Sarandi, Ytusaingo, Rincón de las Gallinas Gaucho button

Fructuoso de Rivera had been honored by Emperor Dom Pedro I with the title of Baron of Tacuarembó. Until that moment, he had served under the command of the Brazilian general Lecor, but he made the swift decision to switch sides along with his Oriental (Uruguayan) troops, taking command of one of the columns that, in coordination with those of Lavalleja, advanced toward the town of Mercedes, on the Río Negro, with the purpose of fighting the Brazilian Brigadier Abreu.

One of the leaders of these forces was also Colonel Andrés Latorre, who would later go on to occupy important political roles. On September 24, 1825, a clash occurred between the two armies at Rincón de las Gallinas, also known as Rincón de Haedo. As a result, the Eastern troops seized all of Abreu’s cavalry, effectively immobilizing him. A rastra button, manufactured considerably later in Europe, references this battle among others from that campaign—such as the one that took place on October 12 of the same year in Sarandí, and the decisive one at Ituzaingó, which we will discuss next.

The Uruguayan rastra button mentions the three decisive battles. Over time, this piece has been offered by various auction houses as a military award.

From: Chao, Fernando. Premios y condecoraciones en territorio uruguayo 1807–1830 / Fernando Chao. – 1st ed. – Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires: Mercedes Chao Cabanellas, 2021.