The San Francisco call., 1899-05-07
SAeT At eT "A MEXICAN SENTINEL

! erny's lines But one night his favorite
! staff officer, Lopez, a second Iscariot, who
! often embraced the Emperor in public
man Carlotta had so honored and trust
ed as to make him colonel of the EN-
press Regiment" which she recruited and
equipped with her own private funds
| betrayed the camp to the MeXicans for q
price, and Maximilian was overpoWered,
fighting desperately.
Soon after he reached Maximilians
camp Salm-Salm volunteered on a scout
ing trip to the interior. His wife also
volunteered, and appealed to the COM
| mandant of the detachment, a gallant
Belgian colonel He agreed to take her
along, providing she could keep cool,
carry revolver and not use it until the
troops came to close quarters. To this
severe test of GOODNESS sue proved equal,
and rode at the front with the leaders
as ready and self-possessed in the fire Of
battle as she had been in the councils of
diplomacy.
When Macmillan personally abandoned
the City of Mexico and retired TO the in
terror town of Queretaro, the Princess
was left behind with the German garrt-
son. This separation from Maximtlian's
suite led to several startling and dra-
matte adventures, which displayed both
physical courage and diplomatic nerve. 1t
was plain to every one that the Emperor
was lost after the desertion of his French
allies, but the Princess, fearing that her
husband might have to share the fate OF
Maximilian, set about the most desperate
plan to ward off the impending peril.
Queretaro and the City Of Mexico were
both besieged by overwhelming numbers
of Mexicans. She first proposed to the
Mexican commander that the German
garrison in the City of Mexico should
surrender without fighting and Maximtl-
ian be, in consequence, allowed to go free.
In passing back and forth through the
lines, bent on this errand, the Princess
several times exposed her life to danger.
Once she was detained in the city until
after dark, and on approaching the senu-
mel of the besiegers she answered the
challenge, '"Who goes there?" with the
word "enemigo" enemy, inadvertently
spoken for amigo (friend). The senti-
mel fired but missed his mark.
After the verdict of death had been pro-
nounced the Princess was permitted to
see Macmillan and her husband in
prison, and she at once began to plot for
their rescue. A bribe was arranged, but
there was no cash to meet the demand.
Incited by her tireless exhortations Maxi
milan gave two one hundred thousand
dollar notes upon the imperial house of
Austria. Had there been $1,000 in cash the
plan might have been carried through.
AS it was, the notes were too dangerous
as evidence. Salm-Salm and the Empe-
ror were hopeless of escape, but the keen
witted woman who was for time free
to approach officers and guards, knew
that gold, and gold only. would open the
Mexican prison bars. In the end Esco-
bedo suspected her intrigue, and sent her
away under guard to Juarez, the Prest-
dent. whose party had fought against
Maximilians reign.
Saved Her Husbands Life.
Juarez was so impressed by the brave
/ little American woman that he promised
! to spare her husband in any event, and
! he granted to MaXimiltan a respite Of
! two weeks for the hearing of counsel in
! his behalf. The Princess collected and
disbursed funds for the incidental ex-
penses of the trial, and was recognized
by all as the factotum of the doomed
man. Although the foreign representa-
tives in Mexico could demand admission
to the Emperor and exert great influence
! if so disposed, they were panic stricken
and afraid to raise finger. The Empe-
! ror said to the Princess, when EscobedO
/ finally ordered her to leave the country:
| You are the only person who has really
done anything for me. If you go I am
utterly forsaken." But she had no gold,
and could get no gold, and the drama
ended in the execution Of Macmillan.
| Juarez kept his promise and spared Salm-
Salm. He returned to Prussia and re-
entered the army as major in the Grena-
dier Guards.
The Princess SaIm-Salm entered Ger
man hospital to study nursing for field
service. From April to June, 1870 she ap-
piled herself assiduously from o'clock in
the morning until at night, and at the
end of that time the surgeon in attend
ance gave her a certificate as proof of
her ability The surgeon was appointed
to the Eighth Rhenish Army Corps, and
he promised to take her along, so that
she might be near her husband. But that
a woman should go into the field as nurse
was something unheard of in the Prus-
sian army.
She met opposition on all sides. After
an interview with General Won Steinmetz,
| then commander of the First Army Corps,
carried on in broken German. he sent for
the quartermaster and placed her request
before him, asking If il could be granted.
1T can, If your Excellency so COM
mands" was the reply. General Won
Steinmetz at once drew out the desired
permission, and she got ready to join the
hospital wagon. But Salm-Salm would
not hear of that, and she had to satisfy
| herself with doing camp work. She was
much depressed at this, because she had
! a presentiment that her husband would
meet his death during the war. At the
| battle of Weissenburg the Princess was
| on the field as chief of a corps of army
! nurses. The report came that her hus-
| band was wounded She hastened to him,
/ but arrived too late to see him alive. He
died within three hours after the bullet
struck him. The Princess continued in
the service until the war ended, and was
decorated by the German Kaiser with
! the Order of the Iron Cross. This heroine
of three wars was then-1S71-but 20 years
old
The Princess now shows but few effects
] of her trying and adventurous life She
! still looks remarkably young, is slender
of medium height and with hair more
! auburn than gray. She will visit many
| old friends during her stay in America.
Lemon Bath as a Refreehor