THE ENEMY APPEAR UNDER GENERAL BROWN—WE FIGHT —LABORS
AND FATIGUE BY NIGHT—DESERTION—PREPARATIONS TO RENEW THE
BATTLE—ANOTHER FIGHT—VESSELS BURNED —LANDING IN SMALL
BOATS—LAND TRAVEL—TREATMENT BY THE INHABITANTS—TRAVERSE
THE PROVINCE OF CORRIENTES —REACH SAN FRANCISCO—NOTICE
OF THE BATTLE OF ARROYO GRANDE, DEC. 6, 1842—SENT BY
GEN. AGUYAR TO VESSILLES WITH THE VESSELS—STRANGE
PRESENTIMENT—CATCHING HORSE —BAD NEWS.
This arrangement cost much labor, in consequence of the current, which,
although small, in that open place, required the use of all the chains
and cables to anchor the vessels, especially the Constitucion, the
heaviest of all. These labors were not terminated when the enemy made
their appearance with seven vessels, a superior force, and in a
situation where they could receive reinforcements and supplies of every
kind. The Republican flotilla, on the contrary, was far from Corrientes,
the only part of the country from which they could obtain assistance,
and where it was almost certain no aid would be received, as the result
proved to be too true. It was thought necessary, however, to fight, at
least for the honor of arms; and an engagement ensued.
The enemy, under the command of General Brown, who enjoyed the highest
reputation as a maritime officer in South America, and justly, too,
proceeded in all the confidence of their power. They had a favorable
wind though a light one, keeping along the left bank, the right being
impracticable. As I had command of the left bank, on which rested the
left flank of his line, I landed part of my soldiers and sailors, to
dispute the enemy's advance, inch by inch. The Republicans fought
bravely, and greatly retarded the enemy's advance; but the superior
force of the latter prevailed, and the former were driven under the
protection of their vessels. Major Pedro Rodriguez, who commanded our
force on land, fought that day with all imaginable skill and valor. He
placed the outposts towards evening; and thus they remained through the
whole night, both parties preparing for battle on the following day.
The sun had not risen on the 16th of June, when the enemy began a
cannonade, with all the force which they had been laboring to bring to
the front in the night. The battle was then commenced; and it continued
without interruption till nightfall, being sustained on both sides with
great resolution. The first victim on board the Constitucion was again
an Italian officer, of great bravery and of the highest promise,
Guiseppe Barzone; and I regretted that I could not take charge of his
remains, in consequence of the fury of the contest. Much damage was done
on both sides. The Republican vessels were riddled and shattered. The
corvette, in consequence of not having her shot-holes accurately
stopped, leaked so much that she could not be kept afloat without great
difficulty, the pumps being at work without cessation. The commandant of
the Terceira had been killed in a most daring enterprise by land against
the enemy's vessels. In him I lost my best and bravest companion. The
killed were numerous, and still more the wounded. The remaining time I
was constantly occupied on account of the sinking condition of the
vessels. However, there were still powder and shot on board, and we must
fight—not for victory, not to save ourselves, but for honor. Some men
laugh at the honors of a soldier; but Italians have given strong proof
of the existence and power of such a principle in their breasts,
particularly in other places and at a later period than that to which we
are now attending, especially when Rome was surrounded by the armies of
four nations, in 1849, and long defended herself. Those who scoff at the
idea of honor in an honest soldier who fights for his friends and
country, can too often show base respect for men who abuse and
assassinate their fellow-beings, or who claim to be the supporters of
their political or religious opinions, though they may be monsters in
cruelty or infamous in vice, especially if surrounded with the power of
the great or the splendor of courts.
We fought for honor, although six hundred miles distant from Montevideo,
with enemies from all quarters, after a series of battles, privations
and misfortunes, and almost sure of losing everything. In the meantime
Vidal, the minister of war of the Republic, squandered doubloons to
support his splendid banquets, in the first capitals of Europe. Such is
the honor of the world! It is thus that the lives of generous Italians
are despised and sacrificed, and they are buried in a land of exile, in
the continent of their countryman, Columbus, or in other regions of the
earth. Such was Castelli, who was beheaded at Buenos Ayres; Borso di
Carminati, shot in Spain;—and this, although they were superior men, and
had rendered great services to ungrateful foreigners.
Their sympathy those foreigners have shown for thee, O Italy! when thy
aged and venerable head was raised for a moment in Rome, from the
lethargy of opprobrium in which thy oppressors had conspired to hold
thee, thou Mother, Instructress and Mistress of Nations! When thou once
more shalt rouse thyself, they will tremble at the defeat of their
united powers, combined in the league of Hell, to oppress and degrade
thee. Be great, then, once more, O Italy! and then the powerful voice of
the Almighty will be heard by all thy sons; and the hungry and cowardly
vultures which destroy thee, will be stunned by its thundering sound.
On the night of the 16th all my men were occupied in preparing
cartridges, which were almost entirely exhausted, and in cutting up
chains to supply the want of balls, and in the incessant pumping of the
leaky vessels. Manuel Rodriguez, the same Catalonian officer who had
been saved with me from shipwreck on the coast of Santa Caterina, was
occupied, with a few of the best, in fitting up several merchant vessels
as fireships, with the greatest possible quantity of combustibles, and
directing them towards the enemy. That expedient incommoded them during
the night, but did not produce the effect desired; the chief defect of
the Republicans being the extreme scarcity of men. Between the various
mishaps of that dreadful night, that which most afflicted me was the
defection of the little squadron of Corrientes. Villegas, the
commandant, like many others whom I have seen bold in a calm, became so
much terrified by approaching danger, that it was impossible to make him
useful in any way to the allied vessels, although they were manned with
good sailors, and fitted for any kind of service on the river, by their
swiftness. Seeing Villegas not quite self-possessed, I ordered him to
take his place behind the line of battle, where I had placed the
hospital—a small vessel destined to that use. Towards evening he sent me
word that he had changed his position to a short distance, for what
motive I could not imagine. Needing his coöperation in the work of the
fireships, I sent for Villegas in the night, and received the alarming
news that he was nowhere to be found. Not being willing to think him
capable of so much treachery, I went myself in a light palischermo, to
satisfy myself of the truth. Not finding him, I proceeded several miles
towards Corrientes, but in vain; and I returned, in bitterness of soul.
My fears were unhappily too well founded, for most of the little vessels
were destroyed in the service before the engagement began. I had counted
on the Correntine vessels to receive the wounded and to contain the
provisions necessary for all, as we were still far distant from the
inhabited frontier of Corrientes. My last hope was now lost, by a
cowardly retreat, which is the greatest of crimes when committed in the
moment of danger.
I returned on board my vessel a short time before daybreak. A fight was
inevitable, but I saw nothing around me but men lying down overcome with
fatigue, and heard no sound except the lamentations of the unfortunate
wounded, who had not yet been transported to the hospital. Being now
unable to wait any longer, I gave the signal and ordered the men to
their stations. I gave the orders and spoke a few words of comfort and
encouragement, which were not in vain, as I found my companions,
although spent with fatigue, with spirit remaining which could yet be
excited. They replied with a general cry for battle, and every man was
immediately at his post. The engagement was recommenced when it was
hardly light; but, if the advantage appeared to be on our side in the
previous affair, we now decidedly had the worst. The new cartridges had
been made of bad powder; we had used all the balls of proper size for
the calibre of the guns, and those we now had were smaller, and,
therefore, in going out, did much injury to the pieces, which had before
done such service against the enemy. The latter observed the weakness of
our fire, and being then informed of our condition by some deserters,
showed great joy, while their vessels, which were unable the day
preceding to form a line, now effected it in security. Thus the
condition and prospects of the Republicans were growing worse and worse,
while those of their enemies every moment improved. At length a retreat
became necessary, not with the vessels, for it was impossible to move
them from their positions, in consequence of their broken condition, the
want of water, and the miserable state of the crews. Nothing could be
hoped for but the saving of their lives. I therefore gave orders for
landing, in a few small boats which remained, the wounded, the arms, the
little ammunition left, and all the provisions which they were able to
take. In the meantime the fight continued; although on our part but very
feebly, but with redoubled vigor by the victorious enemy.
The matches were then prepared, and the firemen stood ready to burn the
vessels. All was ready; and, with the few men remaining with me, I got
into the boats. The enemy, on discovering our preparations for
debarking, naturally inferred our design of retreating, and put all
their infantry on the march, to attack us. I was not disposed to meet
them, with such inequality of numbers and arms, and in the condition of
the enemy's infantry. Besides, an open river was to be crossed. But the
burning of the vessels, by the Santa Barbara operation, blowing-up, was
performed in a terrible manner, and gave the enemy clear notice of our
movements.
The scene presented by the burning flotilla was very striking. The river
lay as clear as crystal; and the burning cinders fell on both its banks,
while a terrible noise of explosions was continually heard.
Towards evening, in our little boats, we approached the River Espinillo,
and encamped on its right bank. During the voyage to Esquina, the first
town in Corrientes, we spent three days, proceeding very painfully among
islands and ponds, and reduced to one ration a day, consisting of a
single biscuit, without anything else to eat. On reaching Esquina, our
condition was considerably improved; the wounded were placed under
shelter; and the men had meat in abundance. The inhabitants, who were
good Republicans, showed us the greatest hospitality.
We spent some months in the Province of Corrientes, without the
occurrence of anything important. At length the Governor formed a plan
to arm a flotilla of small vessels; but succeeded in nothing but losing
time. I then received orders from Montevideo to march to the scene of
revolution in San Francisco, in Uruguay, and place myself and my forces
at the disposition of General Rivera, who was stationed with an army in
that neighborhood.
I then traversed the entire territory of Corrientes, from Santa Lucia to
the Pass of Higos, on the Uruguay. Going through the Pass, we arrived at
San Francisco, partly by the river and partly by land. At the Falls I
had the pleasure of meeting Anzani, then transformed into a merchant.
Having reached San Francisco, I there found several vessels of war, of
which I took the command. General Rivera had gone into Entre Rios, with
the army, where the army of Corrientes was to meet him, and go to attack
that of Ouribes. On the 6th of December, 1842, occurred, at Arroyo
Grande, the celebrated battle in which the nation fought for their
sacred rights; but the power of a tyrant triumphed. Different
circumstances led to this result, which would require much time to give
in detail: but the chief cause was the discord fomented by the ambition
of a few, which plunged all into disaster, and exposed them to
extermination by an implacable conqueror. Oh, virtuous and generous
people! The same fortune befel Italy at a later day, which was suffered
by the provinces of La Plata, and brought about by the same cause, which
was sent by Heaven in wrath.
At San Francisco, where I found General Aguiar staying on account of his
health, I remained only a short time, when I received orders from him to
collect all the disposable forces, and a few hundred militia, called
Aguerridos, commanded by Colonel Guerra, and march to the Pass of
Vessilles, to coöperate actively with the enemy. I reached that place
with the vessels, and there found the remains of the army's residence,
but not a single person. I sent scouts, to search the surrounding
country; but discovered nothing! That day was the fatal sixth of
December; and every man had been called to the field of battle, which
was decided at the distance of eighteen miles from the spot, on the bank
of the Arroyo Grande. There sometimes seems to be something in the
depths of our minds superior to understanding; at least so it seemed to
me on that occasion. Without pretending to explain it, I thought I felt
its effects; which, although in a confused manner, seemed something like
looking into the future.
On that day I felt a solemn impression on my heart, mingled with
bitterness, like the feelings of warriors left languishing on a field of
battle, and trampled on by the insolent soldier, by the hoof of the
war-horse of the cruel, the implacable conqueror. Very few were saved
from that terrible battle; and the whole band, with me, experienced
feelings difficult to describe, indeed, quite unspeakable. Sadness was
mingled with a prevailing presentiment of disaster. Not being able to
find any living being who could give information of the army, and having
no orders from General Aguiar, I resolved to land all the troops,
leaving only a small number in the boats, and to march in search of the
army. It should be remarked, that I always pursued my favorite system of
the Rio Grande, and never marched without a contingent of cavalry, taken
from my amphibious companions in misfortune, men who had been thrown out
of the cavalry of the army, for some fault or perhaps some crime, but
who fought well, and whom I severely punished when they deserved it.
Although no human beings were to be found in that region, we caught a
number of horses which had been abandoned, and obtained a sufficient
supply for the service. The abundance of horses in those countries
greatly facilitates such an operation. All things were soon ready; and I
was on the point of giving the order for marching, when, well for me, an
order was received from General Aguiar, recalling me to San Francisco.
But for this, I and my troops would doubtless have fallen victims: for
the army was so completely broken up on that day, that it would have
been impossible to find anything but the mere wreck of it, while we must
have met the victorious enemy, from whom escape would have been very
difficult, if not impossible.
The troops, therefore, reëmbarked, without the object being known even
to their commander, and without obtaining any news whatever of the
events of the day. On reaching San Francisco, I received a note from
Colonel Esteves, beginning with the following terrible words:
"_Our army has suffered a reverse!_"
General Aguiar had marched along the left bank of the Uruguay, to
collect the fugitives, and requested me to stay in San Francisco, to
guard the great quantity of materials of every kind remaining there.
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