Battle of Acosta Ñu

Battle of Campo Grande, by Pedro Américo.

Date	August 16, 1869
Location	Eusebio Ayala, Paraguay
Result	Allied victory

Belligerents

Paraguay

Paraguayan Army

Empire of Brazil

Imperial Army

Argentina

Argentine Army

Commanders and leaders

Bernardino Caballero

Count d'Eu

Strength

3,646, 12 cannon

1st and 2nd Corps

Casualties and losses

2,000 killed
1,500 wounded and captured

182 killed
420 wounded

Empire of Brazil

Argentina

The Battle of Acosta Ñu or Campo Grande (Guaraní: Acosta Ñu ñorainõ) was a battle during the Paraguayan War, where, on August 16, 1869, between the Triple Alliance and Paraguay. The Paraguayans used many boys in the fighting, wearing false beards and carrying old weapons.

In the middle of 1869, the Paraguayan Army was on the run and Asunción was under allied occupation. Francisco Solano López, the Paraguayan president, refused to surrender and fled, vowing to keep fighting to the end. The Brazilian commander Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias suggested that the war was militarily over, but Pedro II, the Brazilian emperor, refused to stop the campaign until López surrendered. Caxias resigned and was replaced by the Emperor's son-in-law, Luís Filipe Gastão de Orléans, Count of Eu.

Count d'Eu and the main Allied troops advanced and took Caacupé on August 15, though López had already fled to Caraguatay. In an attempt to block the Paraguayan Army from retreating to Caraguatay, the Count of Eu sent the 2nd Corps via Barrero Grande, while the 1st Corps pursued López.

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