In reference to the treatment of the Mexican forces to the prisoners
they take from the enemy, I think proper to inform you that in one
of the copies of the Boletin de Oriente, which I received with the
letter of General Diaz, dated in Guadalupe Hidalgo, on the 29th of
April last, I saw an account of the operations of that general,
which, in speaking of the prisoners which he captured in Puebla, it
is said as follows :
The general-in-chief ordered all those taken at Miahuatlan and
Carbonera, those at the surrender of Oaxaca, and in the assault on
Puebla, and those at the forts of Guadalupe and Loreto, to be set at
liberty. Among them were more than 600 Europeans, of various
nations. But this release did not imply a pardon, only the leave to
reside where they pleased till the supreme government should
definitely decide what was to be done with them.
Hon. William H. Seward,
&c., &c., &c.
[Untitled]
Guadalupe Hidalgo,
May 3, 1887.
My Dear Friend: When I was besieging
Puebla I learned that Marquez was marching upon me with 5,000
men from the city of Mexico. I must candidly confess that at
first I hesitated as to the course I should pursue; whether to
raise the siege and march to meet Marquez, or await his arrival,
or assault the city immediately. I decided on the latter
alternative. Success favored the impetuosity of our troops,
which, without the necessary training, but moved by their great
courage, stormed the fortifications and carried their lines
successfully, regardless of the galling fire of their musketry
and murderous hand grenades, showered upon us from the balconies
and housetops. When the trenches had been carried the defenders
of the houses, fearing they might be cut off or attacked in the
rear, abandoned them and Were made prisoners. The heights in the
vicinity were still held by the enemy, but their garrison
surrendered on the 4th. I was then free to go and encounter
Marquez, which I immediately did on the 5th. The cavalry
division harassed him much, barring him the road to Vera Cruz,
in which direction it seemed he desired to proceed; but he
countermarched when about three leagues distant from Huamantla,
and declining battle, which I offered him on the heights of the
San Diego mill, he took the road leading to Mexico. I continued
the pursuit of Marquez, though I deemed it difficult to overtake
him, as he had the advantage of one day’s march over me. General
Escobedo, however, had detached General Guadarrama with a
division of cavalry in pursuit, to which other forces operating
in the valley of Mexico were added, and I sent him orders to cut
off Marquez’s retreat to Mexico, which he did so successfully
that Marquez was compelled to seek shelter at the hacienda De
San Lorenzo. When everything had been prepared to attack him he
fled by the road leading from Calpulabpam to Texcoco, and he was
completely routed.
The defeat of Marquez occurred on the 10th of April, the fourth
anniversary of the Austrian’s acceptance of the crown. I was
determined to attack Mexico at once, and marched upon it,
intending to establish my headquarters at Tacubaya; but General
Escobedo having recalled the Guadarrama division, I was obliged
to change my plan and come to this place. Soon after my arrival
Father Fischer, Maximilian’s confessor, came to make me some
unacceptable propositions, which I at once rejected. Then the
Prussian Princess Salm-Salm, the wife of one of Maximilian’s
aides-de-camp, came to see me to solicit a safe conduct to get
into Queretaro, saying she would explain to Maximilian the
situation of Mexico, and she had no doubt he would surrender
Queretaro. I also rejected this proposition; for, in truth, I
have no confidence in such proposals.
Before my arrival in front of the city of Mexico, Portilla, who
styles himself the minister of war, offered to, surrender the
city to me if I would give him personal guarantees; and O’Horan
sent me the same proposal, adding that he would deliver Marquez
to me provided I spared his own life and gave him a passport to
go abroad. The villains are treacherous, even towards each
other.
We have now all our batteries planted, which protect the
approaches to our works, say some 200 metres from the enemy’s
fortifications, and we continue our advances in such a manner
that the capital of the republic will shortly be in our
possession, either by direct assault or capitulation. Within the
city there is no violence or extortion that is not resorted to
by Marquez in order to raise money and increase his forces. The
foreign merchants have all closed their establishments, and are
now under the protection of their respective ministers, who have
entered their protests against the acts of Marquez; and the
newspapers of yesterday state that he was about to issue a
severe order against them. The diplomatic corps, it seems, is
desirous of leaving the city and going to Tacubaya. As a matter
of course I shall not recognize them in their official
character, but as private individuals. I will not prevent them
doing so.
Our present situation is an excellent one, since only three
places—Mexico, Queretaro, and Vera Cruz, are left the Austrian,
and these are all closely besieged. Within this month I expect
all will be decided in favor of the republic. Distrust and
dismay are rife among the traitors; no encounter or skirmish
takes place in which they are not worsted, even when they have
the advantage of numbers. This increases the morale of our soldiers, inspiring them with confidence
in every battle, in which our half-naked and destitute recruits
have vanquished the well-trained and better provided troops of
the Austrian.
General Bazaine, through a third party, offered to surrender to
me the cities which they occupied, and also deliver Maximilian,
Marquez, Miramon, &c., into my hands, provided I would
accede to a proposal which he made to me, and which I rejected,
as I deemed it not very honorable. Another proposition was also
made me, by authority of Bazaine, for the purchase of 6,000
muskets and 4,000,000 percussion caps; and if I had desired it
he would have sold me both guns and powder, but I declined to
accept it. The intervention and its results have opened our
eyes, and hereafter we shall be more cautious in treating with
foreign powers; particularly with those of Europe, but
especially so with France.
Hon. Matias Romero,
&c., &c., Washington.
