Battle of Martín García (1827)

On 10 December 1825, the Empire of Brazil declared war on the United Provinces due to their support to Uruguayan rebels which contested their rule of Cisplatina; the rebels had pledged their loyalty to the United Provinces during the Congreso de la Florida [es].^[3]

On 21 December, a powerful Imperial fleet under Vice admiral Rodrigo Lobo blockaded Buenos Aires. Over the following months, the smaller Argentine fleet managed to harass the Brazilian fleet and hurt the enemy country's shipping, but never seriously threaten the blockade, especially after their defeat at the Battle of Quilmes in July 1826.^[4]

In January 1827, the situation in the seas continued the same, with the blockade over Buenos Aires remaining active. Argentine forces had occupied the Martín García Island after it had been abandoned by its Brazilian garrison on the wake of the Battle of Colonia del Sacramento. Around that island was one of the three divisions of the Imperial fleet dedicated to blockading the United Provinces.^[5]

On 18 January, the Argentine fleet, led by William Brown, sortied out of Buenos Aires, sailing towards Martín García. There, its 2 brigs, 5 schooners and 8 gunboats met the Brazilian corvette Maceió [pt] and a schooner, the Dois de Dezembro, which had been sent to reinforce the Third Division of the blockade.^[6] After an hour of fighting, the Argentine force withdrew to Martín García; they would return four hours later, but by then the Brazilian force had been reinforced by the arrival of three brigs and three schooners, and, after another hour of fighting, the Argentine fleet withdrew definitely, with several ships damaged.^[1]