Manuel was a small rancher who joined the army of his province at the time of Governor Lucio Norberto Mansilla and supported his successor, Juan León Solas.

He stood out in the Battle of Caaguazú, which was the definitive defeat of Echagüe, and participated in Paz's invasion of Entre Ríos.

The Governor of Entre Ríos, Justo José de Urquiza, confiscated all the assets he had in the province under his control.

He retreated to Corrientes, where Governor Juan Gregorio Pujol, who had promised aid to the invasion shortly before, forced him to surrender and be disarmed.

Hornos came out to cross him before he could join the committed federal gauchos, and defeated him on November 8, 1854, on the El Tala River.

[5] In 1870, he joined the forces returning from the war with Paraguay to confront Ricardo López Jordán's revolution in Entre Ríos.

After the defeat of López Jordán, he settled in Concepción del Uruguay before spending the rest of his life at Buenos Aires, dedicated to running horse races for bets.