personal memoirs-2-第24章

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Southern　people。



The　announcement　of　the　scheme　was　followed　by　the　appointment　of

commissioners　in　each　of　the　Southern　States　to　send　out　emigrants；

but　before　any　were　deluded　into　starting；　I　made　to　General　Grant　a

report　of　what　was　going　on；　with　the　recommendation　that　measures　be

taken；　through　our　State　Department；　looking　to　the　suppression　of

the　colony；　but；　as　usual；　nothing　could　be　effected　through　that

channel；　so；　as　an　alternative；　I　published；　in　April；　1866；　by

authority　of　General　Grant；　an　order　prohibiting　the　embarkation　from

ports　in　Louisiana　and　Texas；　for　ports　in　Mexico；　of　any　person

without　a　permit　from　my　headquarters。　　This　dampened　the　ardor　of

everybody　in　the　Gulf　States　who　had　planned　to　go　to　Mexico；　and

although　the　projectors　of　the　Cordova　Colonization　Schemethe　name

by　which　it　was　knownsecured　a　few　innocents　from　other　districts；

yet　this　set…back　led　ultimately　to　failure。



Among　the　Liberal　leaders　along　the　Rio　Grande　during　this　period

there　sprang　up　many　factional　differences　from　various　causes；　some

personal；　others　political；　and　some；　I　regret　to　say；　from　downright

moral　obliquityas；　for　example；　those　between　Cortinas　and　Canales…

…who；　though　generally　hostile　to　the　Imperialists；　were　freebooters

enough　to　take　a　shy　at　each　other　frequently；　and　now　and　then　even

to　join　forces　against　Escobedo；　unless　we　prevented　them　by　coaxing

or　threats。　　A　general　who　could　unite　these　several　factions　was

therefore　greatly　needed；　and　on　my　return　to　New　Orleans　I　so

telegraphed　General　Grant；　and　he；　thinking　General　Caravajal　（then

in　Washington　seeking　aid　for　the　Republic）　would　answer　the　purpose；

persuaded　him　to　report　to　me　in　New　Orleans。　　Caravajal　promptly

appeared；　but　he　did　not　impress　me　very　favorably。　　He　was　old　and

cranky；　yet；　as　he　seemed　anxious　to　do　his　best；　I　sent　him　over　to

Brownsville；　with　credentials；　authorizing　him　to　cross　into　Mexico；

and　followed　him　myself　by　the　next　boat。　　When　I　arrived　in

Brownsville；　matters　in　Matamoras　had　already　reached　a　crisis。

General　Mejia；　feeling　keenly　the　moral　support　we　were　giving　the

Liberals；　and　hard　pressed　by　the　harassing　attacks　of　Cortinas　and

Canales；　had　abandoned　the　place；　and　Caravajal；　because　of　his

credentials　from　our　side；　was　in　command；　much　to　the

dissatisfaction　of　both　those　chiefs　whose　differences　it　was

intended　he　should　reconcile。



The；　day　after　I　got　to　Brownsville　I　visited　Matamoras；　and　had　a

long　interview　with　Caravajal。　　The　outcome　of　this　meeting　was；　on

my　part；　a　stronger　conviction　than　ever　that　he　was　unsuitable；　and

I　feared　that　either　Canales　or　Cortinas　would　get　possession　of　the

city。　　Caravajal　made　too　many　professions　of　what　he　would　doin

short；　bragged　too　muchbut　as　there　was　no　help　for　the　situation；

I　made　the　best　of　it　by　trying　to　smooth　down　the　ruffled　feathers

of　Canales　and　Cortinas。　　In　my　interview　with　Caravajal　I

recommended　Major　Young　as　a　confidential　man；　whom　he　could　rely

upon　as　a　〃go…between　〃　for　communicating　with　our　people　at

Brownsville；　and　whom　he　could　trust　to　keep　him　informed　of　the

affairs　of　his　own　country　as　well。



A　day　or　two　afterward　I　recrossed　the　Gulf　to　New　Orleans；　and　then；

being　called　from　my　headquarters　to　the　interior　of　Texas；　a

fortnight　passed　before　I　heard　anything　from　Brownsville。　　In　the

meanwhile　Major　Young　had　come　to　New　Orleans；　and　organized　there　a

band　of　men　to　act　as　a　body…guard　for　Caravajal；　the　old　wretch

having　induced　him　to　accept　the　proposition　by　representing　that　it

had　my　concurrence。　　I　at　once　condemned　the　whole　business；　but

Young；　having　been　furnished　with　seven　thousand　dollars　to　recruit

the　men　and　buy　their　arms；　had　already　secured　both；　and　was　so

deeply　involved　in　the　transaction；　he　said；　that　he　could　not

withdraw　without　dishonor；　and　with　tears　in　his　eyes　he　besought　me

to　help　him。　　He　told　me　he　had　entered　upon　the　adventure　in　the

firm　belief　that　I　would　countenance　it；　that　the　men　and　their

equipment　were　on　his　hands；　that　he　must　make　good　his　word　at　all

hazards；　and　that　while　I　need　not　approve；　yet　I　must　go　far　enough

to　consent　to　the　departure　of　the　men；　and　to　loan　him　the　money

necessary　to　provision　his　party　and　hire　a　schooner　to　carry　them　to

Brazos。　　It　was　hard　in　deed　to　resist　the　appeals　of　this　man；　who

had　served　me　so　long　and　so　well；　and　the　result　of　his　pleading　was

that　I　gave　him　permission　to　sail；　and　also　loaned　him　the　sum　asked

for；　but　I　have　never　ceased　to　regret　my　consent；　for　misfortune

fell　upon　the　enterprise　almost　from　its　inception。



By　the　time　the　party　got　across　the　Gulf　and　over　to　Brownsville；

Caravajal　had　been　deposed　by　Canales；　and　the　latter　would　not

accept　their　services。　　This　left　Young　with　about　fifty　men　to　whom

he　was　accountable；　and　as　he　had　no　money　to　procure　them

subsistence；　they　were　in　a　bad　fix。　　The　only　thing　left　to　do　was

to　tender　their　services　to　General　Escobedo；　and　with　this　in　view

the　party　set　out　to　reach　the　General's　camp；　marching　up　the　Rio

Grande　on　the　American　side；　intending　to　cross　near　Ringgold　Bar

racks。　　In　advance　of　them；　however；　had　spread　far　and　wide　the

tidings　of　who　they　were；　what　they　proposed　to　do；　and　where　they

were　going；　and　before　they　could　cross　into　Mexico　they　were

attacked　by　a　party　of　ex…Confederates　and　　renegade　Mexican

rancheros。　　Being　on　American　soil；　Young　forbade　his　men　to　return

the　fire；　and　bent　all　his　efforts　to　getting　them　over　the　river；

but　in　this　attempt　they　were　broken　up；　and　became　completely

demoralized。　　A　number　of　the　men　were　drowned　while　swimming　the

river；　Young　himself　was　shot　and　killed；　a　few　were　captured；　and

those　who　escapedabout　twenty　in　allfinally　joined　Escobedo；　but

in　such　a　　plight　as　to　be　of　little　use。　　With　this　distressing

affair　came　to　an　end　pretty　much　all　open　participation　of　American

sympathizers　with　the　Liberal　cause；　but　the　moral　support　afforded

by　the　presence　of　our　forces　continued；　and　this　was　frequently

supplemented　with　material　aid　in　the　shape　of　munitions　of　war；

which　we　liberally　supplied；　though　constrained　to　do　so　by　the　most

secret　methods。



The　term　of　office　of　Juarez　as　President　of　the　Mexican　Republic

expired　in　December；　1865；　but　to　meet　existing　exigencies　he　had

continued　himself　in　office　by　proclamation；　a　course　rendered

necessary　by　the　fact　that　no　elections　could　be　held　on　account　of

the　Imperial　occupation　of　most　of　the　country。　　The　official　who；　by

the　Mexican　Constitution；　is　designated　for　the　succession　in　such　an

emergency；　is　the　President　of　the　Supreme　Court；　and　the　person　then

eligible　under　this　provision　was　General　Ortega；　but　in　the　interest

of　the　Imperialists　he　had　absented　himself　from　Mexico；　hence　the

patriotic　course　of　Juarez　in　continuing　himself　at　the　head　of

affairs　was　a　necessity　of　the　situation。　　This　action　of　the

President　gave　the　Imperialists　little　concern　at　first；　but　with　the

revival　of　the　Liberal　cause　they　availed　themselves　of　every　means

to　divide　its　supporters；　and　Ortega；　who　had　been　lying　low　in　the

United　States；　now　came　forward　to　claim　the　Presidency。　　Though

ridiculously　late　for　such　a　step；　his　first　act　was　to　issue　a

manifesto　protesting　against　the　assumption　of　the　executive

authority　by　Juarez。　　The　protest　had　little　effect；　however；　and　his

next　proceeding　was　to　come　to　New　Orleans；　get　into　correspondence

with　other　disaffected　Mexicans；　and　thus　perfect　his　plans。　　When　he

thought　his　intrigue　ripe　enough　for　action；　he　sailed　for　Brazos；

intending　to　cross　the　Rio　Grande　and　assert　his　claims　with　arms。

While　he　was　scheming　in　New　Orleans；　however；　I　had　learned　what　he

was　up　to；　and　in　advance　of　his　departure　had　sent　instructions　to

have　him　arrested　on　American　soil。　　Colonel　Sedgwick；　commanding　at

Brownsville；　was　now　temporary　master　of　Matamoras　also；　by　reason　of

having　stationed　some　American　troops　there　for　the　protection　of

neutral　merchants；　so　when　Ortega　appeared　at　Brazos；　Sedgwick

quietly　arrested　him　and　held　him　till　the　city　of　Matamoras　was

turned　over　to　General　Escobedo；　the　authorized　representative　of

Juarez；　then　Escobedo　took　charge；　of　Ortega；　and　with　ease　prevented

his　further　machinations。



During　the　winter　and　spring　of　1866　we　continued　covertly　supplying

arms　and　ammunition　to　the　Liberalssending　as　many　as　30；000

muskets　from　Baton　Rouge　Arsenal　aloneand　by　mid…summer　Juarez；

having　organized　a　pretty　good　sized　army；　was　in　possession　of　the

whole　line　of　the　Rio　Grande；　and；　in　fact；　of　nearly　the　whole　of

Mexico　down　to　San　Louis　Potosi。　　Then　thick　and　fast　came　rumors

pointing　to　the　tottering　condition　of　Maximilian's　Empire…first；

that　Orizaba　and　Vera　Cruz　were　being　fortified；　then；　that　the

French　were　to　be　withdrawn；　and　later　came　the　intelligence　that　the

Empress　Carlotta　had　gone　home　to　beg　assistance　from　Napoleon；　the

author　of　all　of　her　husband's　troubles。　　But　the　situation　forced

Napoleon　to　turn　a　deaf　ear　to　Carlotta's　prayers。　　The　brokenhearted

woman　besought　him　on　her　knees；　but　his　fear　of　losing　an　army　made

all　pleadings　vain。　　In　fact；　as　I　ascertained　by　the　following

cablegram　which　came　into　my　hands；　Napoleon's　instructions　for　the

French　evacuation　were　in　Mexico　at　the　very　time　of　this　pathetic

scene　between　him　and　Carlotta。　　The　despatch　was　in　cipher　when　I

received　it；　but　was　translated　by　the　telegraph　operator　at　my

headquarters；　who　long　before　had　mastered　the　key　of　the　French

cipher：



〃PARIS；　January　10；　1867。　　FRENCH　CONSUL；　New　Orleans；　La。



〃To　GENERAL　CASTELNAU；　at　Mexico。



〃Received　your　despatch　of　the　9th　December。　　Do　not　compel　the

Emperor　to　abdicate；　but　do　not　delay　the　departure　of　the　troops；

bring　back　all　those　who　will　not　remain　there。　　Most　of　the　fleet

has　left。



〃NAPOLEON。〃





This　meant　the　immediate　withdrawal　of　the　French。　　The　rest　of　the

storywhich　has　necessarily　been　but　in　outlineis　soon　told。

Maximilian；　though　deserted；　determined　to　hold　out　to　the　last；　and

with　the　aid　of　disloyal　Mexicans　stuck　to　his　cause　till　the　spring。

When　taken　prisoner　at　Queretaro；　he　was　tried　and　executed　under

circumstances　that　are　well　known。　　From　promptings　of　humanity

Secretary　Seward　tried　hard　to　save　the　Imperial　prisoner；　but

without　success。　　The　Secretary's　plea　for　mercy　was　sent　through　me

at　New　Orleans；　and　to　make　speed　I　hired　a　steamer　to　proceed　with

it　across　the　Gulf　to　Tampico。　　The　document　was　carried　by　Sergeant

White；　one　of　my　scouts；　who　crossed　the　country　from　Tampico；　and

delivered　it　to　Escobedo　at　Queretaro；　but　Mr。　Seward's

representations　were　without　availrefused　probably　because　little

mercy　had　been　s