The story

Farroupilha Revolution (continued)

Farroupilha Revolution (continued)

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The Republic

Bento Gonçalves, then surrounding Porto Alegre, receives the news of the proclamation of the Republic and the appointment of his name as the only candidate for president.

He then decides to bypass the provincial capital to join Netto's victorious commandos. When he crosses the Jacuí River on the island of Fanfa, he has more than a thousand men ambushed by Bento Manuel and the English squadron John Grenfell. Bento Gonçalves, Onofre Pires, Pedro Boticario, Corte Real and Livio Zambeccari, the main chiefs in the place, are arrested, and the troops are routed. The imperial government, after this victory, offers amnesty to the rebels to end the conflict once and for all. Netto, however, concentrated troops on record Piratini, the capital of the Republic, and decided to continue the fight.

Piratini Government Headquarters

Bento Gonçalves was chosen president of the Republic, but until his return, Gomes Jardim took over the government, organizing the structure of the ministries. Six were created: Farm, Justice, Exterior, Interior, Navy and War. Each minister took care of two ministries by economy measure.

By the end of 1836, without its leader and with the central government making amnesty proposals, the revolution was losing its steam, but in early 1837 Regent Feijó appointed Brigadier Antero de Brito as president of the province. This, accumulating the position of Military Commander, began to persecute the supporters of the movement in Porto Alegre and treat the rags harshly. But these acts have given back to the rebels, who have since won a string of victories. The imperial cavalry defected in January 1837 in Rio Pardo, and Lages in Santa Catarina was taken shortly after. In March, Antero de Brito had Bento Manoel arrested for finding him not very strict with the Republic. But Bento Manoel decided to arrest him and move back to the ragamuffin side. A month later, Netto, with over a thousand men, seized Caçapava's imperial arsenal, capturing weapons of all kinds and winning the adhesion of many soldiers from the local garrison. And on April 30, Rio Pardo, then the most populous city in the province, was taken.

In October, news came that Bento Gonçalves had fled Salvador's Forte do Mar, taking over the presidency on December 16. It was the height of the Republic. The reduction of fighting, the structuring of basic services - post office, foreign policy, tax authorities - gave the impression that the state of Rio Grande was on its way to consolidation.

But 1838 was not the year of victory as the rags hoped. Despite another victory in Rio Pardo, the failure to take Rio Grande and the lack of conditions to conquer Porto Alegre undercut the hopes of the Republicans. Most of the bullshit victories this year were in guerrilla fighting and skirmishes without strategic importance. With Piratini threatened, the capital is transferred to Caçapava in January 1839.


On January 24, 1837, Giuseppe Garibaldi left the prison where he had gone to visit Bento Gonçalves carrying a Corsican letter giving him the right to seize ships on behalf of the Rio Grande Republic, allocating half the value of the cargo to the government of the Republic. Still in Rio, he takes the ship "Luiza", renaming it "Farroupilha". It is the first boat of the Armada Rio-Grandense. After many adventures (imprisonment in Uruguay, torture in Buenos Aires), Garibaldi appears in Piratini in late 1837. Upon arriving in the farroupilha capital, he is given a mission: to build boats and make corsairs against empire ships. Two months later, he presents two lanchões: "Rio Pardo" and "Independência". But there was a big problem: the absence of ports. With Rio Grande and Sao Jose do Norte occupied by the enemy, and Montevideo under pressure from the imperial government, the rags plan to seize Laguna in Santa Catarina. The idea was a simultaneous attack by sea and by land. But how to get out of Lagoa dos Patos? John Grenfell attacked the ragged shipyard, but Garibaldi escaped with the "Farroupilha" and "Seival" Lanchões along the Capivari River, northeast of the Lagoon. This resulted in the most fantastic event of the war, and perhaps one of the most brilliant combat moves in history. Giant wheels were put on the boats, and they were transported by land, carried by oxen, to Tramandaí, approximately 80km from the starting point. . The transport was made through fields muddy by winter rains.

Wheelchairs crossing

The attack is made by surprise, with David Canabarro overland and Garibaldi aboard the "Seival" (the Farroupilha sank in Araranguá-SC) and results in the conquest of the city and the seizure of 14 merchant ships, which are added to the "Seival". , and guns, cannons and uniforms. On July 29, 1839 is proclaimed the Julian Republic, installed in a town house. But the dream lasted only four months. With Laguna's victory, the rags decided to try to conquer Desterro on the island of Santa Catarina. But they are surprised in full concentration and retreat with heavy material losses. The Corsican ships, however, go further. "Seival", "Caçapava" and the new "Rio Pardo" go to Santos, on the São Paulo coast. Finding higher forces, they return to Imbituba-SC.

Julian Republic Headquarters in Laguna-SC

On November 15, 1839, a heavy attack on Laguna, with navy, infantry and cavalry, resulted in the complete destruction of the farroupilha squad and the retaking of the city. All chiefs of the Rio Grande navy are killed, except Garibaldi. David Canabarro retreats to Torres, while another part of the ground forces goes to Lages, where they resist until the early 1840s.