Conflicting Uiiraours. 225 



case with prisoners, very impatient and excitable. He had 

 still fresh in his memory the death of the Emperor, and would 

 not believe either in the promises or the word or honour of the 

 * blood-thirsty Indian.' He thought of nothing but escape, 

 and in that I could and n'ould not assist him, even when his 

 trial was near at hand, and everybody was certain that he 

 would be condemned. I believed in the assurances of Juarez, 

 Lerdo, and Iglesia, who had told me that he and the other 

 Generals would be condemned to death only to satisfy the peo- 

 ple, but that only some of them, if any, would be shot, and my 

 husband certainly would be saved. 



As in his excusably angry feelings Salm was not very amiable 

 with the officers who guarded him, he could not expect much 

 kindness from them. Difficulties of all kinds were placed in 

 the way of my seeing him, and the Liberal officers found a 

 pleasure in spreading alarming reports only to torment the 

 prisoners. 



Prejudiced as my husband was, he believed those rumours 

 more than my assurances, and made me feel uncertain aiid 

 anxious. When his trial came on it was thought best that I 

 should go to Mexico, where Mr. Juarez and the whole Cabinet 

 were at that time, and I accordingly set off about the 12th o£ 

 July. 



In Mexico the rumour was current that all the prisoners 

 would be shot, and I, like many other relations of them, felt 

 great anxiety in consequence. About twenty wives and sisters 

 of prisoners went to see the President, who sent us Mr. iL^lesia, 

 by whom we were told that a delay of two weeks had been 

 granted. The minister repeated to me the assurances made 

 before, and advised me to remain quietly in Mexico until it 

 had been decided where the prisoners were to be confined, 

 then he would assist me in managing that my husband should 

 come to Mexico. 



The decision did not come for a long time, as all the papers 

 of the different prisoners had to be examined again; and as 

 Mr. Hube advised me also to wait, I remained meanwhile with 

 his family in Tacubaya. At last, in September, it was ordered 

 that the prisoners should remain in Queretaro, and I started 

 the same night for the city, v/here I arrived on September 8. 



My husband and all the other Generals imprisoned with him 

 had been condemned to be shot in July. Their execution 



