Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-05-19
\ THE FINALE OF LOPEZ.
Closing scenes Of the Paraguayan
War. sw
Cor. of the New York Herald.l

War; an
Cor. of the New York Herald.l
RIO JANEIRo, April 7, 1870
On the 3lst of March, in my CORE
spondence forwarded by the Patagonia
| furnished translation of the only off
cial dispatches received up to the time
relative to the closing scenes of the Para
guayan war. To-day, however, am en-
abled to send the official report of the
Brigadier General who executed the ope.
rations which resulted in the surprise
and death of Lopez, and with this report
the Paraguayan war passes from the
province of your correspondent to the
domain of the historian
When Lopez left his camp near Pana-
dero, apparently forced thence by the
exhaustion of the wild oranges and palm
trees upon which his followers mainly
subsisted, he abandoned all his sick and
the majority of the women, and hid away
the heavy cannon he had at river ford
few miles off. And, in regard to hid
den cannon, some twenty or thirty are
believed to have been buried at Ascurra
and many others at various places, but
the allies have never been able to dis
cover any of them, so well the secret has
been kept.
On leaving Panadero Lopez continued
his march northward along the east side
of the mountains of Maracaju, as the
Brazilians call them, or Amambahy, as
they are known to the Paraguayans. He
appears to have had about 800 persons
with him. twenty small cannon and
twenty or thirty carts, conveying money,
some food for Lopez and his train, some
arms and little ammunition His
draught oxen were few, and they were
obliged to be sent backward and forward
to bring up the carts and cannon. Lo'
pez and his immediate suite had their
store of Injuries, but lived chiefly on the
milk of some sixteen cows belonging to
Mrs. Lynch, and the remainder of his
followers had to find their food in the
woods, supplemented by little beet
whenever steer broke down and could
not work. All who could not keep up
were left to their doom of starvation
to death, and toward the last all
who could not travel and hunt for
food in the woods were put to death
without exception.
Soon after Lopez started from Pana-
dero to march northward the news
reached General Camara then at the
Paraguay, at Conception, remounting
his cavalry and refitting. This general
at once conceived the idea that Lopez S
aim was to reach the abandoned Brazil
ian village and fort of Dourados, in
Matto Crosse, where some cattle could
be got. Dourados lay about 100 miles to
the north of Panadero and about 250
from Conception General Camara, with
some 1900 cavalry, infantry and artil-
lery, determined to set out with forced
marches along the diagonal to Dourados,
while similar force, to set out later,
was to strike the bush road, which Lopez
was moving along, and to keep close be-
hind him, harassing his rear, but avoid
ing an engagement, so that when Lopez
would reach Dourados both the Brazilian
corps would be close to him and could
strike decisive blow with superior num-
bers.
Accordingly General Camara marched
northward to the Paraguyan fort of Bella
Vista on the frontier, occupied by Bra
lillian brigade, placed there to guard the
Apa country, which he purposed to unite
with his, and take on to Dourados. How
ever, when not far from Bella Vista, he
got word from the commander there that
Lopez had not continued on the road to
Dourados, but had left it and turned to
the west to occupy an excellent camping
ground in the middle of the mountains,
on the south side of the Aquidaban, just
within Paraguayan territory. Only two
roads from it existed, one running west
and north to Dourados, which for n long
distance was cut through the bush, i'm
penetrable, like all South American bush.
After fifty or sixty miles the bush road
divided one fork going to Dourados and
the other to Panadero The other outlet
led in the opposite direction. Camara
then changed his plans He ordered the
brigade at Bella Vista TO march with all
speed to Dourados, get into the track
there and hurry down to occupy the fork
of the road and shut the outlet at that
side, while he himself marched with
forced marches to shut up the outlet at
the other side, TO the northwest Of the
Aquidaban, north, of which river Camara
then was. On this march Camara learned
from desertef that his march from Con
cepcion was totally unknown to Lopez,
and that he believed himself free from
attack for some time. Camara then de-
termined to push ON with small body, I
in the hope Of surprising Lopez before he
anticipated any danger. Three days I
march brought him to the mouth Of the
outlet, and Lopez was shut up at that
side. In front Of Lopez was the Aquid- 4
aban, and about three miles before It was
the Taquara. At the first river four
cannon we're planted to defend the cross T
ing at the ford leading TO the camp; at Z
the Taauara ford we're two cannon and
about twelve men as an outpost. Some
Brazilian cavalry succeeded in crossing
the Taquara during the light and at day
break charged on the outpost, securing
the cannon before they could be fired.
An ambush placed in the bush road be-
tween Lopez's camp and the captured
outpost secured an officer who gave vain-
able information. One OF two men OF
the marty escaped the ambush and hur-