The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-07-12

Strange Fate Of Col. Miguel lopez
of Mexico.

| lily u mexico Letter IN New YORK sur
The recent ieath Of General Marian
Escobedo briggs to mind his part In tn
/ capture of Mcmillan. the Austria
archduke who sought to be emperor o
Mexico. but succeeded only in gettin
himself shot. and above all the strnng
fate Of Maximilian's friend. Col. Migue
Lopez.
While he lived Col. Lopez was hate,
and despised as a traitor. He was ranke,
with Judas Iscafiot Tales were told /,
show that the memory OF his treacher,
haunted him and tortured him night and
day. 1t was believed that for a larg,
sum of money, Colonel Lopez allowed
General Escobedo to capture the post en-
trusted to him at Queretero. and to make
a prisoner Of Macmillan.
Yet, II General Escobedo is to be be.
lieved. and there seems TO be no reason
why he should misrepresent the facts
not only was Colonel 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 detestation that
course brought upon him. although he
could have cleared himself without trou.
BILE
Colonel Lopez was the emperor's friend
and favorite. and was in command OF
the convent at La Cruz. in which Max.
htffdf ilstU tStaDil8n60 HE Hc3QQudf-
ters when entrenched In the city OF
ouerctero during the last days Of his dy-
ing empire.
General Escobedo was in command OF
Fthe army of northern Mexico and con-
Quoted the siege OF Queretero. He 1t was
who conducted the court which tried the
archduke and condemned him to be shot.
Years ago he made an Official report to
President Porfirio Diaz OF Mexico. re-
garding 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 besieged in oueretero.
He became nervous and unstrung.
His physician, DR.. Samuel Basch. wrote
of his severe Illness Plans were made
for q sortle from the city. Then It was
postponed.
Seeing that all hope Of succor was gone
the emperor began to brood over his CON
dition. Finally he sent Colonel Lopez to
General Escobedo to inquire about terms
OF surrender. The reply was that un-
conditional surrender Of the city and ar
my was the only terms he was author
iEeu by MS government TO MAKE.
The story Of the ensuing days Is told
by General Escobedo In his report. He
says:
ION May H. 1857. at q o'clock In the
morning the Imperialists. Colonel Miguel
Lopez commanding officer of the regi-
ment of the empress, presented him
self to me. He told me he had left the
fort with secret commission to me II
would permit.
II agreed to talk privately with him.
He briefly told me that the emperor had
charged him with the mission Of confer
ring with me. and II | would grant 1t the
emperor. wishing to avoid shedding more
Mexican blood for his cause. would ADAM
don the fort. II allowed to leave with the
In his personal service, escorted
by a detachment from the regiment OF
the empress to Tuxpan or Vera Cruz,
" here he could hope to find q boat to
take him to Europe. He assured me
that on leaving for Queretero his abdi-
cation had been deposited with his prime
Colonel Lopez declared that his soyer-
eign would promise. for then and always,
on his word. that leaving the country he
never would set foot on Mexican terri
tory. giving me. In guarantee Of his good
faith. all the securities demanded.
MY EeDfY 10 l1ODtN was OCCtcAfCB ho
must inform the archduke that my or
ders were positive to make no terms
other than the unconditional surrender
Of the city.
THE archdukes commissioner then
said that the emperor could not con-
tinue the defense of the town and con-
sidered an effort to do so useless; that
the columns of the defenders were
formed to attempt to force the besieg.
ing lines, that he wished to prevent the
Imprudent operation. but had no con-
fidence that his orders would be obeyed
by the officers. who, determined TO carry |
put the plan Of sortie. obeyed no one.
''In case his orders were obeyed or
not. he told me at O'Clock the next |
Law, he would arrange that the forces |
defending the cemetery Of the convent |
II LIE Cruz should be concentrated in |
he court yard Of the convent: that
.ould make an effort to take that point |
where he would deliver himself pris- |
,ner without conditions.
Lopez returned to the city with word |
or the Emperor that La Cruz would be |
occupied the next day with or without
When La Cruz was taken Macmillan |
md his Generals retired to the Cerro |
le las Companas or Hill of the Bells. /
Fighting continued In different parts of
he town Dr. Samuel Basch in his book
that at word from Lopez the /
Republican soldiers allowed the Emperor
o retire from La Cruz. While betraying /
i'm DR.. Basch wrote Lopez did not wish
he Emperor killed.
On the Cerro de las Campanas at 8 /
'clock in the morning, Macmillan and
lis chief officers surrendered. The en-
ire garrison was then in the hands OF
he Republican army.
"On May a." the report continues, "Lo-
ez asked to see me privately. / agreed
nd he told me the Emperor had sent him
o request that keep ABSOLUTELY secret
he conference that he, Lopez. had with
ne on May IA. as his commissioner, be-
ause he wished to save his honor and
restige in Mexico and in Europe.
II replied that 1t was matter of in
reserved or not, in neither case would
ny honor or that Of my cause be aft
ected; that he, Lopez, indeed would be
ffected directly by my silence, as 1t was
lready well known that his comrades ac-
used him of being disloyaI to the Arch
uke whom they thought he had miser-
bly, betrayed.
Lopez replied, in an Indifferent way,
nat he cared little for the opinion held
I his conduct; he would be silent be-
ause 1t was his duty to comply in every
with the wishes of the EN-
error to whom he owed much, and he
1uld not be ungrateful to him. He added
nat he was provided with document
hich would clear his honor of any
ain.
Then he showed me letter from the
mperor the authenticity of which SEEM
10 he GA 4 - |