The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-09-25
Soldiers Budget.
A Chapter of Secret History.

General Lew Wallace has just made
public, in letter so President Diaz OF
Mexico, an interesting chapter of secret
history attendant upon the last days of
the war of the rebellion. 1t was in
1864, and Grant was on the peninsula
at City Point pushing things" with
that grim determination that was as ir-
resstibe as fate. He felt sure that the
end was approaching. So certain was
he of it that he began at once to fore
cast what might be a possible next
move, and what its effects upon the
United States. We were greatly ex-
hausted by the vast and prolonged
efforts that had been put forth, and it
was vitality important that no new enc
mics should confront us when the ones
with which we were then engaged in
the last life-and-death struggle were
overthrown. Just at this time, it will
be remembered, Macmillan was con-
tending for the supremacy in Mexico,
having invaded that country with the
open assistance of Napoleon III. of
France, and set up his usurping en-
pire there. So vigorously had he pushed
that enterprise that the Mexican re-
public was reduced to the greatest
straits. President Juarez had lost one
province after another, and had been
driven north into Chihuahua, where
his capital was then located. His credit
was practically nothing, his people dis
couraged and his army reduced to such
dire straits that, in default of being
able to secure firearms, they were ac-
tually falling back upon the use of bows
and arrows. Lincoln, Stanton and
Grant, at this critical juncture, were
fearful lest the confederates, when
finally defeated on their own soil, might
cross over into Mexico in large num-
bers, place their tried bravery and vet
eran abilities at the disposal of the adj
venturer from Europe and inevitably
turn the scale in his favor. In that event
it meant simply transfer of the seat of
the southern confederacy across the
Rio Grande, a perpetuation of its hos
tility to the United States and the GER
tainty that France would continue to
be the ardent friend and supporter of
the Mexican empire in the new form,
as she had all along been, in which
event friendly relations with us could
hardly be maintained. This state of
things meant an indefinite prolonga-
ton of our struggle in new form, and
with the powerful support of France
added to the forces that had been ar
rayed against us. Just at this point,
General Wallace says, he was sent for
by General Grant and intrusted with a
secret mission. Armed with President
Lincolns authority, he went to Brazos
Santiago, an island near the mouth of
the Rio Grande, on which was the only
United States military post in all that
region. Here he placed himself in
communication with General Carvajal,
commanding in the mountains of Tam
aulipas small remnant of Juarez's
forces. The upshot of the mission was
that Carvajal secretly came on to Wash
ington with Wallace, and in conjunc-
ton with Senior Romero, the Mexican
minister, and with the active secret aid
of our government, was enabled to buy
large quantities of army supplies and
munitions of war, which were shipped
into Mexico, and which provided the
means by which the Juarez forces were
enabled successfully to compete with
Maximilian's troops and finally expel
them from Mexican soil. But for this
aid, rendered at just this time, it is diff
cult to see how this could possibly have
been done. The facts are now made
fully public for the first time.-Detroit
Tribune.