220 Ten Years of my Life. 



to me. The captain sang again his song of instructions, &:c., 

 and I declared positively I weuld not go to Escobedo. At 

 last Colonel Villanueva interfered, and the captain promised 

 to wait until he returned with other instructions from the Gen- 

 eral, which he soon did. 



Villanueva related afterwards to my husband this whole 

 scene, which, he said, had amused him greatly, though certainly 

 it was not amusing to me, for I was in a towering passion. 

 Escobedo had laughingly said, when the Colonel told him what 

 a fix the little captain was in with me, that he would rather 

 stand opposite a whole Imperial battalion than meet ' the angry 

 Princess Salm/ and ordered that I should be brought at once 

 to the place arranged. Finding him so reasonable I did not 

 offer any further resistance, and re-entered the carriage. 



In Santa Rosas I was quartered in a comfortable room, in a 

 hacienda belonging to one of the Liberals, by whose family I 

 was treated with kindness. Next morning, when the diligence 

 passed, I found places taken for myself and maid, and an offi- 

 cer, in citizen's dress, escorted me. That gentleman satisfied 

 himself with keeping me in view ; he never spoke to me, and 

 none of the other passengers knew that he was my guard. 



At that time I was of course very furious against General 

 Escobedo ; but if I consider what I attempted to do, and that 

 I was by no means yielding, I must acknowledge that I was 

 treated diroughout with great forbearance and courtesy, not 

 only by General Escobedo, but also Mr. Juarez, his minister, 

 and by all Mexicans with whom I came in contact. Even in 

 the United States, where ladies enjoy considerable preroga- 

 tives, I should have experienced far different treatment, as 

 many Confederate ladies will testify. 



Having gone through the whole late French war with the 

 Prussians, and become acquainted with their views in reference 

 to discipline, I must say that I still more wonder at and ad- 

 mire the lenience of the Mexican military authorities in regard 

 to me. I must, however, say a few words in explanation of 

 this behaviour, which will appear rather strange to German 

 readers. 



Attempts to escape occurred very frequently in these civil 

 wars, where it happened not rarely that generals became pri- 

 soners of other generals, who soon again became their prison- 

 ers. Endeavours to escape were considered as very excusable 



