Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-07

ano Escobedo brings to mind his part
in the capture OF Macmillan, the
Austrian archduke who sought to be
emperor OF Mexico, but succeeded only
in getting himself shot, and above all
the strange fate of Maximilian's friend
Col. Miguel Lopez. While he lived
Gel. Lopez was hated and despised as
a traitor. He was ranked with Judas
lscarlot. Tales were told to show
that the memory of his treachery
haunted him and tortured him night
and day. 1t was believed that for a
large sum of money Col. Lopez allowed
Gen. Escobedo. to capture the post in
trusted to him at Queretaro and to
make him a prisoner of Macmillan.
Yet, II Gen. Escobedo is to be believed,
and there seems to be no reason why
he should misrepresent the facts. not
only was Col. Lopez no traitor, but. on
the contrary, he had so high a sense
OF honor that he kept his word in spite
OF the general detesation that course
brought upon him, although he could
have cleared himself without trouble.
Col. Lopez was the emperor's friend
and favorite, and was in command of
the convent Of La Cruz, in which
Macmillan had established his head
quarters when intrenched in the city
of Queretaro during the last days of
his dying empire. Gen. Escobedo was
in command of the army of northern
Mexico and conducted the siege of
Queretaro. He conducted the court
which tried the archduke and con-
demned him to be shot Years ago he
made an official report to President
Porfirio Diaz of Mexico, regarding the
capture of Macmillan. Some time
ago this document was published by
the presidents order.
Macmillan had a chance to leave
Mexico, but did not use it. 1t is said
that letters from his family in Austria
came, urging him to remain. Soon
after this chance for his life was
thrown away he found himself be-
Sieged in Queretaro. He became
nervous and unstrung. His physician,
DR.. Samuel Busch, wrote of his severe
iiiiiSoo' IolIo w Cl = l1duc LII d SOIll6
from the city. Then it was postponed.
Seeing that all hope of succor was
gone, the emperor began to brood
over his condition. Finally he sent
Col. Lopez to Gen. Escobedo to inquire
about terms of surrender. The reply
was that unconditional surrender of
the city and army was the only terms
he was authorized by his government
to make. The story of the ensuing
days is told by Gen. Escobedo in his
report. He says
On May IA, 1867, at o'clock in the
morning, the imperialist colonel,
MIGUEL Lopez, commanding officer of
the regiment of the empress presented
himself to me. He told me he had
left the fort with secret commission
to nae, if I would permit I agreed to
talk privately with him. He briefly
told me that the emperor had charged
him with the mission of comforting
with me, and if l would grant it, the
emperor, wishing to avoid shedding
more Mexican blood for his cause,
would abandon the fort, if allowed to
leave with the persons in his personal
service, escorted by detachment
from the regiment of the Empress to
Tuxpan or Vera Cruz, where he could
hope to find a boat to take him to
Europe. He assured me that on leav-
ing for Queretaro his abdication had
been deposited with his prime minis
ter. Col. Lopez declared that his
sovereign would promise, for then and
always, on his word, that, leaving the
country, he never would set foot on
Mexican territory, giving me, in guar
antee of his good faith, all the securi-
ties demanded
My reply to Lopez was decisive. He
must inform the archduke that my
orders were positive to make no terms
other than the unconditional surren-
der of the city. The archduke's COM
missioner then said that the emperor
could not continue the defense of the
town, and considered an effort to do
so useless; that the columns of the
force the besieging lines; that he
wished to prevent the imprudent oper-
alton but had no confidence that his
orders would be obeyed by the officers,
who, determined to carry out the plan
of sortie, obeyed no one. In case his
at o'clock the next day he would ar
range that the forces defending the
cemetery of the convent of La Cruz
should be concentrated in the court
yard of the convent; that could make
an effort to take that point, where he
would deliver himself prisoner, with
out conditions. Lopez returned to the
city with word for the emperor that
La Cruz would be occupied the next
day, with or without resistance.
When La Cruz was taken Macmillan
and his generals retired to the Cerro
de las Campanas or Hin of the Bells.
Fighting continued in different parts
of the town. DR.. Samuel Busch in his
book marveled that at a word from
Lopez the republican soldiers allowed
the emperor to retire from La Cruz
While betraying him. Dr. Busch wrote,
Lopez did not wish the emperor killed
On the Cerro de las Campanas at
o'clock in the morning, Macmillan
and his chief officers surrendered. The
entire garrison was then in the hands
of the republican army. The report of
Gen. Escobedo continues as follows
On May "a Lopez asked to see me
privately. I agreed, and he told me
the emperor had sent him to request
that l keep absolutely secret the con-
ference that he, Lopez, had with me
ON Nav Ia as his commissioner be-