Empire of Brazil. The 3, poorly armed Paraguayans, mostly boys between nine and 15 years old many wearing false beards , old men and wounded combatants, confronted 20, Brazilian veteran soldiers. The battle started at The initial charge was led by the Allied 1st Corps infantry, supported by artillery.
As the Paraguayans retreated across the Yagari River, the 4th Cavalry Brigade made a right flanking movement. Meanwhile, the 2nd Corps reached the Paraguayan rear, which left them no means to retreat. Children were said to cling to the legs of Brazilian soldiers amidst the raging battle, pleading for mercy, only to be decapitated without hesitation. Once all flanks collapsed, the wounded children tried to flee the battlefield alongside their relatives.
Yet the Brazilian commander ordered his cavalry to cut the retreat and set the battlefield ablaze, including the field hospital. Large numbers of children died because of these actions. In Paraguay , Children's Day is celebrated on August From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Paraguayan War. Osprey Publishing. Hidden categories: Paraguay articles missing geocoordinate data All articles needing coordinates. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history.
In other projects Wikimedia Commons. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Part of the Paraguayan War.
Date August 16, Eusebio Ayala, Paraguay. Paraguay Paraguayan Army. Bernardino Caballero. Count d'Eu.
