“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

To recover his own property in Uruguay from Gándara and others, Bica equally
depended on his alliances with prominent colorados in Salto. Flores’ invasion offered Bica a
chance to restore his ranching operations, personal reputation and political prominence in
Uruguay. Despite his past commercial ties to Urquiza, Bica switched his allegiance to Mitre’s
coalition in Corrientes. He supported the 1861 liberal uprising overthrowing the correntino
government. 228 Bica’s support for Mitre almost certainly reflected a strategic calculation that
the latter’s success in Argentina would open the doors for an invasion across the river into
Uruguay. Bica then actively supported Flores’ invasion, using his property along the
Brazilian and Uruguayan border to support the colorado caudillo’s initial operations. 229 He
further ensured that the jurisdictions under his sway in Corrientes actively participated in
Flores’ campaign. In several letters informing Mitre of the reaction in Corrientes to events
in Uruguay, Mitre’s correntino ally Cáceres reported that Bica’s district of Monte Caseros was a
hotbed of colorado recruitment and support. 230 Bica appeared to be at the center of events
across the borderlands as Flores’ campaign against his blanco rivals began.
The Brazilian factional struggles to secure private law rights for their allies in the
Estado Oriental now also converged with Flores’ campaign. Bica’s support for Flores
228 AGPC. C.O., T. 204, Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores al S.S. el Sor. Gobernador de la
Provincia de Corrientes Dr. D. M. G. Lagraña (January 9, 1865). Details of Bica’s service
emerged when he attempted to claim damages through the Brazilian consulate for losses in
the province. His rivals argued that by virtue of his service in the Argentine Army as a
lieutenant colonel under Mitre, Bica had forfeited his Brazilian citizenship. Once again, the
ambiguities of borderlands connections and national legal categories appeared to converge
around Bica.
229 Comisiaria de Policía de la 7º Seccion Juan Ugarte al Sor. Gefe Político y de Policía del
Departamento, D. Antonio Sagarra (March 30, 1863); AGN. Salto. Jefatura; Comisiaria de Policía
de la 7º Seccion Juan Ugarte al Sor. Gefe Político y de Policía del Departamento, D. Antonio Sagarra,
AGN. Salto. Jefatura (July 3, 1863). The latter letter noted that Bica had traveled to Entre
Ríos to support Flores.
230 Bartolomé Mitre and Jorge Adolfo Mitre, Archivo del General Mitre (Buenos Aires:
Biblioteca de "La Nación", 1911), vol. 25, 183-85.
254