Battle of Jenipapo
1823 CE.
Shown on the map at -4.782°, -42.119°.
The Battle of Jenipapo was fought near the Jenipapo river in the then province of Piauí, on 13 March 1823, between the Imperial Brazilian Army and the Portuguese Army during the Brazilian War of Independence. The battle was decisive for the independence of Brazil and consolidation of its national sovereign. The action involved Brazilian forces from Piauí, Ceará and Maranhão that engaged the Portuguese forces of Major John Fidié José da Cunha, charged with keeping the north of the former Portuguese colony loyal to the Crown. The Brazilians fought with farming tools, and had neither combat experience nor military training. The Piauians lost the battle, but their resistance made the Portuguese troops divert from their original destination. Had Fidié continued the march to Oeiras, the capital of Piauí at that time, the Piauians may not have had sufficient strength to deal with the larger Portuguese forces. It was one of the fiercest and bloodiest battles fought in the Brazilian war of independence. Though widely cited by the historiography, the battle was largerly forgotten, and few Brazilians know of the incident, even in Piauí, where the events occurred.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Jenipapo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.