to Mr. Bigelow that the United States Government was "surprised and affected with deep concern by the announcement now made for the first time that the promised recall of one detachment of the French troops has been postponed by the emperor," and directed him to inform the French Government "that the President sincerely hopes and expects that the evacuation of Mexico will be carried into effect with such conformity to the existing agreement as the inopportune complication which calls for this dispatch will allow." In reply to this dispatch, Mr. Bigelow sent the following message to Mr. Seward:

In answer to a verbal communication, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. Moustier, writes me to-day that France has not changed her resolution, but that upon military considerations she has deemed it expedient to substitute one comprehensive evacuation for an evacuation in separate parts. All of our troops will leave Mexico in the month of March.

Although this communication did not wholly remove distrust in the United States, it was admitted that the emperor's military reasons were sound. Such by this time had become the strength and spirit of the Republicans that the French troops were barely able to maintain their present position. Hence, if one-third of them should be withdrawn in November, the remaining two-thirds would be exposed to attacks which they could not withstand, and the withdrawal of the second detachment would simply surrender the third to destruction.

In the autumn of 1866 the United States Government made preparations to send to Mexico a special mission "accredited to the Republican Government of which Mr. Juarez is President," thus officially recognizing him President of Mexico as against the pretensions of General Ortega to that office. The claims of the latter to the presidency of Mexico have been alluded to in previous volumes of this work. After his protest against the decree of November 9th, 1865, by which Juarez determined to retain the presidency until a successor could be elected, Ortega remained for several months in the United States, and there is reason to believe that he was busily occupied during the spring and summer of 1866 in forming a powerful party in Mexico to sustain his As the Imperialists were gradually driven southward, this party increased in strength, until it seemed to its leader that the moment had arrived to go in person to Mexico and put himself at its head. On October 26th he arrived in New Orleans from the North with several of his adherents, and publicly announced that he was on the eve of departure for Matamoras (the commanding officer of which, Canales, was known to be of his party), for the purpose of reestablishing a constitutional government in Mexico. Before leaving New Orleans, he was officially served with a copy of the following communication from Major-General Sheridan, commanding the military division of the Gulf, addressed to his subordinate, General Sedgwick, at Brownsville, on the Rio Grande:

cause.

HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, NEW ORLEANS, LA., October 23, 1866.

To Brevet Brig.-Gen. T. L. Sedgwick, commanding Sub-District of Rio Grande, Brownsville, Texas: GENERAL,-I am satisfied that there is only one way in which the state of affairs on the Rio Grande can be bettered, and that is by giving the heartiest support to the only government in Mexico recognized by our own--the only one which is really friendly to us. You will, therefore, warn all adherents of any party or pretended government in Mexico or State of Tamaulipas that they will not be permitted to violate the neutrality laws between the liberal gov ernment of Mexico and the United States; and also, that they will not be allowed to remain in our territory and receive the protection of our flag in order to complete their machinations for the violation of our neutrality laws. These instructions will be enforced against the adherents of the imperial buccaneers representing the so-called imperial government of Mexico, and also against the Ortega, Santa Anna, and other factions. President Juarez is the acknowledged head of the liberal government of Mexico. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient

servant,

P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General commanding. In a communication to General Sheridan un

der date of October 29th, he expressed surprise at the terms in which he had been described by the former, and refused to admit that they could apply to himself. "I deny," he said, "that I have created or represent a faction. I am the true and only representative of the constitutional law of Mexico, to which nation belongs the right to decide its internal questions." Undeterred by the warning embodied in General Sheridan's letter, he departed with his suite on the 30th for the Rio Grande, and upon his arrival at Brazos Santiago, on November 3d, was immediately arrested by Captain Paulson, the United States commander of the post, in obedience to a special order from General Sheridan.

Ortega sent a long protest against his arrest to Captain Paulson. He was allowed to remain at large at Brazos Santiago, his movement being strictly watched, and was also informed that he could return to New Orleans, whenever he desired. In his dispatch to General Grant, informing him of what had been done, General Sheridan observed: "My letter to General Sedgwick and the arrest were opportune, as Canales in Matamoras, and Negrete and his adherents in Brownsville, were just awaiting his arrival to assert his claims by an appeal to arms. has no adherents in Mexico excepting French and English merchants, who heretofore supported Maximilian. There is no trouble in all Northern Mexico except in Matamoras and Tampico, and these merchants are at the bottom of it." In the following dispatch to the War Department, General Sheridan sums up the whole matter in a few words:

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HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, { November 30, 1866. On or about the 24th day of June, 1866, the city of Matamoras was surrendered by the Imperialists to the forces of the Liberal Government of Mexico, and soon thereafter the city of Monterey, and all of Eastern and Northern Mexico. In process of time the Im

perial forces were driven to the valley of Mexico, and in a line connecting Mexico and Vera Cruz, and it

became reasonable to suppose that the Imperial Government would be driven out of the country. The acknowledged head of the Liberal Government of Mexico during all these important events was President Juarez, and it is well known that General Ortega fled his country and took no part in bringing about these events; but, on the contrary, he, while in a foreign country, did as much as he could to counteract them, by creating political divisions, and by the publication of real or pretended rights as constitutional President of Mexico. So far as this went, it did not interfere with my command, and there was no violation of our neutrality laws. But this did not satisfy General Ortega or his schemers, but an appeal to arms must be made to enforce his claims, and combinations were formed in New York and Brownsville, within the United States, for an armed assertion of his claims at the expense of a violation of our neutrality laws. To counteract these machinations, and to prevent our neutrality laws from being vi olated, my letter of October 23d to General Sedgwick was written, and a copy of it placed in the hands of General Ortega in the city of New Orleans. Not heeding this, but under the belief that we gave directions in our country for 'buncombe,' General Ortega was about to cross the line of our frontier, and was arrested on the same principle that the Fenians were arrested in attempting to violate our laws by the invasion of Canada. Since the termination of the rebellion, the people of the United States have suffered in trade, from the disturbed condition of affairs on the Rio Grande line, about $12,000,000 yearly. First, by Imperialism; then, by the hostility of foreign merchants in Matamoras, who set up such men as Canales and Ortega, supporting them and reimbursing themselves by passing goods out from the city free or nearly free of duty.

P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General.

On the 6th of December General Sheridan issued an order releasing Ortega and his suite from arrest. The latter made no further effort to violate the neutrality laws, but contented himself with issuing another protest, addressed to the people of the United States, and also a proclamation to the Mexicans, in which his constitutional rights were vindicated at great length.

The military situation, as we last left it, may be described in a few words. The Imperialists had succeeded in holding all the central strategic points in the country, but their position very closely resembled that of a besieged fortress, a part of whose outworks is in the hands of the enemy. The apparent inertness of the French no longer excited surprise, in view of the stipulations of Napoleon for the withdrawal of the expeditionary corps; but as the year wore on it became evident that, without the assistance of these powerful auxiliaries, Maximilian's illconstructed empire must succumb to the dangers that menaced it. As Bazaine continued to retire his forces toward the capital, but feeble efforts were made by the Imperial generals to retain the positions evacuated by him. It must not be supposed, however, that all was harmony in the Republican ranks. Juarez undoubtedly possessed the sympathy and support of a large majority of the Liberal party; but the adherents of Ortega, as previously intimated, were powerful in certain quarters of the north, and their opposition seriously retarded in several instances the movements of the Republican armies. At Mat

amoras this was particularly noticeable. Upon the surrender of the town to the Liberals by Mejia, Carvajal was appointed Governor of Tamaulipas; but having made himself odious by his extortions and mercenary contracts, he was displaced, and Canales was nominated by ignorant of this pronunciamento in favor of the army to succeed him. Meanwhile Juarez, Canales, had appointed General Tapia to succeed Carvajal. Canales refused to surrender the command to the new-comer, and, shutting himself up in Matamoras with a considerable force, well supplied with munitions of war, and protected by fortifications, bade him defiance. Such acts have been of so frequent occurrence in Mexico, that it would have been unnecessary to allude to this, but for certain circumstances attending the issue of the quarrel, which might have endangered our relations with France, and caused the order for the evacuation of Mexico by the French troops to be countermanded. Throughout October the town was besieged by Cortinas, who, on November 1st, was joined by Tapia. The latter, after vain attempts to bring about a peaceful settlement with Canales, who was now well known to be a favorer of the pretensions of Ortega, died suddenly of cholera on the 9th; but the investment continued, and toward the close of the month Escobedo arrived from Monterey, to take command of the besieging army. On the 24th Canales sent a message to General Sedgwick, at Brownsville, expressing the desire to surrender the city to the United States forces, on the ground that he could not control his men, who had been for some time without pay. General Sedgwick responded by sending a detachment of troops across the river, who took possession of the town, which was formally given up to him by Canales. But as the latter had stipulated that his men should not be removed from the fortifications, and that no other forces than those of the United States should enter the town, his position was rather improved than otherwise, as he had now full opportunity to repel the threatened attack of Escobedo, without the need of protecting his rear. Early on the morning of the 27th Escobedo delivered his attack, but after several hours' hard fighting, was repulsed at all points, with a loss of seven hundred men, who could ill be spared from his small army. The American flag continued to float over Matamoras, supported by a garrison of fifty men, until the 30th, when General Sedgwick, anxious to repair the blunder he had committed, demanded the surrender of the place, intending to turn it over, with its garrison, to Escobedo. This Canales declined to do, but surrendered to Escobedo in person, whereupon the United States troops were withdrawn to the Texas side of the river, and on December 1st Escobedo took possession of the town.

On December 6th General Sheridan arrived at Brownsville, called thither by the recent grave events, and promptly ordered General

Sedgwick to be relieved of his command, besides disclaiming his acts. In his account of the affair, sent to General Grant, he intimated that Sedgwick had been improperly influenced by the merchants of Matamoras, consisting principally of Imperialists, and men who had been blockade runners during the American rebellion, who were fearful, in case Escobedo should prevail, that they would never be paid for the supplies that they had furnished Canales to resist the legitimate authority of the Republic. The news of General Sedgwick's occupation of Matamoras was received with no little dissatisfaction in the United States, not so much because he had appeared to support Canales as against Escobedo, as because he had ventured in any respect to interfere on either side. The public were looking forward with some anxiety to the departure of the first detachment of French troops from Mexico, and it was apprehended that this unquestionable violation of the neutrality which had been stipulated for by Napoleon 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_repudiation of the act, however, by the United States Government seems to have satisfied Napoleon that General Sedgwick's interference was undertaken on his own responsibility, and the suspension of friendly relations between the two nations, feared by some, was happily

averted.

From about the beginning of October the military operations of the Republican leaders were pressed with great activity. At this time all the Northern States were practically free of Imperialists, and before the middle of the month a force of 4,000 men had marched from Monterey to operate against San Luis Potosi, while another column went in the direction of Durango to cooperate there with a large force from Zacatecas. On the 24th Mazatlan finally fell into the hands of Corona. The French, reduced in numbers to less than 30,000 men, dared not separate their forces into detached bodies for offensive purposes, but, intent on leaving at as early a day and in as great strength as possible, moved gradually toward the capital in a compact body. Their places were supplied by the native and foreign troops in the imperial service, whom the Republicans held in far less respect, and against whom they had no hesitation in boldly taking the offensive. Mejia was, in deed, reported to be about to make a counter movement against Matamoras, but in reality he had enough to do at San Luis Potosi to resist the advancing tide of Republicanism. On November 14th, Durango, the capital of the State of that name, was occupied by General Azunda with 4,000 men, and on the 27th Zacatecas was evacuated by the Imperialists. By the middle of December Escobedo was on the march to San Luis Potosi; but before he could arrive at that important place, it was occupied on December 25th by General Aguirre of Trevenio's

command, the Imperialists under Mejia retreating to Queretaro. About the same time Guadalajara was occupied by a detachment of Republicans under Parra, and finally, on the 27th, Juarez, who had remained quietly at Chihuahua for several months, entered the city of Durango amidst the roar of cannon, the ringing of bells, and great rejoicing of the people, who assembled to the number of many thousands to greet him. With characteristic energy he immediately prepared to send off additional troops to join the columns already on the march toward the City of Mexico, after which it was supposed he would join the army concentrating at San Luis Potosi and establish there temporarily the Republican seat of government.

Turning to the South we shall find the success of the Republican arms scarcely less uniform and signal than in the Northern States. The 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 the most active of the Republican leaders, and his movements in the State of Oajaca kept the Imperialists in constant alarm. After several successes in the open field he captured the city of Oajaca in the latter part of October. On the 11th of the succeeding month Jalapa surrendered to General Alatorre, and soon after Alvarez repossessed himself of the important port of Acapulco, from which more than a year previous he had been driven by a French force, and which he had in turn besieged for several months. Riva Palacios, Regules, and other partisan chiefs pressed toward the capital from the 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 the breaking up of the council of deliberation and the issuing of his proclamation of December 1st, and was reported to be actively employed in organizing for a last attempt to maintain the empire. In the middle of the month the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued from the capital an address, in the name of his imperial master, which was intended as a sort of apology for the present unfortunate crisis, and an admonition to the conservatives to stand by the emperor. It recited the arrival of Maximilian in Mexico and his labors for the restoration of order, and announced the speedy withdrawal of the French, the recommencement of civil war, and the dangerous condition of the country. The emperor, it added, had charged his ministry with the duty of convening a national congress without any delay, and the Council of State was then engaged in preparing a basis upon which this sovereign council would be called together. On the 14th of December Maximilian left Orizaba, but proceeded no further than Atlasco, in the neighborhood of Puebla, where he still remained at the close of the

year, though daily expected to depart for the capital. At that time it was reported that, as the situation of affairs did not permit the assembling of a national congress, in accordance with the announcement of the emperor at Orizaba, he would convoke a meeting of the notables. While at Atlasco Maximilian was visited by General Castelnau, the special envoy dispatched to Mexico by Napoleon, and the French minister at the capital. At this interview, it is said, the emperor was offered the alternative of abdicating, or of satisfying the demands of France for the payment of the expenses incurred by the intervention. Maximilian, on the same authority, declined to accept either alternative, announcing that he was determined to maintain his position.

The reorganization of the Imperial army, rendered necessary by the approaching departure of the expeditionary corps, naturally occupied much of the emperor's attention, and he went through the idle ceremony of dividing the country into three great military districts, to be occupied by as many corps d'armée, commanded respectively by Miramon, Marquez, and Mejia. During this time Marshal Bazaine was concentrating his troops on the line between Mexico and Vera Cruz, with a view of embarking them at the latter place in the spring. In a circular, issued in the latter half of December, he announced that it was the intention of the French Government to have returned to France, not only the Foreign Legion, but all soldiers of French nationality who were formerly authorized to enrol themselves into the service of the Mexican Government, and who were actually serving in the general army corps of the Mexican army. But any of these soldiers desiring to remain in the service of Mexico, were authorized to do so, and to adhere to the corps to which they belonged. Another order stated that in future all the Austrian, Belgian and Mexican troops would be turned over to General Marquez, to be disposed of by him as he should deem proper, as generalin-chief of the forces operating in the east. This was promptly done, and Marquez proceeded forthwith to organize his forces for active operations. All the materials of war, which were in the possession of the French, appertaining to the Imperial Government, were also turned over to the Mexican Imperial Government. Long before the arrival of the emperor at the capital his three generals, who were all able men, and knew the difficult task assigned to them, had started for their posts. Miramon marched toward Queretaro, Mejia toward San Luis Potosi, and Marquez planted himself at Toluca, forty miles west of the capital, to stay the advancing army of Republicans under Riva Palacios. Here we may close the narrative of the military events of the year 1866, which, opening with the Republic in so crushed and mutilated a condition as to be scarcely recognizable, closed upon her triumphant in every quarter, and controlling five-sixths of the

country. It is no exaggeration to say that, on January 1, 1867, the whole of Mexico, with the exception of the cities of Mexico, Puebla, Queretaro, and Vera Cruz, was practically in the hands of the Republicans.

The advance of the country in material pros perity and internal improvements in a year so pregnant with disorder was necessarily slight. Five railroads are announced to be in progress, but on only one of them-that between Mexico and Vera Cruz-has work been prosecuted with any degree of vigor. On April 26th the cornerstone of an iron bridge, spanning the ravine of Metlac, near Orizaba, and which is destined to be one of the most remarkable structures of its class in the world, was laid; and on August 1st sixteen miles of the road east from Mexico were formally opened to travel. Disastrous floods and a want of funds and promised government subsidies, subsequently almost suspended work on this line, which is only finished in detached parts. The various schemes for promoting emigration to Mexico seem likewise to have failed. In December the colony of American Confederate exiles, near Cordova, after suffering various privations and guerilla attacks, was reported to have been practically broken up; and an enterprise for importing Asiatic coolies, authorized by Maximilian in December, 1865, seems never to have been even commenced.

The mission of Mr. Campbell to Mexico, alluded to heretofore, may be very briefly related. This minister was sent, accompanied by Lieutenant-General Sherman, in order, to use the language of Mr. Seward, "to confer with President Juarez on subjects which are deeply interesting to the United States, and of vital importance to Mexico." He was authorized to tender the moral support and sympathy of the United States to Juarez, under the belief that Maximilian would soon retire, and that Juarez would require such support and sympathy in bringing order out of chaos; also to offer the military forces of the United States to Juarez, if necessary, to aid him in the "restoration of law," provided they were offered and accepted in such a manner as not to interfere "with the jurisdiction of Mexico," or violate "the laws of neutrality." The two plenipotentiaries left New York in the steam frigate Susquehanna, on November 11th, and on the 27th arrived off Vera Cruz, whence, however, they sailed in a few days without having disembarked. On leaving Vera Cruz the Susquehanna at once proceeded to Tampico, where accredited emissaries of Juarez awaited the ambassadors of the United States. After a brief consultation they went to Matamoras, where another short council was held with the confederate agents of Juarez, the result of which was that a definite and joint plan of action was determined on between the United States and the Republic of Mexico. General Sherman soon after returned to the United States, while Mr. Campbell prepared to depart with Escobedo's forces toward the seat of the Mexican Republic, and confer with Juarez.