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The Deadly Selva Paraguay’s Northern Indian Frontier

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

John Hoyt Williams
John Hoyt Williams*
Affiliation:
Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana
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Extract

The Role of the hostile Indian in nineteenth century Paraguay would be difficult to exaggerate, yet it is virtually unknown. The trail of agony so clearly expressed in the thousands of documents in the Asunción and other archives deserves to be better understood. This article can do little more than suggest the scope of the problem and describe how the Indian wars of the Paraguayan north did more to define and determine Paraguayan history during the years of the dictatorship of Dr. Francia (1814-1840), than has been previously noted by historians.

In 1810, Paraguay had as its real, if not legal border in the north, the Río Apa, a broad, sluggish tributary of the Río Paraguay, its banks choked in dense, humid vegetation. North of the river was a no-man's land claimed by both Portugal and Spain and thinly occupied by the former. West of the Río Paraguay was the Chaco, a region of desolate scrubjungle, where Spanish and hence Paraguayan claims were virtually unchallenged save by the Indians who lived there. Fort Borbón, in the Chaco, Paraguay's northern outpost, was situated some hundred miles north of the Apa border on the Río Paraguay.

Type
Articles
Information
The Americas , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , July 1976 , pp. 1 - 22
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1976

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References

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8 Colonel Espinola to Gobernador Ribera from Concepción, Feb. 19, 1802, BNRJ, CRB, 1–30, 26, 7.

9 “Ynstrucción a los Indios Payaguá,” November 30, 1805, ANA, SH, vol. 196, folio 9, pp. 2–3.

10 Interim Governor Gutiérrez to Comandante at Concepción, February 9, 1808, ANA, SH, vol. 207, folio 8, pp. 8–9.

11 Paraguayan Junta to Junta of Buenos Aires, July 19, 1812, ANA, SH, vol. 218, folio 1, p. 83, for a good description of the fall of Borbón.

12 Paraguayan Junta to Nicolás de Herrera, August 19, 1812, ANA, SH, vol. 218, folio 1, p.115.

13 Santiago Cavallero to Comandante at Concepción, Oct. 9, 1812, ANA, SH, vol. 220, folio 10, pp. 3–5.

14 Paraguayan Junta to Asunción Cabildo, October 19, 1812, ANA, SH, vol. 218, folio 1, p. 145.

15 Acuerdo of Asunción Cabildo, Nov. 12, 1812, ANA, SH, vol. 216, folio 1, pp. 121–123.

16 Paraguayan Junta to Comandante Gamarra at Concepción, Feb. 18, 1813, BNRJ, CRB, 1–29, 23, 11.

17 Santiago Cavallero to Paraguayan Junta from Concepción, June 15, 1813, ANA, SH, vol. 223, folio 1, pp. 12–13.

18 Comandante of Borbón to Paraguayan Junta, June 26, 1813, ANA, SH, vol. 223, folio 1, pp. 14–15.

19 Comandante Gamarra from Concepción to Paraguayan Junta, June 22, 1813, ANA, SH, vol. 223, folio 1, pp. 10–11.

20 Paraguayan Junta to Treasury Minister Elizalde, July 7, 1813, ANA, SH, vol. 222, folio 5, pp. 35–37.

21 Francisco B. Laguardia from Borbón to Comandante Gamarra at Concepción, Sept. 27, 1813, ANA, SH, vol. 363, folio 1, p. 479.

22 Comandante Gamarra from Concepción to Officers of the Aquidaban Pickets, October 4, 1813, BNRJ, CRB, 1–30, 26, 83.

23 Consuls of Paraguay to Comandante Romualdo Aguero at Concepción, March 29, 1814, BNRJ, CRB, 1 29, 22, 28.

24 Comandante José Agustín Yegros of Fort San Carlos del Río Apa to Comandante Romualdo Aguero at Concepción, October 3, 1814, BNRJ, CRB, 1–29, 22, 25.

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27 Francia to Ibañez, April 11, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 224, folio 5, p. 20.

28 Ibañez, Troop List on the banks of the Rio Aquidaban, May 28, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 382, folio 4, p. 47.

29 Ibañez, Diary of the Indian Campaign, May-July, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 224, folio 11, pp. 1–15.

30 Ibid.

31 Manuel de Uriarte from Concepción to Francia, July 16, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 367, folio 1, p. 537.

32 Carlos de Ysasi from Ycuamandiyú to Francia, Nov. 16, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 382, folio 4, pp. 49–50.

33 Francia to Ibañez, Dec. 6, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 224, folio 5, p. 74.

34 Francia to Fernando Acosta, Comandante at Concepción, May 11, 1818, ANA, SH, vol. 228, folio 2, pp. 14–15. In this missive, Francia complains bitterly about the continual state of crisis in the north and the constant pleas for aid which are draining the country.

35 Francia to Acosta, Oct. 3, 1818, ANA, SH, vol. 228, folio 2, pp. 31–32.

36 Francia to Acosta, Nov. 19, 1818, ANA, SH, vol. 228, folio 2, p. 37.

37 Francia to Acosta, Jan. 15, 1819, ANA, SH, vol. 229, folio 11, pp. 1–2, and ibid., pp. 3–4, Febr. 22, 1819, in which Francia notes that he is building up the military resources of the north and is sending a large shipment including cannon, munitions, peons for labor, more soldiers, rifles, carbines, bayonets, shotguns, knives, sabres, cattle and money. He also mentions that a new presidio is being built in the area and orders Acosta to raise another 50 militia for active duty and rely as much as he needs on the militia from Ycuamandiyú.

38 Francia to Acosta, Dec. 25, 1819, ANA, SH, vol. 229, folio 11, p. 25.

39 Comandante of Borbón, Bernardo Velasquez to Francia, Feb. 4, 1819, ANA, SH, vol. 363, folio 1, p. 497.

40 Francia to Acosta, March 28, 1818, ANA, SH, vol. 226, folio 2, pp. 6–7, and Williams, , “Tevegó,” pp. 278–281.Google Scholar

41 Troop List, Tevegó, Aug., 1819, ANA, SH, vol. 229, folio 11, p. 15.

42 Decree of Dr. Francia, Oct. 12, 1823, ANA, SH, vol. 237, folio 2, pp. 10–11.

43 José Theodoro Fernandez to Consuls of the Republic, June 30, 1842, ANA, SH, vol. 411, folio 1, pp. 77–78.

44 Williams, John Hoyt, “Paraguayan Isolation Under Dr. Francia—A Re-evaluation,” Hispanic American Historical Review, LII, No. 1 (Feb., 1972), pp. 119–120.Google Scholar

45 Francia to Acosta, Jan. 20, 1820, ANA, SH, vol. 232, folio 3, p. 1.

46 Francia to Acosta, Jan. 20, 1822, ANA, SH, vol. 235, folio 12, p. 5.

47 Francia to Comandante at Concepción, Aug. 18, 1832, ANA, SNE, vol. 3412.

48 Francia to Acosta, Jan. 11, 1822, ANA, SH, vol. 235, folio 11, p. 4.

49 For example, see ANA, SH, vol. 232, folio 3, pp. 19–20 (1820), vol. 232, folio 2, pp. 1–20. (various years), vol. 235, folio 1, pp. 3–6, and same vol. folio 2, p. 2, and pp. 6–7 (1821), vol. 237, folio 2, p. 10 (1823), vol. 237, folio 8, pp. 6–10 (1824), vol. 242, folio 7, p. 35 (1833), vol. 238, folio 7, p. 4 and pp. 12–13 (1837), and vol. 244, folio 9, p. 15 (1840). See also ANA, SNE, vol. 3412 (1832). These are only a very few of a great number of possible citations on this problem in the later years of the Franciata.

60 Matiauda to Consuls of Paraguay, Feb. 12, 1814, ANA, SH, vol. 370, folio 4, p. 43.

61 Consuls of Paraguay to Matiauda, March 4, 1814, AGN-BA, X-1-9-13.

62 Matiauda from Santo Tomás to Consuls, March 5, 1814, ANA, SH, vol. 410, folio 7, p. 16.

63 Matiauda from Río San Carlos to Consuls, March 8, 1814, ANA, SH, vol. 370, folio 2, p. 114.

64 Francisco Antonio González from Ytapúa to Consuls, April 23, 1814, ANA, SH, vol. 377, folio 1, pp. 102–103.

65 Chaves, Julio César, El Supremo Dictador (4th ed. Madrid, 1964, pp. 174–175.Google Scholar

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67 Montiel from San Cosme to Dr. Francia, Aug. 26, 1815, BNRJ, CRB, 1–29, 23, 20.

68 Montiel from Santa María de Fe to Francia, Sept. 16, 1815, BNRJ, CRB, 1–29, 23, 20.

69 Francia to Asunción Cabildo, Sept. 16, 1815, BNRJ, CRB, 1–29, 21, 35.

70 Francia to José Joaquín López, Comandante at Pilar, Oct. 2, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 224, folio 1, p. 58, and Francia to López, Nov. 2, 1815, same vol. and folio, p. 65.

71 López from Pilar to Francia, Oct. 5, 1815, ANA, SNE vol. 3410.

72 Rudecindo Castro, Comandante de flotilla, from Pilar to Francia, Oct. 20, 1815, ANA, SNE, vol. 3410.

73 López from Pilar to Francia, Dec. 12, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 383 part two, folio 1, pp. 546–547. A description of the clash in Candelaria.

74 Lima, Diogo Arouche do Moraes, “Memória da Campanha de 1816,” Revista do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro, No. 26 (July, 1845), p. 174.Google Scholar

75 Ibid., p. 307, and Francia to Subdelegado at Ytapúa, Sept. 16, 1815, ANA, SH, vol. 224, folio 5, p. 58, for a clear statement of the Candelaria problem to that point.

76 Saturnino Blanco Nardo from Yaguareté Corá to Francisco Ramírez, Sept. 10, 1820, ANA, SH, vol. 413, folio 5, p. 1.

77 For correspondence of Ramírez to Francia, see ANA, SH, vol. 431, folio 2, pp. 76, 79, 81, 118–119, July through November. See also Báez, Cecilio, Ensayo sobre el Dr. Francia y la dictadura en Sudamérica (Asunción, 1910), p. 90;Google Scholar Boglich, José, El Dictador del Paraguay Dr. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (Concordia, Entre Ríos, 1923), p. 109 Google Scholar, and Pérez, Joaquín, “La última campaña de Ramírez y la alianza de Buenos Aires, Santa Fe y Córdoba,” Universidad Nacional de la Fiata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. Trabajos, No. 8 (La Plata, 1959), pp. 155–158.Google Scholar

78 Pérez, , “La última campaña,” pp. 155–156.Google Scholar

79 Francia to Norberto Ortellado at Ytapúa, Nov. 23, 1821, ANA, SH, vol. 235, folio 2, pp. 22–25.

80 Felix de Aguero, Argentine comandante of Misiones, to Commander of the Paraguayan “División del Norte,” March 20, 1823, BNRJ, CRB, 1–30, 26, 14. Includes a plea to be forwarded to Francia. See also, for the general aspects of correntino fears, AGPC, CO, EA, Legajo 13 (1823), January-March, passim.

81 Francia to Subdelegado at Ytapúa, Dec. 13, 1827, ANA, SH, vol. 239, folio 3, pp. 7–8.

82 Woodbine Parish to the Earl of Aberdeen from Buenos Aires, Sept. 25, 1828, PRO, FO 354, vol. 4, pp. 135–136.

83 E.g. Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Nov. 16, 1828, ANA, SH, vol. 239, folio 11, pp. 8–9. Many other such communications may be found in the same folio dated November and December.

84 E.g., Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Jan. 5, 1829, ANA, SH, vol. 240, folio 2, p. 7. The same folio contains several other similar messages.

85 Beraza, Agustín, Rivera y la independencia de las Misiones (Montevideo, 1968), pp. 64–65, 72–73.Google Scholar

86 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Jan. 15, 1832, ANA, SH, vol. 241, folio 12, p. 3.

87 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, April 6, 1832, ANA, SH, vol. 241, folio 12, p. 15. For the detailed schedule and itinerary, see Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, April 25, 1832, same vol. and folio, p. 19.

88 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, June 8, 1832, ANA, SH, vol. 241, folio 12, p. 25. See page 34 (August 4), for more of the same.

89 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Sept. 8, 1832, ANA, SH, vol. 241, folio 12, pp. 43–44, in which Francia claims that security in Candelaria is so slack the Correntinos are actually harvesting most of the yerba there.

70 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Oct. 2, 1832, ANA, SH, vol. 241, folio 12, p. 52.

91 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Oct. 23, 1832, ANA, SH, vol. 241, folio 12, p. 63. See also page 68 (Oct. 29), and page 70 (Nov. 2) for more of the same.

92 Subdelegado at Ytapúa to Francia, Feb. 15, 1833, ANA, SH, vol. 242, folio 7, p. 3, in which arrests of “Correntino thieves” are noted. See also pp. 5–47 (Feb.-March, 1833) for more data on anti-bandit campaign.

93 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Dec. 10, 1833, ANA, SH, vol. 242, folio 7, p. 49.

94 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Jan. 3, 1834, ANA, SH, vol. 242, folio 11, pp. 1–2. See also pp. 6–7 (Jan. 14) for more similar data.

95 Francia decree. Troop Draft. Aug. 30, 1834, ANA, SH, vol. 242, folio 9, p. 7.

96 Francia to subdelegado at Ytapúa, Dec. 22, 1834, ANA, SH, vol. 242, folio 11, p. 175.

97 Subdelegado at Ytapúa to Francia, March 2, 1839, ANA, SH, vol. 378, folio 1, p. 268. In this document, the official notes that he is keeping an eye on Aimé Bonpland, a full eight years after the scientist’s expulsion from Paraguay!