrs. Colonel Margaret
Ferreira and her heroic girls. Relays of
girls and women keep constantly arriving
at the headquarters of the feminine Com
mander-in-Chief From what we gather
from letters and statements, it would seem
that the male portion of the Paraguayan
army is very reduced, and are occupied in
defending the fortress of Humaita, the po-
sitions near limbo, the encampment at
Villa Rica, and the fertilization at Lam
bare. The guerrilla portion of the campaign
or what is termed here the "guerra de
recursos"-i entrusted to the women of
Paraguay and reliable data have been re-
ceived that the troops to the north, near
the Tranquera Loreto are exclusively com
posed of women.
AS to the exact number of women under
arms i'll Paraguay it is impossible TO say,
owing TO the varied and conflicting state
meIits but for years past a great portion
of the heavy work attending on camp life
has been performed by the unfortunate
daughters of that once lovely country
Even in the trenches around Humaita the
weak arm of woman has shoyelled out the
earth to make grave for the allied inyad-
ers female chasques have gone from point
to point over the country with dispatches
the steamers and vessels in the port of AS
uncion have been alternately discharged
and laden by the trembling hands of the
women in the capital Everything OF worth
and value that these poor woman possessed
has been snatched from them to assist in
the defense of their country They have
toiled in the field for the last three years
they have sewed raised and harvested the
diers from the fibers of plants they have
maintained the hospitals, cared for the
wounded and sick they have supplied the
army-and now, with Satanic power, they
are dragged TO the front, and PLACED in the
breach to fight the whole Allied army
We, for our part, demand of the foreign
Ministers to send commissioners up to
Paraguay to Investigate the real condition
Of affairs and report thereon. Ii, as the
news goes, the Allies, in attempting to
cross the Tebicuari have TO fight the girls,
then the honor of Europe Is at stake III at
once stopping this horrible war. The AL
lies themselves must see the utter impossl-
bility of carrying on hostilities upon such
terms; surprising that II were possible the
Allied army could afford a regiment or
division SO mercenaTy and SO base as to
fight against the poor Paraguayan women,
and if IN the battle the Allies were so unfoT-
tunate to win the day, not all the
wealth OF Motto Crosse, not all the trophies
of Paraguay, would reeompense for the tar
nished honor of such an ill-starred victory.
If the war is TO be carried on under such
circumstances, If the Allies must fight the
women of Paraguay 10 carry ont the tenets
OF the triple alliance, then at least let IT be
on equal terms; let woman be ranked against
woman, and man against man. South
America is a strange land, where such
eventuahties come to pass, and when the
women have fought 1t out on their line, and
the men also fought it out on theirs, then
let us take To the children, send for Gen.
Tom Thumb and his wife, and thus bring
to q felicitous conclusion this celebrated
and never-to-be forgotten triple alliance