Roca at Curupaytí
Julio Argentino Roca participated in the Battle of Curupaytí, where our troops were defeated. This is how General Garmendia described that return:
“I saw Sarmiento dead – Dominguito, son of the hero –, carried in a blanket by four wounded soldiers: that livid face, full of mud, had the brutal appearance of death (…)
I saw in the distance that Roca came out alone with a torn flag; Around that glorious banner reigned the emptiness of the tomb. When he approached and avoided his sullen horse, I could make out that one of them was riding on his rump: it was Solier covered in blood. Friend had saved friend.
Rivas, so brave on that day as a General on the battlefield, I saw him moaning because of his wound. Anomaly of the brave: many times his own blood troubles them far from the heat of the slaughter.
Ayala, Calvete, Victorica, Mansilla (...) and who knows how many more, all wounded, dripping blood, retreated in silence (...).
That procession of bloody rags was endless, among which was headless Darragueira; of dying people, of unbreakable heroes, of shattered harmonies, of pieces without artillerymen, of horses without restraints (...).
Then it was that the commander-in-chief [Mitre] with his General Staff appeared before my eyes, fatigued by so much horror (...) then I just emotionally suffered the gloomy silence of the soul, that loneliness of ghosts of defeat, and I understood for the first time “In my life what was a great national disaster”
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