First Battle of Guararapes

The Battle of Guararapes

Date	19 April 1648
Location	Pernambuco, Brazil
Result	Portuguese victory

Belligerents

Dutch Republic

Portugal

Brazilian Colonial Forces

Commanders and leaders

Sigismund van Schoppe (WIA)

Francisco Barreto de Meneses

Strength

5,000
5 cannons

2,000

Casualties and losses

1,000 men killed, wounded or captured
1 cannon captured

80 killed
400 wounded

Portugal

The First Battle of Guararapes was a battle in a conflict called the Pernambucana Insurrection, between Dutch and Portuguese forces in Pernambuco, in a dispute for the dominion of that part of the Portuguese colony of Brazil.

On April 18, 1648, around forty five hundred Dutch soldiers and five artillery pieces marched south, coming from Recife. On their way south, they eliminated a small defensive outpost on the village of Barreta. The few survivors regrouped at the village of Arraial Novo do Bom Jesus, headquarters of the Pernambucana resistance, where they reported the incident.

Commanders of the resistance called for a march of 2,000 combatants towards the Guararapes ("Drums" in native language) Hills against an enemy better equipped and in superior numbers.

Sigismund van Schoppe, the Dutch commander, experienced in Brazilian campaigns where he used to fight since he was a Captain, intended to proceed to the South, targeting initially the village of Muribeca - a key point to reach Santo Agostinho Cape. His plan was to isolate the resistance troops from reserves and supplies that might have come from the South, and then have them destroyed by his superior force.

Francisco Barreto de Meneses, the Portuguese commander (Mestre-de-Campo-General) had recently arrived to that region and decided to follow his subordinate's suggestions: they would go to their enemy instead, and force the Dutch troops into a decisive encounter. This was a bold move, considering they were in half the numbers of their adversaries, and had no artillery. At this point, information sent from the fallen Barreta outpost had come to them, and they knew exactly the size and equipment available to the Dutch forces.

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Wikipedia