The governor of Corrientes was a federal like Rosas, but the province was allied with the Unitarian generals Juan Lavalle and José María Paz.

The provinces most affected by this policy were the ones with ports on the Paraná River, but Santa Fe and Entre Ríos were firmly allied with Buenos Aires; which made Corrientes fight alone on the defense of the "riverine federalism".

Ferré put all the remaining resources of the province under General José María Paz, who had a long Unitarian history.

Paz had increased the size of his army with fleeing soldiers from Lavalle's, and Ferré had signed an alliance with Santa Fe's governor, brigadier Juan Pablo López.

Echagüe stayed in the south of the province for several weeks, reaching the Corriente River and waiting for the opportunity to attack with an advantage.

At the start of the battle, Echagüe had more than 5,000 men (1,000 of them infantry) and 12 artillery pieces, under the command of Colonel Servando Gómez and other experienced officers, but he did not have the best of his generals, brigadier Justo José de Urquiza.

The Corrientes cavalry attacked on the right flank, under General Manuel Ramírez, and defeated the demoralized and weakened forces he confronted.

Argentina's entire littoral was left open for the advance of Corrientes forces, which were now made stronger by the captured weaponry.