Battle of Nioaque

The Battle of Nioaque was a confrontation between a Brazilian cavalry force of 200 men and a Paraguayan column of AbOUT 3,500 soldiers, fought on 31 December 1864, in the region of the present-day city of Nioaque, Mato Grosso do Sul, during the Paraguayan War.

Background and engagement

In the context of the Mato Grosso campaign, after the Battle for Colônia Militar dos Dourados, in the south of what was then the Province of Mato Grosso, Paraguayan forces under the command of Colonel Francisco Isidoro Resquín advanced north where they occupied the Miranda Military Colony on 30 December. The following day, they attacked the town of Nioaque, defended by 200 cavalrymen under the command of Lieutenant Colonel José Antônio Dias da Silva. At the initiative of the imperial commander, an attempt was made to negotiate peace between the belligerent forces, but without success. The fighting was swift, with the Brazilians being defeated. There was a large discrepancy between the number of casualties on both sides, something common in warfare.

See also

• First Retreat