View source for Mato Grosso Campaign

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{onesource|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Mato Grosso campaign
| partof            = the [[Paraguayan War]]
| image             = 1868paraguai.jpg
| caption           = Paraguayan fortification
| date              = December 1864 – April 1868
| place             = Mato Grosso province, present-day [[Mato Grosso do Sul]], Brazil
| casus             = 
| territory         = 
| result            =
*Initial Paraguayan conquest
*Paraguayan withdrawal in 1868
| combatant1        = {{plainlist |
{{flag|Paraguay|1842}}
}}
*[[File:Coat of arms of Paraguay.svg|15px]] [[Paraguayan Army]]
*[[File:Naval Jack of Paraguay.svg|15px]] [[Paraguayan Navy]]
| combatant2        = {{plainlist |
{{flag|Empire of Brazil}}
}}
*[[File:Coat of arms of the Empire of Brazil (1822-1853).svg|15px]] [[Imperial Brazilian Army|Imperial Army]]
* [[Terena people]] (amerindians)
| commander1        = 
{{plainlist |
* [[Vicente Barrios]]
* [[Francisco Isidoro Resquín]]
}}
| commander2        = 
{{plainlist |
* [[Carlos de Morais Camisão|Carlos Camisão]]{{KIA}}
* {{nowrap|[[Hermenegildo Portocarrero, Baron of Forte de Coimbra|Hermenegildo Portocarrero]]}}
* Manuel Pedro Drago
* Fonseca Galvão
}}
| strength1         = 7,898 men<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|25–26}}
| strength2         = 3,000 men<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|69}}
| casualties1       = 
| casualties2       = 
| image_size        = 300
}}

The '''Mato Grosso campaign''' was an early Paraguayan offensive in the [[Paraguayan War]]. [[Paraguay]] invaded the Brazilian province of [[Mato Grosso]] (now [[Mato Grosso do Sul]]).

== Paraguayan offensive ==
Paraguay took the initiative during the first phase of the war: invading [[Mato Grosso do Sul|Mato Grosso]] in the north on 14 December 1864,<ref name=Hooker>Hooker, T.D., 2008, The Paraguayan War, Nottingham: Foundry Books, {{ISBN|1901543153}}</ref>{{rp|25}} [[Rio Grande do Sul]] in the south in early 1865, and the Argentine province of [[Corrientes Province|Corrientes]].{{fact|date=February 2024}}

[[File:GENERAL JOSÉ VICENTE BARRIOS. (Executed by his brother-in-law, Dec. 21, 1868).jpg|thumb|left|General Vicente Barrios]]

Two separate Paraguayan columns invaded Mato Grosso simultaneously. An expedition of 3,248 troops, commanded by Colonel [[Vicente Barrios]], was transported by a naval squadron under the command of [[Frigate captain|Frigate Captain]] [[Pedro Ignacio Meza]], up the [[Paraguay River]] to the town of [[Concepción, Paraguay|Concepción]].<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|25}} They attacked the [[New Coimbra Fort]] on 27 December.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|26}} The Brazilian garrison of 154 men resisted for three days, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel [[Hermenegildo Portocarrero, Baron of Forte de Coimbra|Hermenegildo Portocarrero]] (later Baron of Forte Coimbra). When their munitions were exhausted, the defenders abandoned the fort and withdrew up the river towards [[Corumbá]] on board the gunboat ''Anhambaí''.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|26}} 

After occupying the fort, the Paraguayans advanced north, taking the city of Corumbá in January 1865.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|26}} Barrios then sent a detachment to attack the military frontier post of [[Antônio João|Dourados]]. This detachment, led by Major [[Martín Urbieta]], encountered tough resistance on 29 December 1864 from Lieutenant [[Antônio João Ribeiro]] and his 16 men, who were all eventually killed. The Paraguayans continued to [[Nioaque]] and [[Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul|Miranda]], defeating the troops of Colonel [[José Dias da Silva]]. [[Coxim]] was taken in April 1865. The second Paraguayan column, formed from some of the 4,650 men led by Colonel [[Francisco Isidoro Resquín]] at Concepcion, penetrated into Mato Grosso with 1,500 troops.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|26}}

Despite these victories, the Paraguayan forces did not continue to [[Cuiabá]], the capital of the province, where [[Augusto Leverger, Baron of Melgaço|Augusto Leverger]] had fortified the camp of [[Barão de Melgaço|Melgaço]] to protect it (he would later be granted the title of Baron of Melgaço for this). Their main objective was the capture of the gold and diamond mines, disrupting the flow into Brazil until 1869.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|27}}

== Brazilian counter-offensive ==

[[File:Expédition brésilienne pour Matto-Grosso. Campement de la division expéditionnaire dans les forèts vierges de Goyaz, à Rio des Bois. - D'après un croquis envoyé par M. Paranhos junior.jpg|thumb|left|Brazilian expedition to [[Mato Grosso]]: Encampment of the Expeditionary Division in the virgin forests of [[Goiás]].]]

{{Campaignbox Paraguayan War}}

Brazil sent an expedition to fight the invaders in Mato Grosso. A column of 2,780 men led by Colonel [[Manuel Pedro Drago]] left the town of [[Uberaba]] in [[Minas Gerais]] in April 1865, and crossed the [[Apa River]] into Paraguay in April 1867. In January 1867, Colonel [[Carlos de Morais Camisão]] had assumed command of the column after the deaths of Drago and Galvão. The column numbered 1,907 men by April.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|69}}

President [[Francisco Solano López|Solano López]] sent the 21st Cavalry Regiment to Concepción to reinforce the cavalry under the command of Martin Urbieta. Despite winning the [[Battle of Baiende]], Colonel Camisão was forced to retreat due to lack of supplies, which further reduced his force to 578 men.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|69}} Though he died of [[cholera]] along the way, the remnants of his force reached [[Anastácio|Canuto]] on 11 June.<ref name=Hooker/>{{rp|70}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mato Grosso Campaign}}
[[Category:Conflicts in 1864]]
[[Category:Battles of the Paraguayan War]]
[[Category:History of Mato Grosso do Sul]]