The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-08
WAS A GREAT BATTLE.
TRUE DETAILS OF THE FIGHT
IN CoRoRoBO.
Brazilian Soldiers Make a Brilliant
Attempt to Punish the Fanatics
Some Clever Work Done.

Rio Janiero, Brazil, July 26.-The gov
eminent has just received dispatches Civ
| ing the first full details of the great bat
tie fought on June 80 in Cocorobo. near
Canudos, between the government troops
under General Savigat, and the fanatics
under Consulhiro. 1ne Brazilian govern
ment had organized an expedition 10 pun
iSh the religious fanatics who in March
massacred Colonel Moroce Cesar and his
troops, who had been sent 20 re-esta blish
order in the districts disturbed by the
em;ssa res of AE'.onio Consulhiro;
About 6,000 men under General Arthur
Oscar had been sent from the south TO
Canados and about 1000 additional troops
had been sent with a view to joint at
tack. General Savigal was advancing
from the east and Inc fanatics, having
got wind of the movement, sent a strong
body TO prevent the Two commands from
effectinS conjunction, and II was only
afcer a fierce battle that the government
forces drove the enemy back. The official
report of the combat is as follows:
"Cocorobo is a dry and barren field
about .009 feet long and LOO feet wide,
the limits of which are two high rocks
between them, lying the only road TO Ca
nGdos, where the fanatics concentrated
their forces. On the top of these rocks
the revclurionists had erected walls. from
behind which they could easily inspect the
road.
General Savagit, who had received or
ders to reach CanudoS through COcOrobo,
and who well knew The dangers of the
passage, sent SCOUTS forward 10 examine
the pass, and as nothing suspicious was
observed, ordered a squadron of lancerS
under Lieutenant Pacheco TO go forward
They had no sooner reached the pass than
they found themselves under a cross fire
from behind tlle rocks. There was MOTH
ing TO be done but 10 fall back, and Lieu
tenant P2checo hoped 20 be able to do
this with but little loss. In the face of
this check, General Savagit gave the or
der 10 advance. The advance guard,
2 Ia a q n
onel Martins, forming a shooting line, and
supported by the Thirty-fiftn battalion
under under Major Sampale and the Thir-
Fy-fourth battalion under Colonel Merry,
went forward, but very slowly, owing 10
me well directed rebel fire from the
heights.
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.
column of the Twelfth battalion. under
SucuDera, endeavored to take one of the
rocks by storm, but was driven back with
heavy losses. Then the shooting line,
which had been much reduced, advanced
again, reinforced by the Thirty-fifth bat
talon. The combat which began at II
O'Clock in the morning, had been in
progress for two hours with no apprecia-
bic advantage for the Brazilian troops.
'At ]. o'clock in the afternoon the ar
ullery arrived and the brigade of Colonel
Pantajl was ordered 10 defend the rear
guard with the wagons. At ! 80 General
Savagit and his staff traversed the glade
at the head of several battalons be-
meath a terrible fire from the summit of
the rocks.
The fields and the pass were filed with
dead and wounded, but the commander
pushed forward. From this moment the
r-ing constartly increased and the peril
of the passage became more and more
deadly.
.General Savagit, turning to Colonel
Carlos Telles. whose brigade held the
center, said: We must make a bayonet
rarwise we can never get out
of this pass
3D.. seiles gave the word of COM
mand with the Twelfth battalion in front
and the order was splendid L executed,
and tne federal troops occupied the pass
and captured all the rebel positions. 1t
was not accomplished. however, without
enormous losses. the federais losing 10
officers and more than 800 soldiers killed
and more than eco wounded.
Soon after the beginning of the bat
tie Colonel Telles had his horse shot from
under him. and a few minutes later
Sayagit was wounded. Turning to his
re said: I am proud to have
the opportunity to shed my blood for my
After camping all night, the govern
ment troops continued the advance TO
GanudOs, where they effected union with
General Arthur Oscar and his 6.GO0 men,