The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-08 00:00:00

HOW MAXIMILIAN WAS CAP 7 URED.

The following letter, dated Queretaro, May 20,
gives some details of the betrayal of the unfortunate

Maximilian :

" The principal defence of this town consists in
be vast convent of La Cruz, situated at the south

and on the side of the city of Mexico. This build

ing, a relic of the splendours of the Spanish domina-
tion, is constructed of stone and adobe (bricks
hardened by the sun) ; a part of its enclosure is,
besides, protected by earth intrenchments. The con-
vent covers, with its dependencies, more than ten
acres of ground, and forms a citadel on which siege
artillery only could make any impression. Such, five
days ago, was the principal position of Maximilian,
who for some time had made it his head-quarters.

Immediately opposite in the Corretas mountains the
Mexican General Escobedo was established, and his

advanced guard occupied the valley which separates
La Cruz from the Corretas. In the night of May
14 there was a council of war in the town. The
Imperialist army had exhausted all its supplies, and
was likely to be soon reduced to the last extremities.
As flour was wanting, the Intendance every day
caused to be slaughtered a certain number of horses
and mules which there was no means of feeding
from want of provender. Even this resource
threatened to fail before long, and for that reason

Maximilian resolved on attempting a vigorous

sortie, and opening for himself a passage through
the enemy's lines. At 11 o'clock the troops were
under arms and the artillery in position ; everything
was ready for the attack. But at the last moment,
in consequence of the slow movements of his gene-
rals, the Emperor found himself obliged to counter-
mand the expedition. Already at that moment the
army had been sold to the enemy. The fort of La
Cruz was to have been occupied an hour later by
the troops of the Liberals. It was notorious that there
were a considerable number of persons in the ranks
of the Imperialists disposed to give up the town,
but who would ever have suspected the colonel of
the regiment of the Empress, the keeper of the key
of Queretaro the commander of the fort of La Cruz
Miguel Lopez himself ? He was the man who, id
the evening of the 14th, sent to Escobedo a letter in

which he offered to betray his companions in arms
for 3,000 ounces of gold 048,000). Escobedo na-
turally did what any other general would have done
in his place—he accepted the proposal. Towards

midnight the advanced guard of the Liberals, pro-
tected by the darkness, left the camp, and arrived
without noise before the convent. Colonel Lopez,
ordering his soldiers to ground their arms, opened
the gates to the enemy. From that moment, the
Emperor Maximilian, who was sleeping tranquilly
in another part of the building, was irretriev-
ably lost. At the first gleam of the morning
the Archduke was on foot, and immediately per-
ceived that some extraordinary event had taken
place. housing up the Prince of Saltu-Salm, his
aide-de-camp, Maximilian directed his step towards
the outer enclosure of the convent, but had scarcely
advanced a few paces when he was surrounded by
a detachment of soldiers commanded by Colonel
Ringon Gallardo. Lopez himself accompanied the
detachment, and pointed out the Emperor to the
troops, crying out, ' That is the man—seize
him.' A curious incident then occurred. Colonel
Gallardo, a brave soldier, who did not seem
greatly to relish the treachery of Lopez, stepped
up to Maximilian, and said to him, You are a
private person and not a soldier ; we have nothing
to say to you, go about your business.' With
these words he pushed his Majesty outside the
convent.. Five minutes later I met Maxi-
milian, who seemed not to have yet recovered
from his surprise. lie was walking as fast as
possible towards Cerro de la Campana, at the other
extremity of the town. This position is a fortified
bill commanding the northern part of the place. On
his arrival there he was joined by Generals Mejia,
Castillo, and Avellano, the Prince de Salm-Salm
and several others of his officers ; but it soon be-
came evident that any resistance was impossible.
Four battalions of infantry and all the Liberal
cavalry were surrounding the Cerro. The white
flag was then hoisted, and the Archduke with all
his staff then surrendered to General Corona. The
prisoners were allowed to retain their horses, arms,
and personal effects ; and a few hours later they
were conducted to the convent of La Cruz.
The first companies of the Mexican advanced
guard which had entered the town com-
mitted some excesses ; several houses were pil-
laged and some persons rifled in the streets,
but immediately after the arrival of the general
officers order was re-established. On the whole, fewer
ads of violence were perpetrated than might have
been expected." A subsequent letter from Quere-
taro, dated May 25, contains the following :--
" From the convent of La Cruz the Prince was con-
ducted, with his officers, to that of Santa Teresita,
where they were placed in rooms devoid of all com-
fort. During three or four days they slept on the
bare ground, and their food was very insufficient.
The arrival of the Princess de Salm-Salrn and her re-
monstrances with Escobedo had the effect of amelio-
rating the condition of the prisoners. They were
transferred to another convent, that of Las Capu-
chinas, and they are now permitted to receive
from their friends provisions, wine, and clothing.
The adventures of the Princess de Salm - Salin
would form a strange chapter in a romance. Twice
did she traverse the Liberal lines to reach the capi-
tal and return from it, and on two occasions was
fired at by the Mexican sentries. She was after-
wards detained prisoner for two days at Guade-
loupe by General Diaz for having distributed money
to the German captives at that place. She at length
obtained a passport authorising, or rather ordering
her to proceed to the coast and quit the country.
But with that passport she made her way to Que-