Porongos Massacre or Porongos Betrayal was the penultimate confrontation of the Ragamuffin War (1835-1845)[1][2] and occurred on November 14, 1844. The battle was primarily responsible for ending the longest of Brazil's revolutions.[3]
In November 1844, about a year before the end of the conflict, and with peace negotiations already underway, the more than 1,200 republicans, led by General David Canabarro, were surrounded and massacred in the unprotected countryside, due to Canabarro's negligence, according to some, or his treachery, according to others,[4] by the more than 1,100 partisans who supported the Empire, led by Francisco Pedro de Abreu. Because of the siege and the military strategy constructed by Francisco de Abreu, it was possible to defeat the Republicans and, consequently, paralyze the anti-imperial revolutionary movement.[3] Fearing a surprise attack, Antônio Netto decided to camp with his troops further away and ended up escaping defeat.[4]
For the revolutionaries, the battle of Porongos resulted in the death of 110 supporters of the republic, the arrest of 333 men - 35 of them officers -, five banners, a cannon, utensils, archives, and more than 1000 horses. For this reason, the episode became known as one of the biggest losses that the republican movement had until then in the Ragamuffin War.[3]
Historical context
The Ragamuffin Movement was marked in history as a movement of the Brazilian regency period against the imposition of a provincial president by the Central Government (without consulting the provincial government). The movement had a liberal character and intended to achieve more provincial autonomy in face of the recently ended Brazilian First Reign.[3]
The term Ragamuffin ("Farroupilha") refers to the popular combatants that composed the troops, who were known for wearing ragged clothes (known as "farrapos"), although the political leadership was represented by sectors of the local agrarian elite.[2] The war lasted ten years as the farrapos continuously received supplies from the border countries: The jerky (charque) from the provinces was smuggled to Uruguay and entered Brazil as if it came from Uruguay. This contributed to the economic sustenance of the Republicans.[5]
The landowners, cattle owners, and slave owners in the south were dissatisfied with the decisions that were being taken by the Brazilian court, especially regarding the taxes levied on the provinces. Rio Grande do Sul, at the time, had among the main products of its economy cattle and charque production, used to feed slaves from all Brazilian provinces. The rio-grandenses, as the provincial authorities were called, accused the Central Government of harming their economic interests, mainly by allowing charque from Uruguay to enter the Brazilian market at a lower price.[5]
Furthermore, it was the court that determined which percentage of the taxes collected in the provinces remained and which should be destined to Rio de Janeiro, the seat of government. Besides this economic character, there was political dissatisfaction since it was the Central Government that determined which ruler would command the provincial lands. These men were selected without consultation with the landowners in the provinces, and often the leaders selected did not meet the demands of these landowners and, consequently, the interests of the region.[5]
Adding to the tensions, was the dissatisfaction about the military campaigns that were taking place on the southern borders. Rio Grande do Sul had contributed by sending men to help Brazil in the wars with the platinos peoples, but still, the leadership of the troops was assigned to someone from outside. With the sum of these factors, on September 20, 1835, the Ragamuffin War began.[5]
The movement had gained national attention the following year, in 1836, when the Rio Grande do Sul province decreed the Rio-Grandense Republic. The movement was led by Bento Gonçalves da Silva, a military man, and estanciero.[5]
In the following nine years, this first moment of good war performance would suffer changes. Until the year 1840, there was a period of farroupilha ascension, given the victories in the military field, although there were moments of failure, such as the defeat in the Battle of Fanfa Island, in October 1836. From the period of the Proclamation of the Riograndense republic until 1840, the farrapos aimed at the maintenance and organization of the new state.[6] From 1840 on, a period of decline began for the revolting forces. The situation intensified after the meetings of the Constituent Assembly in 1842, when the disagreements between the farrapos leaders and the two groups intensified.[6]
In this clash, the rebellious group acquired great power as the conflict unfolded, mainly due to the removal of Bento Gonçalves from the government in August 1843. At the end of 1841 and the beginning of 1842, concomitant with the installation of Pedro II as Emperor of Brazil, the power to direct the War went into the hands of the "Minority". Because of the emperor's need to use the Rio-Grandense territory for the maintenance of Brazil's southern borders, the movement had a favorable outcome for the revolutionaries. In 1845, despite having the monarch's permission to act violently, Luís Alves de Lima e Silva chose diplomacy. He appealed to the patriotism of the revolutionaries and simultaneously pointed to Manuel Oribe and Juan Manuel de Rosas, presidents of Uruguay and Argentina respectively, as the real enemies. Lima e Silva was acclaimed "pacifier of Brazil" and acquired the title of Count of Caxias, which was attached to the presidency of the Rio Grande do Sul Province.[6]
The Ragamuffin War contributed to the construction of the gaucho's image as a heroic and independent man. This image made possible by the war is praised and cultivated to this day in the region.[7]
Even though the movement led by Canabarro converged on common interests of a liberal nature, there were diverse social, economic, and political interests among the very supporters of the troop. The farrapos were divided into two large groups or parties. The one is known as "Majority", which presented more radical ideas and had as main names: Bento Gonçalves da Silva, Domingos José de Almeida, Mariano de Matos, Antonio de Souza Neto, and Gomes Jardim. The other group was called the "Minority". This one presented a more reformist and less authoritarian behavior and ideas, and some also sought reconciliation with the Central Government. The main name was David Canabarro, but he also had among his supporters, Antonio Vicente da Fontoura, Francisco Ferreira Jardim Brasão, Martins da Silveira Lemos, Onofre Pires, Paulino da Fontoura, and João Antonio de Oliveira.[citation needed]
Besides having different representatives, the two groups had different visions about the directions that the new republic should take. The more radical ones defended the end of slavery while criticizing the monarchy and the Catholic Church. For the more reform-minded and moderate, the demands were more homogeneous: They wanted to maintain slavery, defended Catholicism, and the reintegration of the province to the Empire.[citation needed]
The battle of Porongos occurred in November, and at the end of the war there was still uncertainty as to whether or not the confrontation was arranged with the imperial army. Although the republican movement was almost extinguished, Canabarro was not caught in this military siege, because he was not recognized due to the dirty and torn clothes he wore. According to some accounts, Canabarro would have been warned of Moringue's approach.[citation needed]
According to reports, there is a letter that would have been sent to Colonel Francisco Pedro de Abreu by the Baron of Caxias instructing Francisco Pedro de Abreu to attack the Black Lancers corps and stating that such a situation would be settled with Canabarro. This letter was shown in Piratini to a professor connected to the other farrapos commanders. The authenticity of the letter was questioned, likely having been forged to demoralize Canabarro, at the time one of the most important military leaders of the Riograndense Republic and one of the peace negotiators on the farrapos side. The document, with Caxias' signature, is recognized as authentic by the Historical Archives of Rio Grande do Sul.[8] Scholars who believe the document to be true argue that this betrayal occurred to speed up and facilitate the peace agreement, as the farrapos were not willing to free the slaves who had fought on their side since this liberation could stimulate the other slaves in the state to rebel. Those who believe in the forgery of these writings argue that the Porongos episode was a surprise for all the members and such a letter was written to generate tension to destroy the group.[7]
The victims of the massacre were the group of black lancers, the only ones killed. The men were separated in the camp between whites, blacks, and Indians. The imperials specifically attacked the black camp and the rest of the men fled. In this battle, Teixeira Nunes, commander of the black lancers, was killed. With this confrontation, the republican revolutionary movement was extinguished and a year later, the Ponche Verde Peace Treaty was decreed.[citation needed] On March 1, 1845, the agreement was signed and among the main points, a highlight is the full amnesty to the survivors of the battle of Porongos, the liberation of the slaves who fought in the Army, and the choice of a new provincial president by the farrapos.[9]
Black lancers
Portrait of a Black Lancer, oil by Juan Manuel Blanes.
The blacks during the Ragamuffin War were fundamental and had active participation throughout the 10 years of the confrontation. It is estimated that, altogether, they represented approximately one-third to one-half of the republican army and were later integrated into the cavalry or infantry groups of the farrapos. The former was created on September 12, 1836, and the latter on August 31, 1838, respectively.[7] On August 31, 1838, 426 combatants joined the army.[10]
They were recruited among the slave champions and tamers of the Tapes and Herval Mountains, located between the municipalities of Canguçu, Piratini, Caçapava, Encruzilhada, and Arroyo Grande, with the promise of liberation after the farrapos' victory. At first, they were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joaquim Pedro Soares, later having Major Joaquim Teixeira Nunes as their chief.[10]
Before the creation of the lancers, blacks had played a prominent role in national confrontations, such as the capture of Porto Alegre in 1835 and Pelotas in April 1836. The groups were composed of black and freed slaves, Indians, mestizos, and escaped slaves from other countries, mainly Uruguay. Besides being soldiers and defenders of the farrapos, the blacks also worked as muleteers, messengers, and helped in the manufacture of gunpowder and the cultivation of tobacco and yerba mate, appreciated by the group.[11]
Currently, the Black Lancers are remembered by social movements aiming to highlight the little importance given at the time to the participation of blacks in the conflict. The goal of these groups is to legitimize their actions, and for this, a monument was built in 2004 in the city of Caçapava do Sul.[7][12]
The Porongos disaster brought Canabarro to a Ragamuffin military tribunal. With the peace in 1845, the case went on for years in military court, and was dismissed in 1866.[13]
Related Research Articles
The Ragamuffin War or Ragamuffin Revolution was a Republican uprising that began in southern Brazil, in the province of Rio Grande do Sul in 1835. The rebels were led by generals Bento Gonçalves da Silva and Antônio de Sousa Neto with the support of the Italian fighter Giuseppe Garibaldi. The war ended with an agreement between the two sides known as the Treaty of Poncho Verde in 1845.
The Riograndense Republic, often called the Piratini Republic, was a de facto state that seceded from the Empire of Brazil and roughly coincided with the present state of Rio Grande do Sul. It was proclaimed on 11 September 1836 by general Antônio de Sousa Neto as a direct consequence of the victory obtained by gaúcho oligarchic forces at the Battle of Seival (1836) during the Ragamuffin War (1835–1845). It had a constitution adopted in 1843 and was recognised only by the United Kingdom, France, and Uruguay.
Guaíba is a city located in the Metropolitan Porto Alegre of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is on the shores of the Guaíba Lake.
Farroupilha is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the Serra Gaúcha between the cities of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul. The city's total area is 359.3 km2. Farroupilha has 73,061 residents.
Bento Gonçalves da Silva was a Brazilian army officer, politician and rebel leader of the Riograndense Republic. He was the first President of the Riograndense Republic and, by all accounts, one of the most prominent figures in the history of Rio Grande do Sul.
Rosário do Sul is a Brazilian municipality in the southwestern part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The population is 39,314 in an area of 4,369.65 km2. Its elevation is 151 m. It is located 385 km west of the state capital of Porto Alegre. Its main industry is agriculture. Many Argentine and Uruguayan tourists visits during the spring, with a large infrastructure to accommodate the visitors.
The Juliana Republic or the Catarinense Republic, fully and officially the Free and Independent Catarinense Republic, was a revolutionary state that existed between 29 July and 15 November 1839, in the province of Santa Catarina of the Empire of Brazil. The Republic was proclaimed in an extension of the Ragamuffin War started in the neighboring province of Rio Grande do Sul, where the Rio-Grandense Republic had already been created.
The Federalist Revolution was a civil war that took place in southern Brazil between 1893 and 1895, fought by the federalists, opponents of Rio Grande do Sul state president, Júlio de Castilhos, seeking greater autonomy for the state, decentralization of power by the newly installed First Brazilian Republic and, arguably, the restoration of the monarchy.
Manuel Marques de Sousa, Count of Porto Alegre, nicknamed "the Gloved Centaur", was an army officer, politician and abolitionist of the Empire of Brazil. Born into a wealthy family of military background, Manuel Marques de Sousa joined the Portuguese Army in Brazil in 1817 when he was little more than a child. His military initiation occurred in the conquest of the Banda Oriental, which was annexed and became the southernmost Brazilian province of Cisplatina in 1821. For most of the 1820s, he was embroiled in the Brazilian effort to keep Cisplatina as part of its territory: first during the struggle for Brazilian independence and then in the Cisplatine War. It would ultimately prove a futile attempt, as Cisplatina successfully separated from Brazil to become the independent nation of Uruguay in 1828.
Manuel Luís Osório, Marquis of Erval was a Brazilian military officer, monarchist and politician. A member of the Imperial Army at the age of fifteen, he climbed all the posts of the military hierarchy of his time thanks to the soldier attributes that consecrated him as "The Legendary". He participated in the main military events of the late nineteenth century in the Río de la Plata region and is considered a hero of the Paraguayan War. He was declared patron of the Cavalry Branch of the Brazilian Army in 1962.
David José Martins, known as David Canabarro was a Brazilian general.
Hino Rio-Grandense is the anthem of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is also called Hino Farroupilha due to the historical period that the anthem was written, in the Ragamuffin War. The melody was composed by Joaquim José Mendanha, the lyrics by Francisco Pinto da Fontoura and harmonization by Antonio Corte Real. The original lyrics passed for a lot of changes and the current were adopted on January 5, 1966 in the period of the military government|
Antônio Vicente da Fontoura was a Brazilian statesman. He was one of the main political leaders of the Riograndense Republic during the Ragamuffin War (1835–45) and the chief-negotiator of the peace treaty with the Empire of Brazil.
Bento Manuel Ribeiro was a Brazilian military officer, who participated in some key military campaigns of the history of Brazil such as the Cisplatine War and the Ragamuffin War.
The House of Ulhôa Cintra, also known as the House of Minister is a historic residence in Caçapava do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It was built in the middle of the 19th century and was a meeting place of figures associated with the Ragamuffin War; it notably housed the printing press of their newspaper, O Povo. It was subsequently owned by José Pinheiro de Ulhôa Cintra and his family. The house is in a simple Portuguese colonial style, and covers 435 square metres (4,680 sq ft). Casa de Ulhôa Cintra was listed as a historic structure by the Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute of Rio Grande do Sul in 1994.
The Battle of Azenha Bridge was the first battle of the Ragamuffin War, which took place on the night of the 19th to the 20th of September 1835. It gave way to the capture of Porto Alegre by the rebels on the following day.
João Frederico Caldwell was a Portuguese-born Brazilian marshal and politician who was a military figure during the 19th century. He was known for his extensive career since the Pernambuco revolt and was one of the main leaders of the Paraguayan Invasion of Rio Grande do Sul during the Corrientes campaign of the Paraguayan War.
The capture of Porto Alegre was one of the starting points of the Ragamuffin War. It took place on 20 September 1835, the day after the Battle of Azenha Bridge. Its date has been celebrated as a state holiday in Rio Grande do Sul since 1995 and also marks the end of Farroupilha Week, between the 14th and 20th of September.
Antônio Rodrigues Fernandes Braga was a Brazilian judge, county ombudsman, and politician. He was a general deputy to the General Assembly and the provincial governor of the province of Rio Grande do Sul from 2 May 1834 to 21 September 1835. He was the provincial governor at the outbreak of the Ragamuffin War in Rio Grande do Sul. He also served as a senator from Rio Grande do Sul and as a justice to the Supreme Court of Justice, nominated to the latter by imperial letter on 27 April 1870 and serving from 1870 to his death in 1875.
Marciano José Pereira Ribeiro was a Brazilian doctor and politician. He was the president of Rio Grande do Sul in two terms in 1835 and 1836.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Riograndense Republic 
Empire of Brazil 
