Antônio Fernandes Lima (1803-1875) was a Brazilian Colonel of the Paraguayan War. He commanded the 1st Brigade during the war as well as being the main Brazilian commander at the

Battle of São Borja The battle of São Borja was fought on 10 June 1865 at the beginning of the Paraguayan invasion of Rio Grande do Sul during the Paraguayan War. Battle Even after the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Riachuelo, the Paraguayan soldiers cont ...

Early Military Career

Antônio was born on July 27, 1803, as the son of Francisco Fernandes Lima and Isabel Francisca do Amor Divino. He was baptized in 1804 at the Oratory of Santa Maria da Boca do Monte. He enlisted in 1819 in the 23rd Line Infantry Regiment before being transferred to the 4th Cavalry Corps of the National Guard. He was promoted to ensign in 1836, Lieutenant in 1837, Captain in 1838, Major in 1842, Lieutenant Colonel in 1844 and to Colonel in 1858. Lima then participated in the Ragamuffin War as part of the 4th Corps along with Lieutenant Colonel Demétrio Ribeiro as part of several transportation in the war.

Paraguayan War

During the Paraguayan War, Lima was given command of the first barracks at Itaqui which was made out of stone and covered with tiles with Lima personally contributing to the construction of the fort. When the

Paraguayan Army To win or to die , march= Marcha al Mariscal Lopez , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= War of the Triple AllianceChaco WarParaguayan People's Army insurgency , anniversaries= 24 of July (Mariscal Lopez Birthday) , decorations= , ba ...

invaded Itaqui and

São Borja São Borja is a city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. São Borja is the oldest municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and was founded in 1682 by the Jesuits as the first of the Seven Points of the Missions, and named ...

which commenced the

. Despite being warned about the invasion, Lima didn't expect the Paraguayan forces to arrive as quickly as the Press were reporting them to move at and only sent a meager 2,000 to defend the barracks which resulted in the Paraguayans capturing and looting the village. Lima was criticized by the Press for his relative passivity at São Borja with Souza Docca being a major critic of Lima and was relieved of his position.

Later years

On July 30, 1866, Lima requested to continue his permit on his business house at São Borja along with his third wife, Maria Eulalia. He spent his final years in the religious neighborhoods of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Divino Espírito Santo at Itaqui and donated $500,000 for the construction of a new church before his death in 1875.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lima, Antônio Fernandes 1803 births 1875 deaths Brazilian colonels People from Cachoeira do Sul Brazilian Roman Catholics 19th-century Brazilian military personnel Brazilian military personnel of the Paraguayan War People from São Borja