The New York herald., 1869-10-11

THE PARAcUAYAN WAR.


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The Close or the Campaign-Tactics Of the
Brazilian COmmandcr-L0pez's Strategy
The Capture Of Peribebuy-D Destruction of
she Parasuayan Fieet-Devction of Lopez's
Followers. ..
Rio JAyEIRo Sept II, 1869.
BY the CIty OF Brussels, via London, advised you
oi the arrival OF telegram announcing the capture
VI Pcribebuy, Lopez's mountain capital. Since then
several ,elegrams have arrived relating other
successes, and 1t would appear tnat Lopez after
succeeding in abandoning Ascurra unopposed, COM
menccd q rapid retreat northward with 5000 men
and sixty cannon hotly pursued by the Come d'Eu
and his allies Lopez's forces were beaten IN several
engagements. and at the last date tthe 2lst OF
August from the pursuing corps he was beyond the
Manduvra with not more than 1000 men and ten
guns and the pursuit was going on; but he was sup
posed have secured ten days start owing to the
various fights having delayed the pursuit.
No dispatches have yeI reached the government In
regard to operations, and all that IS yet known Is
gathered from the kilograms and two or three let
ters written IN haste by actors IN the warfare. BY
cOlating the scanty Information received the fol-
lowing ~ more or less summary OF what ia sup
posed by majority 10 be the closing phase Of the
Paraguayan war;
The plan Of the Comte d'Eu was this:-Abandon-
Ing the idea of assautIng Ascurra IN frout he
that post simultaneously, and then, secur-
ing Lopez's line Of retreat, connne him
IN Ascurra ana attack him by the rear.
For this plan OF operations the allied armies
were divided into two bodies. The Comte d'Eu,
with 10000 Brazilians 1000 Argentnes and 800 Orr
entails and Paraguayans, was 10 force the mountain
gap OF valenzuela, about twenty miles to the allied
right and take Pcribebuy ana Caacupe, Lopezs
capital ana arsenal. General Mre with 5000 Argen-
tines, and General Auto with 5000 Brazilians,
formed the corps which was to move to the left,
force The hill road to Altos and occupy the village Of
Barreiro Grinde, through which Lopez would pass
II he abandoned Ascurra and Caacup6 after Perl
bebuy was taken. The above was the plan, and the
Comie d'Eu wrote to the Emperor that II Lopez
remained in Ascurra he would bag hun and his
whole army together.
IN the night Of the 31st OF July the Come Il Eu
on his First army corps, under General Osorio, to
take position to the right, ready for action all
the dispositions being matured On the "a OF
August he set out himself with the Second army
corps, and ON the 4th the First corps came to
Paraguayan work thrown up to defend the road
leading to the mountain road TO va!enzuela, vii
lage on the top. The entrenchment was thrown up
about mile down the road, where 1t ran for six
miles through dense wood, and IL was armed
with TWO brass four-pounders and defended by
about 600 men. AS an assault was ikely
to cause severe loss, the Connie dEu established
his batteries IN front and merely bombarded the
work, while large force of infantry was set to
work 10 cut roads 10 the rear. This had the desired
effect and as soon as the Paraguayans found that
the Brazilians were approaching their rear they
abandoned Their cannon and fed, and thus the pas
sage was secured with loss Of eight ten
wounded.
Having thus far succeeded, the Comte d,Eu hur
fed on the FIRST corps to secure the acent OF Naen
zuela, and on the 4th the Brazilian advance dis
lodged The Paragnayans from works they were
hastily throwing up for the defence OF the road
Valenzuea, which village was occupied next day
without resistance 1t not being fortified OF defended
some Brazilian prisoners were found in the village
besides few Of Other countries. sulphur factory
was III the neghborhoo0 and ii was destroyed by a
party detached for the purpose.
The Comte d'Eu'5 troops continued by forced
marches to proceed to feribepuy, and the van was
constantly akirmlshng with the raraguayans who
ilarassea them 1T every opportunity. However, on
the 10th OF August the Brazans arrived i'll front OF
Peribebuy ON II being reconnotered 1t was found
10 be fortified with earlhworks anu q wide ditch
and TO be mounted with twelve pieces OF cannon
some OF them s2-pounders and to have garrison
Oi 900 TO 1000 men.
the same day cavalry force was sent to try TO
occupy Barreiro Grande where Lopel's mother and
sister were reported to be, but the Paraguay ans
developed such strength in that direction that 10
became necessary Tor the Comte d'Eu that
tnianiry TO rescue the cnyarv wncI wers T., IN
danger OF being cut OIL This delayed the assault
Of peIibebuy from tho nth 70 the l2th
During tue night OF the 10th the Brazilian bate
ries were planted, aud the troops sent or ON the
10th having returned next day, preparations
intended for the storinnS were Drawn UP in four
columns, one OF which was to make ieint the
strongest side, While The others rushed at three
points. At daybreak the allied batteries began a
heavy b0mDardment and about two hours alter
wards the order to storm was gwen. The assal.
ants were received with terrible showers of grape
but, stimulated by their generals ana by the pre-
ana in har an hour had gained the parapet
IN three places The Paraguayans were IN
manner caught inside; but tney defended them
selves with desperation, with even botiles stones
ann st!cKs All the cannon were captured, and the
telegram, reports the Paraguayan loss at 300 Killed
and 500 wOu tded or prisoners, but it would
that In the number Of 600 prisoners included all
the boys, Old men and women found inside The
allied loss Is given at about 41O Killed and wounded
The Paraglayans were miseiabiy armed, With old
guns, lances, &C., showing that Lopez was very del-
clent In small arms Many allied prisoners We're re-
leased.
On the 18th the Comte d'Eu marched ont OF Peri
beDuy towards Caacup6, al tue same time detachlnu
forces TO prevent Lopez escaping the east or south
But although Caacupe was only days march DIS
taDt, the roads were IN such state that
IT was necessary TO repair them to get the cannon
supplies on, ana IL was not until the 18th tnat
inle arsenal was reached. II was then learned
that Lopez haa ior two days before been marching
through, having entirely evacuated Ascurra, aud
the allied corps under Mitre ana Auto having failed
10 effect the combined movement in time stop his
retreat IN fact, 1t was not until the 10Th that they
forced the Altos ascent and they did not reach Bar
riero Grande until the l5tn, owing to yet
cOu nted for decay; consequently tney three or
four days too late Tor executing the object upon
whieh the Comte d'Eu bad counted, thus leaving
time for Lopez TO get OIL The machinery Caacupe
was found smashed. number OF English subjects
were released, or came In from the woods most OF
whom haa been employed In the Arsenal. These
SAID that fifty small cannon had been cast, and that
when Lopezs troops passed through they had sixty
pieces with them, and that they numbered 5000 to
10000 men. great number OF distressed and SICK
Paraguayaiis were at Caacupe, anu the English were
also IN state OF great misery.
AT uaybieak on the 10Th OF August the Comte
d'Eus troops were again in motion in rapid pursuit
OF the Paraguayan army. The TWO corps OF the Bra
zlians took different roads, and at about eight in
the morning the vanguard OF the Second army corps
struck Paraguayan force and commenced sKr-
misnng, but was called OF by the events occurring
TO Lhe other army corps. About eight A. NJ. the
leading troops OF this First corps found the main
forces OF the Paraguayans drawn up IN line OF bat
tie al the ford. where the road crossed small but
deep river called the Juquery. A large prairie ex-
listed along the river at that point aud road lead
ING into II passed through q dense wood Tor some
miles. CaDalero, tue Paraguayan commander,
had drawn up his forces IN the prairie,