U.S. Paraguay expedition departs under Shubrick

Background. President Buchanan announced in December 1857 that he would demand redress from Paraguay in a firm but conciliatory manner, backed by force if necessary. This followed the 1855 incident where USS Water Witch was fired upon near Fort Itapirú. A joint resolution of Congress in June 1858 authorized the President to obtain satisfaction using force, leading to the dispatch of the squadron.

Command and Deployment. Commodore William Shubrick, a Navy officer with service in the War of 1812 and Mexican-American War, sailed in October 1858 to command the fleet. The expedition was sent without adequate investigation of facts or Paraguay's defensive capabilities. Units began arriving in Montevideo, Uruguay, in December 1858, though the specific departure date from Montevideo is not explicitly stated in the provided passages.

Resolution. By November 1858, the U.S. cabinet recognized that Paraguay intended to fight if attacked. The expedition's movements spanned into 1859, with USS Fulton arriving in Asunción in January 1859. The controversy was not determined until August 1860, when hearings of an international arbitral commission began in Washington D.C.