Last Saturday morning, as he took some mates with my daughter, I was reading a story published in the Diario La Nacion The author is Jorge Fernández Díaz, one of the writers and journalists that I like to read, for the passion he conveys with his stories.
On the eve of the 198 anniversary of the Battle of Tucumán amazing Manuel Belgrano won, and why the revolution succeeded Argentina, this writer speaks of battle courage and miracles.
"You see, we had everything to lose that day, but still we could not wait to get out to the slaughter. Had not yet dawned, and the general came and went giving orders in the dark. Any of us, the simple soldiers of that day, I knew that our boss had no fucking idea about tactics and strategy. That was a man of books and laws, but had accepted the challenge obedient to lead the Northern Army and the car to stop them Goths. We also knew, by hearsay, that the enemy was driving with short leash an American traitor Pio Tristan, born in Arequipa and educated in Spain, we came on the heels of 3000 imperial army guys and we had to empty and to let them burn scorched earth Jujuy. Very sad, you see. It was in early August 1812. And the general ordered the villagers to take whatever they could and destroy everything else. I tell the truth retobar which could be executed without further delay. There were not many alternatives. We help herd the cattle and crops burned. I myself saw with my own eyes, sir, at the end when there was nothing and nobody Belgrano rode out of town and stood at the head of the column. We were silent, bitter taste, and shots when we had to cross the English advanced fucked our rear on the banks of the river Las Piedras. The general commanded the cavalry, hunters, and dark brown. Meta bullet and steel. And finally, the Goths did not give them the legs to run, sir, I swear. We suspected that we were attacked very little, but we had been in the doldrums, give them the wood and emerge victorious was a blow to pride.
I'll tell you the truth: when Belgrano took a group of men were demoralized, poorly armed and poorly entertained. And on reaching Tucuman not think we improved a lot, even marched with high morale. There you have a reedy voice that doc, we got used to the discipline and rigor, and we breathed courage, confidence and dignity. Although the rows chupábamos us the finger, sir. Pio Tristan legions following us with professional, knew more of war and would fall on us from time to time.
We learned from a chef who even the government of Buenos Aires had given the order not to give battle Belgrano and continue to Cordoba. But the general had decided to disobey and be strong in Tucumán. Ranks ahead with the mission to warn the people that and entered to win the support of the most important families and also to recruit every man who could wield a weapon. There were few guns, and had almost no swords or bayonets, and that four spears and bolas gauchos brought great zeal to learn the rudiments of chivalry. We looked at with suspicion, for what I am going to lie. "And these poor gauchos are you going to do when we come over Goths?." The difficult we do not know if he realizes. And some days we were fortifying the city, setting up the defense, digging ditches and trenches, and exercising. "I'm going to battle out of town and unfortunate case lock myself up in the square to finish with honor, "he told his aides Belgrano. The news spread like wildfire. You have no idea what is waiting for death, night after night, until the moment of truth. It is one a metallic taste in the mouth is invisible sticks a knife in the stomach and was up, forgive me, the balls to the throat. One does not think much in the hours prior. Just want to start the action once for all and just pass that has to happen.
The general finally got us moving in the early hours of 24. We move in silence until a shoal known as Campo de las Carreras and there we were collecting urine and ready to go to slaughter when the sun came out and found that the three thousand imperial we had a cannon shot.
for the first time I looked at that crucial moment Belgrano, sir, and I saw him pale and determined. Just three days ago had taught him to deploy the infantry left three columns while the poor artillery was located in the gaps. It was the only development that had been exercised in the city. But infants did to perfection, as if they were inexperienced but veterans. The general then ordered the cavalry advance and touch passing attack: the infants heard one touch and penetrated bayonet. And sooner or later, do not remember, Belgrano ordered our artillery opened fire. Several rows of maturrangos collapsed. Body parts flying through the air and heard the screams of pain.
I can not tell exactly because all these movements were very confusing. Goths just know that we doubled in number, but they also wind up the left wing and center. And the right wing screams pierced us and saber. Cannons thundered and shiver rose crackling musketry. Everything became a mess. We killed, sir, with blind fury and you can not imagine what was the entry into combat the gauchos. Charged to the hit, horned with knives and spears colorful ponchos, screaming and banging loudly hitting the guard. They looked like demons from hell: trampled Goths, crossed like butter, rolled over, came up behind, slashed right and left, and plundered the enemy cars. These gauchos were gross. Gross and courageous, but that looting the distracted and scattered. Say that the winds were that day on our part. And this mean it is not just a figure, sir. This is the truth. You see, in the midst of the melee weapon is a violent gale that shakes the trees and up a cloud of dust. And I do not going to believe it but before it reached the dense wind came a swarm of locusts. Suddenly the sky darkened, sir. Thousands and thousands of lobsters stuck in front of the English and the Upper Peruvian court that made them. The peasants more or less knew what it was, but foreigners do not quite understand what was happening. God, who is Creole, the machine-gunned to langostazos. It looked like a hail of gunfire in the middle of a blinding dust. I swear I will not lie. An apocalypse of insects, wind and water mysterious, because it also started raining. Our enemies believe we were much more than them and we had the support of Beelzebub. Many ran of terror in the forests. And with both batifondo, you know what, we just realized that our right was being defeated and arming a large hammer to attack on that flank.
We, we were a bit undone, we are then in the middle of the field and taking prisoners for four hands. Each other we had lost sight of, and the general rode asking questions and feels that the lines were cut. Intersected scattered in all directions and interrogated to understand if the battle was won or lost. And they all answered him the same thing: "We have overcome the enemy that we had up front." Belgrano remained grave as if we had gone mad or if we were you getting the dog. And not even a shot was heard, and while our head back to the city, Tristan was rearming in the south. The land was full of blood and dead bodies and abandoned cannons. But the threat remained while many patriots had to fall back on the plaza, occupying the trenches and prepare to resist until death. Believing that miserable Goth who owned the intimate situation surrender and warned that the city catch fire if not delivered. Our people responded that it would take a knife to the four prisoners. They knew that Belgrano had been bringing in the cavalry.
Overnight joining forces, hunting Goths, Dissentencing agonizing and supplies in the suburbs. I have no words to narrate how were those tense hours. A battle does not end is a real pain, sir. Again longed for the sun to make it what God wanted. It was better to die to keep waiting.
Breaking the sun, the general was coupled to 500 loyalists. Not even the birds could be heard that morning of September 25 and the head sent into the south to form the line against the enemy. We were face to face and cross country. We were even and, after so much killing, now the question was really for everyone. Belgrano was who this time summoned a surrender. They proposed that the realistic peace in the name of American brotherhood. Tristan replied that he preferred death to shame. Presumptuous son of a bitch, we gnashed their teeth in anger. "They should be nervous," said my lieutenant. When a rooster crows he's afraid. "
look at Belgrano awaiting orders to load, but the doc had an attack of prudence. Maybe he thought he was not guaranteed a victory, and could not risk all in a muddle. In these apronte and doubts were all day, cursing under his breath and clinging to our guns. At night, the English were fled. They had lost 61 officers. They left behind more than six hundred prisoners, 400 rifles, seven pieces of artillery, three flags and two banners. And the main thing: 450 dead. We had lost 80 men and had 200 wounded.
Belgrano ordered that we followed them and chop the rear. The royalists were tired, hungry, thirsty and in search of shelter. And we chased them sword and spear, and those left behind guns. Do not tell the adventures we live in those hours between attacks and beheadings, in and out, winning and losing, because it dries my mouth just remember, sir.
returned to Tucumán with sixty other prisoners and many of our comrades rescued from the clutches of the Upper Peruvian. We were, at that time, the glorious art division, and upon entering the town, dusty and tired, we saw that the people of Tucumán marched in procession and joined to it silently. There was the very general Belgrano, who was a devout man, next to Our Lady of Mercy and the way to the Campo de las Carreras, where the gauchos, infants, dragons, and dark brown, the gunners and the locusts had beaten Grande Army.
Believe me, sir, that I was there too when the general ordered to stop the Virgin who carried on a stretcher. And when, before the crowd, broke away from his baton and placed it to Our Lady in their hands. A restrained tucumano said in a whisper, he had appointed General of the Army, and Tucumán was "the tomb of tyranny." The procession took its course, but we were scared shitless by this gesture of humility.
had disobeyed the government and had had his way against a professional army that doubled in number and experience, but the general was not vulnerable to these details, no pride or glory. Did not believe the expertise triumph. I wrote down all the credit for the deed to the Virgin protective and did not even care to hide it before the crowd.
We do not know the truth, we had saved the American Revolution, nor that the sky had guided our strategist's view or that God had commanded those winds and those lobsters. Remember soldiers were simple and did not believe in miracles. We came from Goths and Upper Peruvian tea by the plain and all we wanted at that time was a glass of wine and a cool, shaded place. But that boss looked fragile and inexperienced and we saw it as a giant. And the funny thing, you see, is that despite leather tanning and hard heart of any old soldier, many of us started the tears over the hill. Because Belgrano was exactly that. A giant, sir. A giant. "
We do not know the truth, we had saved the American Revolution, nor that the sky had guided our strategist's view or that God had commanded those winds and those lobsters. Remember soldiers were simple and did not believe in miracles. We came from Goths and Upper Peruvian tea by the plain and all we wanted at that time was a glass of wine and a cool, shaded place. But that boss looked fragile and inexperienced and we saw it as a giant. And the funny thing, you see, is that despite leather tanning and hard heart of any old soldier, many of us started the tears over the hill. Because Belgrano was exactly that. A giant, sir. A giant. "
Reading it I noticed the attention and curiosity of my daughter to continue the story. When stopped reading for further fattening mate, asked me in a hurry to continue reading. This reaction Carolina, a 14-year-old was eager to know how the story of a battle for almost 200 years ago, is credited with a great writer.
Fernandez is a skeptical journalist and emotional, faithful witness of his time.
is a writer who has published several books, among which are:
- The assassination of left wing (1987)
- Bernardo Neustadt: the man who invented himself (1993)
- The Dilemma the heroes (1997)
- Mama, an intimate story (2002)
- Fernández (2006)
- Hearts Untied (2007)
- The Lodge of Cadiz (2008)
- The dilemma of heroes ( 2009)
