

50.'j 



to l,i- relieved of liia command, be- 

 sets. In his account of 

 I (irant, In- iniim.itcd 

 improperly intlii.Tici.-il 



by the merchants of Matamoras, consisting 



of Imperiali-ts, and men who had 



.luring tin- American 



Escobedo 



that they would never be puid 

 fur t! that they h:il fiirni.-licd Canales 



itimato authority of the Repub- 

 - df (iciieral Sedgwick's oooop*- 

 i' Matamoras was received with no little 

 ^faction in the United States, not so much 

 becan<e he had appeared to support Canales as 

 -t Escobedo, as because ho had ventured 

 y respect to interfere on either side. The 

 jwblie were looking forward with some anx- 

 i the departure of the first detachment of 

 h troops from Mexico, and it was ap- 

 prehended that this unquestionable violation of 

 the neutrality which had been stipulated for by 

 Nap!con during the evacuation of the country, 

 would be seized upon as a pretext for retaining 

 the expeditionary force there another year, and 

 possibly of increasing it. The prompt repu- 

 diation of the act, however, by the United 

 (iovernment seems to have satisfied Na- 

 poleon that General Sedg wick's interference 

 indertaken on his own responsibility, and 

 -ion of friendly relations between the 

 nations, feared by some, was happily 

 averted. 



Frotn about the beginning of October the 

 military operations of tho Republican leaders 

 were pressed with great activity. At this time 

 all the Northern States were practically free of 

 Imperialists, and before the middle of tho month 

 a force of 4,000 men had marched from Monte- 

 rey to operate against San Luis Potosi, while 

 another column went in tho direction of Durango 

 to cooperate there with a largo force from Zac- 

 atecas. On the 24th Mazatlan finally fell into 

 the hands of Corona. The French, reduced in 

 numbers to less than 80,000 men, dared not sep- 

 arate their forces into detached bodies for of- 

 fensive purposes, but, intent on leaving at as 

 early a day and in as great strength as possible, 

 moved gradually toward tho capital in a com- 

 pact body. Their places were supplied by the 

 native and foreign troops in the imperial ser- 

 vice, whom the Republicans held in lar less re- 

 spect, and against whom they had no hesitation 

 in boldly taking tho offensive. Mejia was, in- 

 deed, reported to bo about to make a counter 

 movement against Matamoras, but in reality he 

 had enough to do at San 'Luis Potosi to : 

 the advancing tide of Republicanism. On No- 

 > ember 14th. Durango, the capital of the 

 of that name, was occupied by General Azunda 

 with 4,000 men, and on the 27th Zac 

 evacuated by the Imperialists. By the middle 

 i'f 1'ecemher Escobedo was on the march to 

 San Luis Potosi; but before he could arrive at 

 that important place, it was occupied on I >e- 

 cember i^th by General Aguirro of Trevenio's 



command, the Imperialists under Mejia retreat- 

 ing to Queretaro. About tho same time Gua- 

 dalajara was occupied by a detachment ol 

 publicans under I'urra, and finally, on the 27th, 

 .Juan-/, who had remained quietly at Chihua- 

 hua for several months, entered the city of JJi;- 

 rango amidst the roar of cannon, the ringing 

 of be. Us, and great rejoicing of tho people, who 

 assembled to the number of many thousands to 

 greet him. AVith characteristic energy ho im- 

 mediately prepared to send oft' additional troops 

 to join the columns already on the march tow- 

 ard the City of Mexico, after which it was sup- 

 posed he would join the army concentrating at 

 San Luis Potosi and establish there temporarily 

 the Republican seat of government. 



Turning to the South wo shall find the suc- 

 cess of tho Republican arms scarcely less uni- 

 form and signal than in the Northern States. 

 Tho indecision of Maximilian gave additional 

 moral strength to his opponents, who were wise 

 enough to know the moment when to strike 

 with effect. As usual Diaz was tho most act- 

 ive of the Republican leaders, and his move- 

 ments in the State of Oajaca kept the Imperial- 

 ists in constant alarm. After several successes 

 in tho open field he captured the city of Oajaca 

 in the latter part of October. On the llth of 

 the succeeding month Jalapa surrendered to 

 General Alatorre, and soon after Alvarez re- 

 possessed himself of the important port of Aca- 

 pnlco, from which more than a year previous 

 he had been driven by a French force, and 

 which ho had in turn besieged for several 

 months. Riva Palacios, Regules % and other 

 partisan chiefs pressed toward the capital from 

 tho direction of Michoacan and Jalisco, and the 

 noted guerilla Figueroa made frequent dashes 

 along the route between Vera Cruz and the 

 capital. 



Maximilian lingered at Orizaba for several 

 days subsequent to tho breaking up of tho 

 council of deliberation and the issuing of his 

 proclamation of December 1st, and was re- 

 ported to be actively employed in organizing 

 tor a last attempt to maintain the empire. In 

 the middle of the month the Minister of For- 

 eign Affairs issued from tho capital an address, 

 in tho name of his imperial master, which was 

 intended as a sort of apology for the present 

 unfortunate crisis, and an admonition to tho 

 conservatives to stand by the emperor. It re- 

 cited the arrival of Maximilian in Mexico and 

 his labors for the restoration of order, and an- 

 nounced tho speedy withdrawal of the French, 

 the recommencement of civil war, and tho 

 dangerous condition of the country. Tho em- 

 peror, it added, had charged his ministry with 

 the duty of convening a national con 

 without any delay, and the Council of State 

 was then engaged in preparing a basis upon 

 which this sovereign council would bo called 

 together. On the 14th of December Maxi 

 milian left Orizaba, but proceeded no further 

 than Atlasco, in the neighborhood of Puebla, 

 where he s f lU remained at tho close of the 



