View source for Battle of Pehuajó

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Pehuajó
| partof            = the [[Paraguayan War]]
| image             = Combate del 31 de enero en el Paso de la Patria. Carga a la bayoneta.jpg
| caption           = 
| date              = 31 January 1866
| place             = [[Corrientes Province]], Argentina.
| casus             = 
| territory         = 
| result            = Paraguay victory
| combatant1        = {{flag|Paraguay|1842}}
| combatant2        = {{plainlist |
* {{flag|Argentina}}
* {{flag|Uruguay}}
}}
| commander1        = {{plainlist |
* {{flagdeco|Paraguay|1842}} [[Francisco Isidoro Resquín|Isidoro Resquín]]
* {{flagdeco|Paraguay|1842}} Celestino Prieto
}}
| commander2        = {{flagdeco|Argentina}} [[Emilio Conesa]]
| strength1         = 1,500
| strength2         = 2,000
| casualties1       = '''609''':<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|50}}<br>200 killed<br>400 wounded<br>9 captured
| casualties2       = '''402''':<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|50}}<br>380 killed<br>314 wounded
| image_size        = 300px
}}
{{Campaignbox Paraguayan War}}

The '''Battle of Pehuajó''', also known as  '''Battle of Corrales''' or '''Battle of Itati''' was fought during the [[Paraguayan War]] on 31 January 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 Argentine and Uruguayan battalions with about 2,000 men led by general [[Emilio Conesa]], under direct command of the president of Argentina, [[Bartolomé Mitre]].

== Previous events ==
After the Brazilian [[Siege of Paysandú|siege and bombing of Paysandú]] (December 1864 - January 1865) Paraguay declared war on Brazil because of the Treaty both Brazil and Paraguay signed for "defending the Uruguayan independence" (though the validity of that treaty is still controversial)<ref>Treaty of Benito Varela and Pedro Bellegarde (Paraguay-Brasil) - For the Free Navigation of Rivers and the Protection of the Uruguayan Independence - Asunción, 1850. Available in the Paraguayan Historical Files.</ref> and for protecting the allied Uruguayan ''[[National Party (Uruguay)|blanco]]'' government. After a victorious, but later [[Mato Grosso Campaign|abandoned campaign in Mato Grosso]], the troops of Paraguayan president and field marshal [[Francisco Solano López]] were intending to reach Uruguay through the [[Entre Ríos Province|Entre Ríos]] province of Argentina. While president Mitre was secretly giving military support to the coup in Uruguay and allowing the Imperial Brazilian Navy and troops to pass through Argentine territory, he denied access to the Paraguayan Army, this led to the declaration of war from Paraguay to Argentina and the later [[Corrientes campaign]].<ref name="O'Leary, Juan 2007">O'Leary, Juan; El Libro de los Héroes; Editorial Servilibro; Asunción, Paraguay (2007)</ref>

After several defeats of the Paraguayan Army in [[Corrientes Province|Corrientes]] (where general [[Wenceslao Robles]] refused to accomplish López's orders and advanced until dangerous positions very far from supply lines) and in [[Uruguaiana]] (where general [[Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia]] by his own will entered in a trap, [[Siege of Uruguaiana|surrendering with 10,000 men]]), the Paraguayans had to retreat from Argentina after fierce battles with general [[Wenceslao Paunero (general)|Wenceslao Paunero]] and his men.<ref name="ReferenceA">Zenequelli, Lilia, Crónica de una guerra, La Triple Alianza. Ed. Dunken, Bs. As., 1997</ref>

Solano López declared Antonio de la Cruz Estigarribia a "traitor" and "spy of the enemies" (later, Estigarribia joined the infamous [[Paraguayan Legion]]) and replaced Wenceslao Robles for his well trusted general Resquín.<ref name="O'Leary, Juan 2007"/>

==The battle==
Paraguayan troops retreated to their own territory, protected by the {{illm|Fortaleza de Itapirú|es|lt=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 sent small raiding parties of 100-200 men across the river to attack allied posts. Most notable were raid on 13, 16, 17, 19 and 25 January. On 29 January 1866, 400 Paraguayans crossed the [[River Parana|River Paraná]] and drove the Argentines from Corrales (in the Argentine town of Paso de la Patria).<ref name=Hooker>Hooker, T.D., 2008, The Paraguayan War, Nottingham: Foundry Books, {{ISBN|1901543153}}</ref>{{rp|42}}

President Mitre ordered Conesa to recapture Corrales.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|42,47}} Yet, on the 31st, president López sent another force of 1,200 men under the overall command of lieutenant colonel [[José E. Díaz|Jose Eduvigis Diaz]], but further organized into three units. The first, under the command of Celestino Prieto headed for Corrales, the second under lieutenant Saturnino Viveros headed for the fort of Itapirú, while the third was held in reserve.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|47}}

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 Argentine 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.<ref>Report of general Conesa to the commander in chief of the Vanguard Army, general [[Manuel Hornos]].- AGM.t.II.p327.</ref>

By nightfall, Argentine troops tried to take the village by bayonet charges, having used up all their ammunition. By 18:30, Conesa ordered a withdrawal.

== Aftermath ==
Despite the victory obtained by the Paraguayans, Lopez's troops never again attempted a similar assault against the Allied Army. The Paraguayans embarked on their boats on the night of 1 February, returning to Itapirú.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|50}}

General Bartolomé Mitre praised the courage of the Argentine 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 fiery courage".

The Fortress of Itapirú eventually fell on 5 April 1866. The Argentine city of Pehuajó is named in honour of its founder, Dardo Rocha, veteran who fought this battle.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{coord missing|Argentina}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pehuajo}}
[[Category:Battles of the Paraguayan War]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1866]]
[[Category:1866 in South America]]
[[Category:Battles involving Paraguay]]
[[Category:Battles involving Argentina]]
[[Category:Battles involving Uruguay]]
[[Category:January 1866 events]]
[[Category:1866 in Argentina]]
[[Category:History of Corrientes Province]]