Page 213 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

213
ActA
PICTURE 4
Strategic marches
that preceded the
Battle of Passo do
Rosário. Guerra da
Cisplatine, marchas
estratégicas que
precederam a
batalha do passo do
Rosário. In História
do Exército
Brasileiro de
Estado-Maior do
Exército. Brasília:
Serviço Geográfico
do IBGE, 1972,
p. 533.

which extended to the entire province of Rio Grande, due to the worsening of the enemy
invasion in São Gabriel. Pressed by these political and psychological circumstances,
the Marquis of Barbacena had no alternative but to “chase” an enemy that actually had
leeway to choose the place and time to fight the battle that would decide the campaign.
What is remarkable in Barbacena’s decision to seek combat under uncertain conditions
was his determination, and that of the subordinate commanders and their troops to
engage, despite the mistrust born on the eve of the battle, the 19th, when they spotted
the entire enemy army converging on the Passo do Rosario. Since the beginning of the
campaign, guided by its territorial strategy, the Brazilian army had not seen itself as the
enemy’s goal. At the council of war on the evening of February 19, the commanders
feared they might be falling into a trap, but they decided to accept the risk and confront
the enemy.
Barbacena still on the 19 convened a war council of generals and brigade commanders. Were all of
the opinion that it should attack the enemy anywhere and provision that it was found (FRAGOSO,
1951, p. 241)
The next day this determination was confirmed when the Army of the South marched
towards the Passo do Rosário - where he knew the enemy had camped overnight - and,
finding him a league ahead of Passo, wasted no time in developing the troop from
the marching column to adopt the tactical scheme of attack that was triggered after

examination of the situation made by the Marquis of Barbacena and his Chief of Staff,
General Brown, whose combat report reveals the intention of the command of the Army
of the South.