support to the forces on the Uruguay River. Armies On 5 May, after invading the northwest of the province of Corrientes, General Estigarribia sent colonel Pedro Duarte in front of a small advance column to control the bank of the Uruguay River. Duarte took the city of Santo Tomé. Estigarribia's forces followed up and met him there four days latter. The army then crossed the Uruguay River and entered the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul. They left behind them the column of Duarte, with more than 3,000 soldiers to defend Uruguay. Estigarribia advanced unopposed to the south, taking on São Borja and Itaqui. In the meantime, Estigarribia's column was attacked and partially destroyed on the outskirts of São Borja, in the battle of Butuí. Some of the Paraguayan forces were stationed in São Tomé and São Borja while Duarte was heading south. Urquiza ordered Paunero to join him in Concordia, but the leader delayed the completion of Urquiza's orders. On June 4 the troops of Urquiza, who refused to fight the Paraguayans on the grounds of being considered allies against Brazil (which Argentina had frayed relations with), were disbanded. Uruguayan president and general Venancio Flores, fresh from his triumph over the Blanco party, marched to join Urquiza with 2,750 men. In addition, the Brazilian forces, commanded by lieutenant colonel Joaquim Rodrigues Coelho Nelly, numbering 1,200 men, were heading their way. They met on July 13. At the first meeting Flores was given the Line Cavalry Regiment "San Martín", with 450 men, plus one Uruguayan artillery squadron with 140 men. In total, Flores had 4,540 troops—not nearly enough to confront the Paraguayan columns. Flores, Duarte and Estigarribia marched slowly to meet and engage in battle, while Paunero's 3,600 men began a march through swamps and rivers, swiftly crossing the southern province of Entre Ríos to join Flores. In addition, 1,400 cavalry soldiers from Corrientes under the command of general Juan Madariaga joined their forces. Finally, colonel Simeón Paiva, with 1,200 men, closely followed the column of Duarte. Estigarribia had a chance to destroy all his enemies one by one, but missed. He also disobeyed orders from López, who ordered him to continue on his way to Alegrete. On August 5 he went to Uruguaiana and ordered his troops to reorganize and gather supplies. The Brazilian forces of general David Canabarro, too few to attack the column of 5,000 men