Campaign of the Hills

Campaign of the Hills
Part of the Paraguayan War

The Count of Eu and his military staff.
DateJuly 1869 - March 1, 1870
Location
Central and Northern Paraguay
Result

Allied victory

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders
Strength
9,000 men
8 ships
26 guns
14 cannons[3]: 101 		 30,757 men
17 ships
47 guns[3]: 100–101 
Casualties and losses
7,971 total casualties
12 guns destroyed
8 ships destroyed[3]: 103 		 2,853 total casualties[3]: 102 

The Campaign of the Hills (Spanish: Campaña de las Cordilleras) was the last campaign of the Paraguayan War, lasting from July 1869 to the end of the war on March 1, 1870. The Paraguayans were completely defeated by the Allies. Brazilian writer Alfredo d'Escragnolle Taunay, Viscount of Taunay took part in the campaign and later wrote about it. At least 5,000 Paraguayans were killed during this campaign.

Background

After the occupation of the Paraguayan capital, Asunción, by the allies, Marshal Luis Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias considered the Paraguayan War to be ended with Allied victory. The marshal asked to be relieved of command on 12 Jan. 1869. On 16 April 1869, Prince Gaston, Count of Eu took command of the Allied Army Headquarters in Luque, two days after his arrival in Asunción.[3]: 99–100 

Since Paraguayan President López refused to surrender, the Allies installed a triumvirate in Asunción made of two elderly former exiles, Carlos Loizaga and José Díaz de Bedoya, along with a young ex-soldier turned spy, Cirilo Antonio Rivarola, and decided to continue the war. López decided to resist the Allies in the mountainous region of Northeastern Paraguay. López organized a force of 9,000 men and boys from his headquarters in Cerro León.[3]: 101 

Battle of Piribebuy

Main article: Battle of Piribebuy

The Allied attack on the town of Piribebuy, then serving as a temporary capital for the Paraguayan government, lasted 5 hours, ending with the capture of the town and the destruction of its official records.

Battle of Acosta Ñu

Main article: Battle of Acosta Ñu

The Battle of Acosta Ñu was the last major battle. In this, Bernardino Caballero (who later became President of Paraguay) fought a Brazilian-Argentine combined force of 20,000 under Emperor Pedro II's son-in-law Prince Gaston and future Brazilian president Manoel Deodoro da Fonseca.[4]

Battle of Cerro Corá

Main article: Battle of Cerro Corá

The last battle of the campaign was at Cerro Corá, in which a Brazilian force of 4,000 wiped out President López's personal guard of 100-250 soldiers, killing López, Vice President Sánchez and López's son Juan Francisco.

References

  1. ^ a b Hooker 2008, p. 102.
  2. ^ "Jornal do Commercio". Jornal do Commercio (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro. 1869-11-10. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Hooker, T. D. (2008). The Paraguayan War. Nottingham: Foundry Books. ISBN 1901543153.
  4. ^ Gabriele Esposito (20 March 2015). Armies of the War of the Triple Alliance 1864–70: Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay & Argentina. Osprey Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-4728-0725-0.

Bibliography

  • Díaz Gavier, Mario, En tres meses en Asunción, Ed. del Boulevard, Rosario, Argentina, 2005. ISBN 987-556-118-5
  • Doratioto, Francisco, Maldita Guerra. Nueva Historia de la Guerra del Paraguay, Ed. Emecé, Sao Paulo/Buenos Aires, 2008, pág. 30-35. ISBN 978-950-04-2574-2
  • León Pomer, La guerra del Paraguay, Ed. Leviatán, Bs. As., 2008. ISBN 978-9505638536
  • Rosa, José María, La guerra del Paraguay y las montoneras argentinas. Buenos Aires: Hyspamérica, 1986. ISBN 950-614-362-5
  • Ruiz Moreno, Isidoro J., Campañas militares argentinas, Tomo IV, Ed. Emecé, Bs. As., 2008. ISBN 978-950-620-257-6
  • Zenequelli, Lilia, Crónica de una guerra, La Triple Alianza, Ed. Dunken, Bs. As., 1997. ISBN 987-9123-36-0
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