The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-12-31
A STRANGE VICTORY.
How a Handful of Patagonians Conquered
Five Hundred Brazillans.

ZlllaDS were cOuFlHc6u tIld6 III 6Ao
Argentine nation they had determined
foe to their plundering policy, and for
many years they waged war against
Buenos Ayres, putting forth all their
feeble energies IN operations by land
and sea to crush their troublesome
neighbor, until 1928, when they finally
abandoned the contest. During this
war the Imperialists conceived the idea
of capturing the Patagonian settle
ment of Ell Carmen, which was known
to be quite unprotected. Three ships
of war, with large contingent of
soldiers, were sent out to effect this in
significant conquest, and in due time
reached the Rio Negro. One of the
ships came to grief on the bar, which
is very difficult, and there it eventually
became total wreck. The other two
succeeded in getting safely into the river.
The troops to the number of five hum
dred men were disembarked and sent
on to capture the town, which is twenty
miles distant from the sea. The ships
at the same time proceeded up the
river, though it was scarcely thought
that their cooperation would be re-
quired to take so weak place as the
Carmen. Happily for the colonists, the
imperial armada found the navigation
difficult, and one of the ships ran on
| to a sandbank about half way to
the town; the other proceeded alone,
only to arrive when it was all over
with the land force. Tidings of the
| approaching army soon reached the
| Carmen, and all able-bodied men within
call were quickly mustered in the fort.
They numbered only seventy, but the
Patagonians were determined to defend
| themselves. Women and children
were brought into the fort; guns were
loaded and placed in position; then the
commander had happy inspiration,
and all the strong women were made to
| display themselves on the walls in male
attire Dummy soldiers, hastily im-
| provised from blocks of wood, holsters,
and other materials, were also placed
at intervals; so that when the Brazilians
arrived in sight they were surprised TO
see four or five hundred men, as they
thought, on the ramparts before them.
The day had been oppressively hot.
without cloud, and that march OF
about thirty miles over the Waterless
desert had exhausted the men. To the
Joy and amazement of the Patagonians,
their formidable enemy left without
firing shot.
Another happy Inspiration came to
the aid of the commander, and as soon
the Brazilians had disappeared be-
hind the rising ground, his seventy men
were hastily dispatched to collect and
| 1,,s,1 ~, ln h
valley. When the invaders had been
about three or four hours ON theil
spiritless return march, the thunder o.
innumerable hoofs was heard behinC
them, and looking back, they beheld /;
great army, as they imagined in4theil
terror, charging down upon Them
These were their seventy foes spread il
an immense half-moon, in the hollow o
which over a thousand horses wert
being driven along at frantic speed
The Brazilians received their equine
enemy with a discharge of musketry
but though many horses were slain O
wounded, the frantic yells of tn
: drivers still urged them en-, and in
few moments, blind with panic, the,
were trampling down the invaders. Il
the meantime the Patagonians wer
firing into the confused ass of horse
and men; and by q singulars chance
miracle it was held to be at tn
time-the officer commanding tn
imperial troops was shot dead by
stray bullet; then the men threw dow
their arms and surrendered at dis
cretion-fve hundred disciplined so
diers of the empire to seventy-six poo
Patagonians, mostly farmers, trades
men and artisans. The honor of tn
empire was very little to those famish
ing wretches crying out with frothin
mouths for water instead of quarter
Leaving their muskets scattered abou
the plain, they were marched by thei
captors down to the river, which wa
! about four miles off, and reached it g
! point just where the bank slope
! down between the Parrots Cliff on on
| side and the house resided in on th
other. Like a herd of cattle mat
dened with thirst, they rushed into th
water, trampling each other dow
in their haste, so that many weT
smothered, while others, pushed to
far out by the surging mass benin.
were swept from their feet by the swi
current and drowned. When they ha
drunk their fill, they were driven lii
cattle to the Carmen and shut up in Il
t fort. In the evening the ship arrive
before the town, and, going little te
near the shore on the opposite side, rs
aground. The men in her were quick
: apprised of the disaster which hi
e overtaken the land force; meanwhi
: the resolute Patagonians, conceal'
among the trees on the shore, began
. pepper the deck with musket-balls; Il
' Brazilians, in terror for their live
! leaped into the water and swan
7 land; and when darkness fell, the colo
q lists had crowned their brave day
e work by the capture of fhe imperi
g war vessel Itaparica. No doubt it W
{ soon pulled to pieces, good buildil
material being rather expensive on {
T Rio Negro; 8 portion Of the wrec
: however, still lies in the river, Al
: often, when the tide was low and tho
I old brown timbers came up above t
surface, ike the gaunt fossil ribs
some gigantic plioeene monster, ha
: got out of my boat and stood up
Q them experiencing a feeling Of gre
l. rat;sfe a4s1,, psfhJfc fs1sza5a47