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Battle of Cerro Corá

Coordinates: 22°39′8″S 56°1′31″W / 22.65222°S 56.02528°W / -22.65222; -56.02528
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Battle of Cerro Corá
Part of the Paraguayan War

Corporal José Francisco Lacerda, known as Chico Diabo (Frank, the Devil), mortally wounding President Solano López with a spear.
Date1 March 1870
Location
Cerro Corá, Paraguay
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
Paraguay Solano López †
Paraguay Domingo Sánchez †		 Empire of Brazil Correia da Câmara
Strength
416 [1]: 106  4,000 troops
Casualties and losses
445:[1]: 107 
200 killed
245 captured		 7 wounded[1]: 107 

The Battle of Cerro Corá was fought on 1 March 1870 on a hill-surrounded valley of the same name, in the north-east of Paraguay.

Background

In February 1870, an allied column under the command of colonel Bento Martins de Meneses, learned that the President of Paraguay, Francisco Solano López, was in the vicinity of Cerro Corá. It relayed the information to general José Antônio Correia da Câmara on 18 February. Paraguayan general Bernardino Caballero was on a foraging expedition with 40 men when, on 1 March, the Allied vanguard under the command of Lt. Col. Francisco Antonio Martins attacked the Paraguayan camp at 1900 along the Aquidaban River.[1]: 105–107 

Present with President Francisco Solano López's personal guard were a group of women, led by his mistress Eliza Lynch. This group was composed of the soldier's wives, daughters, and others, who supported the soldiers called Las Residentas.

Battle

Vice President Domingo Francisco Sánchez and Secretary of State Luis Caminos were killed trying to flee. López was surrounded by six cavalrymen, and after refusing to surrender by firing his revolver, corporal José Francisco Lacerda, known as Chico Diabo, i.e., "Frank, the Devil", thrust his lance in López's abdomen, mortally wounding him. Assisted by captain Francisco Argüello, López evaded the Brazilians and reached the Aquidabán-Niquil stream, but was unable to climb the steep bank because of his wound. Left alone, he was found by the Brazilians, but refused to surrender again, when João Soares shot him in the back.[1]: 107 

Aftermath

After the Brazilian forces killed López, they headed towards the civilians in order to capture them. López and Eliza Lynch's eldest son Juan Francisco, who had been promoted to colonel during the war and was 15 years old, was with her. The Brazilian officers told him to surrender, and upon replying "Un coronel paraguayo nunca se rinde" ("A Paraguayan colonel never surrenders"),[2] he was shot and killed. Whereupon jumping and covering her son's body, Lynch exclaimed "¿Ésta es la civilización que han prometido?" ("Is this the civilization you have promised?"),[3] in reference to the allies' claim that they intended to free Paraguay from a tyrant and deliver freedom and civilization to the nation. She then buried both López and her son with her bare hands before being taken prisoner.[3]

  • Cerro Cora is a 1978 Paraguayan film set on the last days of the Paraguayan War.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Hooker, T.D., 2008, The Paraguayan War, Nottingham: Foundry Books, ISBN 1901543153
  2. ^ Bareiro Saguier, Ruben; Villagra Marsal, Carlos. ‘'Testimonios de la Guerra Grande. Muerte del Mariscal López. Tomo II'’, Editorial Servilibro. Asuncion, Paraguay, 2007. Page 106.
  3. ^ a b Bareiro. Tomo I. Page 106

22°39′8″S 56°1′31″W / 22.65222°S 56.02528°W / -22.65222; -56.02528

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