| Battle of Miranda | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Paraguayan War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Empire of Brazil |  Paraguay | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Baron of Ijuí | B. Caballero  | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Around 100 Infantry | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 40 killed, 54 captured | ||||||
The Battle of Miranda was the final battle of the Paraguayan War between Brazilian and Paraguayan soldiers from April 4 to 8, 1870 before the final organized Paraguayan force surrendered. [1]
Before the Battle of Cerro Corá on 1 March 1870, Solano López had ordered general Bernardino Caballero to look for cattle and horses in the Military Colony of Dourados , in Brazilian territory. [2] The Paraguayan general and about 100 soldiers crossed the Paraguayan-Brazilian border across the Apa River on February 12. The news of Solano López's defeat did not reach general Caballero, and he continued the search for provisions throughout March. During the Battle at Cerro Corá, a force detached from the column of general José Antônio Correia da Câmara, under the command of Bento Martins de Meneses, was assigned to close the siege of López on the Apa River, to prevent the Paraguayan president from escaping there. [3]
With López's death, the war was officially declared over. [4] However, colonel Martins' Brazilian forces turned against the Paraguayans who were in Brazilian territory. Bernardino Caballero was close to the Military Colony of Miranda on a farm known as Cândido Oliveira. On 4 April 1870, Brazilian troops found them there and launched an attack, defeating them and some remaining fleeing the battlefield. In the rush to flee, general Bernardino Caballero lost his sword as colonel Martins' forces went after the Paraguayans. A division of these forces, under the leadership of major Francisco Marques Xavier, encountered general Caballero and 54 remaining of his column near the village of Bela Vista on the 8th. [4] [5] Brazilian troops were preparing to attack when the Paraguayan general decided to surrender after being convinced of the death of marshal Solano López. These were the last Paraguayans to surrender. [4] [6] [7]
Francisco Solano López Carrillo was a Paraguayan military officer, politician and statesman who served as President of Paraguay between 1862 and 1870, of which he served mostly during the Paraguayan War (1864–1870). He succeeded his father Carlos Antonio López as the second president of Paraguay. Solano López is the only Paraguayan ruler to have been killed in action. He is one of only two Paraguayans to have received the rank of Marshal, along with José Félix Estigarribia.
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