Bernd 09/24/2020 (Thu) 02:38:25 No.40265 del
Picking up from where I left.
Early in the morning word of the rebellion reaches General Muricy in Rio, and after 09:00 he's already speeding like a madman to join. On the road he notices two things:
-Carlos Lacerda had already fortified the gubernatorial palace and was therefore informed;
-A cleaning lady entered the 1st Tank Battalion's quarters on Avenida Brasil. Therefore it, and by extension the government, was not in readiness.
Along the way he examines terrain to identify defensible positions and passes the vanguard company. As soon as he arrives in Juiz de Fora Mourão Filho hands him command of the newly-formed Tiradentes Detachment. This wasn't very popular with the other officers.
Two partners brought on his car formed part of his staff, which might be related to his political role as Castelo Branco's hand in the theater.
The Detachment got on the road at 12:30 and by 17:00 reached the Paraibuna, which was already occupied by the 3rd Company. Well, not the full Detachment, but only what already was in Juiz de Fora, centered on the 10th Infantry and the 2nd Police. The rest arrived in Juiz de Fora part by part, the 11th Infantry by 16-18:00 and the battalion of the 12th Infantry by 22:00. Not only was this battalion very late, but it arrived with almost no equipment and had to be given food, money, heavy weapons and fuel. Sheer incompetence by the regimental commander and Guedes, though Mourão Filho pondered if they weren't sabotaging him.
There was a minor screening on the left flank, towards further east on the Paraíba river, by a company of the 2nd Police (most reputable source) or the 5th and 9th Police (what Muricy remembers). Not really necessary as there were zero enemy forces in that direction.

With his army on the border, at 17:00 Mourão Filho called the media and officially declared his insurrection. A manifesto was issued including references to communism though according to him the actual text issued was not his work and he never considered the President a communist. What he called for was to have him ousted and a successor named according to the legal process. He probably did want a continuation of the constitutional regime, but wouldn't have a say on what came next. Soon the Governor issued his own declaration: he was fighting to restore the legality the federal government itself was violating.

On its part, communiqués by the President and Minister of War announced there was a rebellion in Minas Gerais and units of the First Army had been moved to quell it, with victory imminent. Mourão Filho and Guedes were relieved of their posts. Curiously they cited Guedes, lower rank, before Mourão Filho, a breach of etiquette the Minister of War (who was in the hospital) would never commit.