A history of the Brazil : $b comprising its geography, commerce, colonization, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. &c.Henderson, James
History
A history of the Brazil : $b comprising its geography, commerce, colonization, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. &c.
Henderson, James
Brazil; Brazil -- History -- To 1822
The certainty of war between his Catholic Majesty and Portugal,
being received at Rio Grande St. Pedro, in June, 1801, the governor
immediately ordered a proclamation to be issued to the corps de guard,
to regard the Spanish nation as enemies; and, in the expectation of an
order coming from the capital to make a formal declaration, he pardoned
all deserters who were willing to take up arms. An official letter now
arriving from his excellency the Viceroy, the campaign commenced by
the marching of troops in two bodies to the frontier of Rio Pardo and
Rio Grande. By the narrow land between the lake Mirim and the ocean, S.
Soares and J. Antunes marched with one hundred and fifty men against
the camp of Chuy, which was surprised, sacked, and abandoned, without
any loss on the part of the assailants. This corps passed to the other
side of Rio de St. Gonçalo, and halted at Herval, in front of some
advanced posts established on the north of the Jaguaron, which the
Spaniards abandoning, the Portuguese demolished. The same misfortune
befel all the other Spanish detachments, as far as the vicinity of
the Jacuhy, without excepting fort St. Teela. On the Spanish guards
retiring towards the post of Cerro-largo, twelve leagues to the
south of the Jaguaron, on the Batuvi, they had a re-encounter with a
party of Portuguese, who put them to flight, took six waggons with
ammunition, provisions, and mathematical instruments. A small party of
the Portuguese and Spaniards engaged each other on the Jaguaron, when
the former were successful, returning with fifty prisoners, having lost
only two men.
Shortly after, a colonel passed to the other side of the river with
twelve hundred Portuguese, and marched to the attack of the Spanish
fort at Cerro-largo. Before the Portuguese had fired many guns, some
cartridges of powder took fire, and a horse taking fright threw the
cavalry into disorder, which spread through the whole detachment.
Animated by this event, and wishing to take advantage of it, a sortie
was made by a squadron of Spanish cavalry; but the Portuguese forming
again, they were obliged to retreat. This trifling reverse, and the
smallness of the garrison, induced the commandant to capitulate.
The Portuguese apprehending, however, the arrival of some Spanish
reinforcements from Monte Video, dismantled the fort and returned to
their former position. Shortly afterwards, the large reinforcement
which left Monte Video in order to succour the pass of Cerro-largo,
arrived at the opposite banks of the river. The Portuguese showing at
the same time a resolute determination to oppose their passage. In this
state of things, the news of peace arrived and terminated the campaign.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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