The record-union., 1897-08-08

RIO DE JANEIRO. July THE Gov
giving the first full details of the great
| battle fought on June Both, in Cocho
Robo, near Canudos, between the gov
eminent troops under General Savigat
and the fanatics under Conselheiro.
The Brazilian Government has organ
lied an expedition to punish the relig-
ious fanatics who, in March, massa-
cred Colonel Moroire Cesar and his
troops, who had been sent to re-estab-
| lsh order in the districts disturbed
by the emissaries of Antonio Consel-
heiro. About six thousand men under
General Arthur Oscar had been sent
from the south to Canudos, and General
Savigal, with about five thousand
men, had gone to meet him, with a
view of joint attack upon the position
of the fanatics at Canudos
General Savigal was advancing for
the East, and the fanatics, thaving got
wind of the movement, sent a strong
body to prevent the two commanders
from effecting conjunction, and il
was only after a fierce battle that the
Government forces drove the enemy
back. The official report of the COM
bat is as follows:
Coco Robo is a dry and barren field
about 1000 feet long and 1,500 feet
wide, the limits of which are two high
rocks, between them lying the only
road to Canudos, where the fanatics
concentrated their force On the top of
these rocks the revolutionists had
erected walls from behind which they
could easily inspect the road.
General Savigaa, who had received or
ders to reach Canudos through Coco
Robo, and who we'll knew the dangers
of the passage, sent scouts forward to
examine the pass, and as nothing sus
picious was observed, ordered squad
ron of lancers under Lieutenant Pa
checo to go forward. They had no
soonsr-Feached the pass than they
found themselves under a cross fire
from behind the rocks. There was
nothing to be done but to fall back,
and Lieutenant Pacheco hoped to be
able to do this with but little loss.
In the place of this check, General
Savigal gave the general order to ad-
vance. The advance guard, composed
that day of the brigade of Colonel Mar
tins, forming a shooting line, and sup
ported by the Thirty fifth Battalion un-
der Major Sampale, and the Thirty
fourth, under Colonel Merry, went for
ward very slowly, owing to the we'll
directed rebel fire from the nights.
Colonel Martins asked for cannon,
but the gun was of no service, as it
was impossible to aim it high enough
to reach the elevated position of the
fanatics. A column of the Twelfth
Battalion under Secupecia endeavored
to take one of the rocks by storm but
was driven back with heavy losses.
Then the shooting line, which has al
ready been much reduced advanced
again reinforced by the Thirty fifth
Battalion.
The combat which began at IL
O'Clock in the morning, had been in
progress for two hours. with no ap-
preciable advantage for the Brazilian
troops.
At l o'clock in the afternoon the ar
tillery arrived, and the brigade of
Colonel Pantaji was ordered to defend
the rear guard with the wagons and
wounded At half past one General
Savigal and his staff traversed the glade
at the head of the several battalions,
beneath a terrible fire from the sum-
nit of the rocks The fields and the
pass were filled with dead and wound
ed, but the commander pushed for
ward. From this moment the firing
constantly increased, and the peril of
the passage became more and more
deadly.
General Savigal, turning to Colonel
Carlos Telles. whose brigade held the
center, said, 1--WE must make a bayo-
net attack; otherwise we can never get
out Of this pass
Colonel Telles gave the word of COM
mand with the Twelfth Battalion in
front, and the order was splendidly ex-
ecuted. and the Federal troops occlI-
pied the pass and captured all the rebel
positions. It was not accomplished,
however. without enormous losses the
Federals losing fifteen officers and more
than 500 soldiers killed and more than
600 wounded.
After camping all night near the bat
tlefield, the Government troops contin-
ued the advance to Canudos. where they
effected a union with General Arthur
Ocoo,. nd IiS G. ONO y,oo,