Luso-Brazilian Army (Part 1)

On the Luso-Brazilian side, native improvisation predominated over the ordinances of the newly created Restoration Army of D. João IV, born with the separation of the Iberian crowns, in 1640. The famous Ambush companies were typically Cabocla response to an adversary known superior, difficult to beat in conventional environment.

The unit of employment was the Terço, divided into companies of 200 men, composed of equal number of pikemen and musketmen. For the battle, the infantry formed squares of 50 pikemen, supported in the vertices by other squares of musketmen.

Unlike their opponents, however, the patriots were characterised by not following rigid procedures of combat. The influence of the Indian, who had chief Antonio Felipe Camarão as the most dignified of representatives, had much to do with this type of heterodox behavior. From the work "Do Recôncavo ao Guararapes" by the then Maj. Antonio de Souza Junior, we highlight an interesting quotation attributed to Ardant du Picq: "You can not prescribe such a method of combat, such as organisation, when the combatant's instinct is in contradiction absolute with the ordered methods". 

The Organisation

The Luso-Brazilians were organised in Terços, the basic infantry unit. Each Terço comprised several sections. Each section had a force of around 100 men and was commanded by a captain. A Terço had 300 to 1,200 men and was commanded by a Mestre de Campo (equivalent to Colonel).

Acording to Manuel de Queiroz Siqueira, published in João Fernandes Vieira, vol. II, de J.A.G. of Mello, the forces that fought in the 1st Battle of Guararapes, 19 April 1648, had approximately the following organisation:

Pernambuco Infantry:

24 companies of Fernandes Vieira ........................ 720 men

5 companies from Paraíba ....................................... 160 men

6 companies from Igaraçu and Goiana ........................ 180 men

Indians of Captain Camarão ............................... 350 men

Africans of Governor Henrique Dias ...................... 300 men

3 Mulatos companies ....................................... 80 men

Total ............. 1,790 men

Bahia Infantry:

16 companies ................................................ 700 men

Army Total ............... 2,490 men

The men of Bahia were presumably commanded by Vidal de Negreiros.

The Queiroz Siqueira report predates the 1st Batalha, and the forces mentioned therein, with minor changes, were those that participated in it.

The section, due to the long war of ambushes, developed great capacity of isolated combat.

This organisation followed general Portuguese structure, but with marked Brazilian influence, the result of 18 years of struggle. It was the "Brasílicca" War.