Battle of Pehuajó

The Battle of Pehuajó, also known as Battle of Corrales or Battle of Itati was fought during the Paraguayan War in January 31, 1866.

Around 1.500 Paraguayan troops commanded by General Francisco Isidoro Resquín and Lieutenant Celestino Prieto engaged in a surprise attack against a couple of advanced Argentinian and Uruguayan battalions with near 2.000 men led by General Emilio Conesa, under direct command of the president of Argentina, Bartolomé Mitre.

It was a Paraguayan Victory. The "guarani" attackers lost around 200-500 men between dead and injured. The allied troops lost 900-1.200 men, most of them killed.

Previous Events
After the Brazilian invasion and bombing of Paysandú (December 1864 - January 1865) Paraguay declares War on Brasil because of the Treaty both Brasil and Paraguay signed for "defending the Uruguayan independence" (though the validity of that treaty is still controversial) and for protecting the allied Blanco Government. After a victorious but later abandoned campaign in Matto Grosso, the troops of Paraguayan president, Field Marshall Francisco Solano López are intending to reach Uruguay through Entre Rios. While Mitre was secretly giving military support to the coup in Uruguay and allowing the Brazilian Navy and Troops the pass through argentinian territory, he denied access to the Paraguayan Army. That led to the declaration of War from Paraguay to Argentina and the later Campaign of Corrientes.

After several defeats of the Paraguayan Army in Corrientes (where General Wenceslao Robles refused to accomplish Lopez's orders and advanced until dangerous position very far from supply lines) and in Uruguayana (where General Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia by his own will entered in a trap, surrendering with 10.000 men), the "guarani" soldiers had to retreat from Argentina after fierce battles with general Wenceslao Paunero and his men.

Solano López declared Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia a "traitor" and "spy of the enemies" (later, Estigarribia would join the infamous Legión Paraguaya) and replaced Wenceslao Robles for his well trusted general Resquín.

The Battle
Paraguayan troops retreated to their own territory, protected by the Fortress of Itapirú. General Conesa, leader of the advanced allied forces, tried to chase the fleeing soldiers, but the attempt was very risky and allowed the Paraguayans to have good counter-attacking possibilities. Solano López understood this and ordered general Resquín to "execute some squad-attacks and incursions to the allied vanguard".

General Conesa, with a very intrepid action, almost ambushed with full surprise a battalion led by Lieutenant Celestino Prieto, with 250 men. But the noisy swamp and the argentinian troops singing wrecked the surprise and the Paraguayans fled under heavy fire. After this, General Resquin ordered commander Diaz, Viveros and Prieto to place their troops in strategic positions around the swamps for ambushing and launch counterattacks on the allied armies. 200 men under command of Diaz took the center, while 700 men of Viveros and Prieto were placed in the flanks.

By nightfall, argentinian troops tried to cross the swamps to reach the Paraná River (which was the primary objective) but they were unconscious of the Paraguayan plan. Also, the Brazilian Navy was far from the action. A fierce battle took place, Lieutenant Prieto ordered a brave charge a-la-bayonette, covered by their comrades in the flanks. The argentinians fought gallantly, but eventually, the Paraguayans took the victor. Near 500 Paraguayans (killed and injured) were lost, while argentinian and some Uruguayans among them lost around 1.000 men (mostly killed).

Aftermath
Despite the victory obtained by the Paraguayan Army, Lopez's troops never again crafted a similar assault against the Allied Army. General Bartolomé Mitre praised the courage of the argentinian soldiers (including among the deaths Juan Serrano and Bernabé Márquez) but recommended for the next time to his troops to be "in future combats, less prodigious of their generous flame and firey courage".

The Fortress of Itapirú would eventually fall the 5th April, 1866. The argentinian city of Pehuajó has its name in honour of his founder, Dardo Rocha, veteran who fought this battle.