Following a series of heavy defeats at the hands of the invading Brazilian, Argentine, and Uruguayan allied forces, Paraguay troops fortified a line of trenches before a fortress at Curupaity. The Allies mounted a 20,000 man attack, supported with a preliminary bombardment from Brazilian ironclads on the nearby river. This bombardment proved insufficient and the 5000 Paraguayan defenders inflicted extremely heavy casualties on the attacking infantry. The Brazilians and the Argentines suffered more than 4000 men killed or wounded, while the defenders lost only fifty-four men killied. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
"Paraguay," The American Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1866 (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1873), 611.