Page:Letters from the Battle-fields of Paraguay (1870).djvu/390



360 THE humaitA "quadrilateral."

ment^ and anotlier 10_,000 would have issued from Curuzu and attacked Curupaity along the line of river-bank which was previously to be mined. This could have prevented the disaster of September 22_, 1867_, and the combination would probably have carried the works. But the Allies knew nothing of mining ; the plan was allowed to lie upon the Generalissimo Mitre^s desk^ and the attack was made in the bull-headed style before described.

Major Costa_, commanding a detachment of Argentine cavaliy posted at Paso Pucu_, kindly lent us a guide to the Angulo Redan. Passing out of the second line at Paso Espinillo^ we found the approaches strongly guarded ; there were bocas de lobo even under water. At this j^oint the enemy had been more than usually active : the parapet and covered way were often built over swamps for many yards^ and plank bridges (pontilhoes) had been carefully laid down.

Presently we reached the Angulo : its site is a felled palm-grove, whose stumps still remain, and the rolling " loma'^ upon which cattle were grazing commands the whole country. Outside it reeks the mass of esteros and baiiados which communicate with the northern Bellaco. The works were composed of two bastions enfleclie to the front, and of a curtain with a smaller bastion closing the gorge. Outside is a shallow trench, and a deep ditch requiring ladders. The garrison numbered 200 men, who worked only two of their sixteen guns : there were a few magazines and traverses of little importance. The Brazilians attacked the Angulo, whilst the Argentines took up their position further north near the Paso Espinillo where the position was weakest. General Emilio Mitre commanded, they say, 7000 men ; the Brazilians reduce the force to 5000 ; and they here stood for two hours at a distance of three squares.

At the Angulo we found a brother of our guide, with