personal memoirs-2-第32章

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contenting　itself　with　a　few　pieces　of　the　contraband　artillery

varnished　over　with　the　Imperial　apologies。　　A　golden　opportunity　was

lost；　for　we　had　ample　excuse　for　crossing　the　boundary；　but　Mr。

Seward　being；　as　I　have　already　stated；　unalterably　opposed　to　any

act　likely　to　involve　us　in　war；　insisted　on　his　course　of

negotiation　with　Napoleon。



As　the　summer　wore　away；　Maximilian；　under　Mr。　Seward's　policy；

gained　in　strength　till　finally　all　the　accessible　sections　of　Mexico

were　in　his　possession；　and　the　Republic　under　President　Juarez

almost　succumbed。　　Growing　impatient　at　this；　in　the　latter　part　of

September　I　decided　to　try　again　what　virtue　there　might　be　in　a

hostile　demonstration；　and　selected　the　upper　Rio　Grande　for　the

scene　of　my　attempt。　　Merritt's　cavalry　and　the　Fourth　Corps　still

being　at　San　Antonio；　I　went　to　that　place　and　reviewed　these　troops；

and　having　prepared　them　with　some　ostentation　for　a　campaign；　of

course　it　was　bruited　about　that　we　were　going　to　invade　Mexico。

Then；　escorted　by　a　regiment　of　horse　I　proceeded　hastily　to　Fort

Duncan；　on　the　Rio　Grande　just　opposite　the　Mexican　town　of　Piedras

Negras。　　Here　I　opened　communication　with　President　Juarez；　through

one　of　his　staff；　taking　care　not　to　do　this　in　the　dark；　and　the

news；　spreading　like　wildfire；　the　greatest　significance　was　ascribed

to　my　action；　it　being　reported　most　positively　and　with　many

specific　details　that　I　was　only　awaiting　the　arrival　of　the　troops；

then　under　marching　orders　at　San　Antonio；　to　cross　the　Rio　Grande　in

behalf　of　the　Liberal　cause。



Ample　corroboration　of　the　reports　then　circulated　was　found　in　my

inquiries　regarding　the　quantity　of　forage　we　could　depend　upon

getting　in　Mexico；　our　arrangements　for　its　purchase；　and　my　sending

a　pontoon　train　to　Brownsville；　together　with　which　was　cited　the

renewed　activity　of　the　troops　along　the　lower　Rio　Grande。　　These

reports　and　demonstrations　resulted　in　alarming　the　Imperialists　so

much　that　they　withdrew　the　French　and　Austrian　soldiers　from

Matamoras；　and　practically　abandoned　the　whole　of　northern　Mexico　as

far　down　as　Monterey；　with　the　exception　of　Matamoras；　where　General

Mejia　continued　to　hang　on　with　a　garrison　of　renegade　Mexicans。



The　abandonment　of　so　much　territory　in　northern　Mexico　encouraged

General　Escobedo　and　other　Liberal　leaders　to　such　a　degree　that　they

collected　a　considerable　army　of　their　followers　at　Comargo；　Mier；

and　other　points。　　At　the　same　time　that　unknown　quantity；　Cortinas；

suspended　his　free…booting　for　the　nonce；　and　stoutly　harassing

Matamoras；　succeeded　in　keeping　its　Imperial　garrison　within　the

fortifications。　　Thus　countenanced　and　stimulated；　and　largely

supplied　with　arms　and　ammunition；　which　we　left　at　convenient　places

on　our　side　of　the　river　to　fall　into　their　hands；　the　Liberals；

under　General　Escobedoa　man　of　much　force　of　characterwere

enabied　in　northern　Mexico　to　place　the　affairs　of　the　Republic　on　a

substantial　basis。



But　in　the　midst　of　what　bade　fair　to　cause　a　final　withdrawal　of　the

foreigners；　we　were　again　checked　by　our　Government；　as　a　result　of

representations　of　the　French　Minister　at　Washington。　　In　October；　he

wrote　to　Mr。　Seward　that　the　United　States　troops　on　the　Rio　Grande

were　acting　〃in　exact　opposition　to　the　repeated　assurances　Your

Excellency　has　given　me　concerning　the　desire　of　the　Cabinet　at

Washington　to　preserve　the　most　strict　neutrality　in　the　events　now

taking　place　in　Mexico；〃　and　followed　this　statement　with　an　emphatic

protest　against　our　course。　　Without　any　investigation　whatever　by

our　State　Department；　this　letter　of　the　French　Minister　was

transmitted　to　me；　accompanied　by　directions　to　preserve　a　strict

neutrality；　so；　of　course；　we　were　again　debarred　from　anything　like

active　sympathy。



After　this；　it　required　the　patience　of　Job　to　abide　the　slow　and

poky　methods　of　our　State　Department；　and；　in　truth；　it　was　often

very　difficult　to　restrain　officers　and　men　from　crossing　the　Rio

Grande　with　hostile　purpose。　　Within　the　knowledge　of　my　troops；

there　had　gone　on　formerly　the　transfer　of　organized　bodies　of　ex…

Confederates　to　Mexico；　in　aid　of　the　Imperialists；　and　at　this

period　it　was　known　that　there　was　in　preparation　an　immigration

scheme　having　in　view　the　colonizing；　at　Cordova　and　one　or　two　other

places；　of　all　the　discontented　elements　of　the　defunct　Confederacy

Generals　Price；　Magruder；　Maury；　and　other　high　personages　being

promoters　of　the　enterprise；　which　Maximilian　took　to　readily。　　He

saw　in　it　the　possibilities　of　a　staunch　support　to　his　throne；　and

therefore　not　only　sanctioned　the　project；　but　encouraged　it　with

large　grants　of　land；　inspirited　the　promoters　with　titles　of

nobility；　and；　in　addition；　instituted　a　system　of　peonage；　expecting

that　the　silver　hook　thus　baited　would　be　largely　swallowed　by　the

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