MEXICO. 



497 



hundred men, abandoned thoir command 

 a hody, and nrrendered to the Government. 



Tli<- national Congress adjourned on the 81st 

 of May. 1'iv-idriit Juarez, in his closinp mes- 

 sage, said tho revolutionists in San LnisPotosi 

 ami Zacateoas had been reduced to petty 

 kinds, and that measures had been taken by 

 t he ( Jovernment, in cooperation with Congress, 

 which wduld prove of great benefit to the 

 country in future. Tho financial exigencies of 

 the. times, however, had not been fully pro- 

 vided for. Owing to the recent invasion of 

 Mexican soil by tho Guatemalians, President 

 .Juarez asked for a special session of Congress, 

 but this request was denied. 



On the llth of May a disastrous earthquake 

 took place at Miahutta. All tho churches and 

 nearly all tho dwellings of the town and vi- 

 cinity were destroyed. Near Pochutta the 

 roads were blocked up by immense rocks which 

 had fallen from tho mountain-sides. Tho loss 

 of life was considerable. 



General Martinez, having been abandoned 

 by his troops at San Luis Potosi, succeeded 

 in rallying two thousand fresh revolution- 

 \\ ith whom he fought his way with va- 

 rying success to tho Mexican border, where 

 ho invested tho city of Matamoras. The 

 appearance of tho rebels before the city oc- 

 casioned the greatest alarm among tho inhabit- 

 ants, although a strong force, under General 

 Palacios occupied the place, and a large num- 

 ber of the inhabitants of the town and the 

 neighboring country fled across the river, to 

 seek refuge on American soil. The town of 

 Brownsville, opposite Matamoras, in particular, 

 was soon filled with American refugees. By a 

 rapid concentration of troops the generals of 

 the national Government succeeded, however, 

 in routing the rebel General Martinez, and in 

 capturing a number of prominent officers be- 

 longing to his command. 



The city of Guaymas was surprised on the 

 28th of May, by an armed-force under Colonel 

 Viscayno, whose command was in the interest 

 of General Placido Vega. The troops landed 

 from the steamer Forward, formerly an Eng- 

 lish gunboat, and entered the city without op- 

 position. The collector of customs was seized, 

 possession of tho custom-house taken, and no- 

 tice given to the citizens to pay the outstanding 

 dues, which were estimated at $100,000, and 

 which amount was collected. The invader 

 carried away two vessels, and 5,000 muskets 

 which they had seized in the city. The United 

 States consul protested against the seizure of 

 the arms. Forty tons of coal were taken from 

 the Northern Transportation Company, and a 

 draft on Ortis Brothers given in payment. A 

 demand for $25,000 was made upon the same 

 firm, and the money not forthcoming, $50,000 

 of merchandise was seized. The Government 

 troops appearing on the 29th, Viscayno evacu- 

 ated the place, the Forward steaming ont of 

 the harbor with the sailing-vessels in tow. 

 During the occupation order was maintained, 

 VOL. x. 82 A 



and foreigners were unmolested. The prison- 

 ers were all released, with the exception of 

 Mcjia, of the Paymaster's Department, a son of 

 the Minister of War. The Tinted States consul 



replied that his 



orders were positive to keep him prisoner. 



At the request of the Mexican authorities, the 

 United States consul at Guaymas sent the I 

 States steamer-of-war Mohican in pursuit of 

 the steamer Forward, as it was thought that 

 tho latter would visit La Puz, San Bias, Mazat- 

 Ian, and other points. The steamer Mohican 

 came up with the Forward near the mouth of 

 tho river Teceapane. The Forward, drawing 

 but little water, steamed up the river, and tin, 

 commander of the Mohican, in view of the im- 

 possibility of passing the bar at the mouth oft lie 

 river, immediately manned the small boats for 

 the purpose of continuing the pursuit of the For- 

 wiird. Of this expedition Lieutenant J. M.Wain- 

 wright, of tho Mohican, was placed in com- 

 mand by the officer commanding the United 

 States war-vessel. On reaching a distance 

 about forty miles from the sea, the Forward 

 was discovered in the river apparently at an- 

 chor and abandoned. Lieutenant Wainwright, 

 therefore, ordered her to be boarded, and in so 

 doing tho moment he and his men reached her 

 deck, they were fired upon from the bushes 

 along the banks of the river, with artillery and 

 musketry, resulting in tho killing of Lieutenant 

 Wainwright, one seaman, nnd the wounding of 

 five other seamen. The lieutenant did not die 

 immediately, but was able to order the Forward 

 to be set on fire, which was accordingly done, 

 when they retired from her in the boats on 

 which they came. The pirate was burned up 

 completely. Viscayno, the commander of the 

 expedition, had gone on shore with his men 

 and arms, and it was his force which fired 

 upon Wainwright. 



An exciting discussion was kept up by the 

 press of the capital and the country as to the 

 right of American men-of-war to exercise au- 

 thority in one of the rivers of Mexican terri- 

 tory, forty miles from the mouth thereof. In 

 defence of the Americans, it was urged that 

 the pirate Forward had on board property 

 of American citizens, tnken piratically from 

 American merchants at Guaymas, to the 

 amount of about $18,000, and that, in tho ab- 

 sence of Mexican war-vessels on tho coast, tho 

 Mexican authorities, Davelas and Sepulveda, 

 had admitted their inability to protect not only 

 the interests of foreign merchants along the 

 coast, but those of their own nationality, and 

 had accordingly requested the commander of 

 the Mohican to give chase to the Forward. 



Early in July the rebel Generals Negrcto and 

 Villa were captured. As Negrete is one of 

 the most popular Mexican generals, petitions 

 for his pardon were sent in from all parts of 

 the country, and many of the public journals 

 strongly supported the popular demand for his 

 release. The prisoner had been taken to jail, 

 but, as the Government feared his forcible liber- 



