The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-04-27
when The Civil WAR
DID REALLY end

to act with great circumspection, so
as not to involve the United States in
a foreign war. He went at the task as
signed him with his usual energy and
directness of purpose
When he arrived at New Orleans he
found that General Kirby Smith had
surrendered to General Candy on May
rs, 1865, on the same terms as those
granted to Lee and Johnston, but the
terms we're not being carried into eff
feet, as large bodies of troops were
marching off toward the Mexican Dor.
der with camp equipment, artillery
guns and ammunition, with the ulti.
mate intention of joining the imperial
forces under Maximilian. Sheridan i'm
mediately sent a strong force of caval-
ry to intercept them and to traverse
the entire territory between the Mis-
sissippi and the Rio Grande. This force
finally occupied all the points along
the lower part of the latter river and
effectually prevented any more armed
troops from crossing into Mexico. He
sent strong force, under command of
Major Young, the chief of scouts, to
ascertain the movements of the i'm
perial forces and former Confederates
who had crossed the Rio Grande
These scouts went as civilians and re-
turned with very vauable information
Sheridan also demanded and received
from the imperial commander at Mata.
moros, General Mejia, the return of a
large amount of munitions of war that
had been turned over to him by the
Confederates.
The strength continued through the
entire summer, Maximilian continual
ly gaining strength until nearly all of
Mexico, under President Juarez, was
in his possession Meanwhile Sheri.
dan had been surreptitiously furnish.
ing arms, ammunition and supplies to
the loyal Mexicans without the know
ledge of the State Department at
Washington, but with the full cogniz-
ance and approval of General Grant.
Maximilian had commissioners in ev-
cry Southern state Offering encourage
ment for colonization to former Con.
Confederates, by promises of peonage,
money and titles of nobility Sheridan
had stopped the passage of armed
troops across the border, and he now
appealed to the State Department to
stop civilians; but, becoming impa.
tient at the slowness of the Secretary
| of State to do anything, he finally is
sued orders that no one should pass
from the United States into Mexico,
either by vessel or otherwise, without
a permit from him. This effectually
stopped the exodus. Meanwhile he
continued to let it be known, in quiet
way, to the Juarez commanders, the
places along the Rio Grande where
they would be quite likely to find
arms, ammunition, supplies, etc, If
they would institute a search for them,
This practice finally came to the no
tice of the French government and an
earnest protest was presented to the
State Department and instructions
were sent to Sheridan to stop it. 1t
was not known until long afterward
that Generals Grant and Sheridan were
ter and that the latter was secretly
using the most effective means for pre-
venting the designs OF the willy Ma.
poleon on the government of Mexico.
The term of office OF President Juar-
ez expired in December, 1865, and as
there was no possibility of holding II
settled state of the country, he contin.
ued himself In office by proclamation
This caused a vigorous protest upon
the part of Ortega, Justice of the Su.
preme Court, who claimed that he was
entitled to the Presidency under the
constitution and threatened serious
trouble; but Sheridan had him arrest.
ed in New Orleans and turned him ov.
er to President Juarcz, thus nipping
an inciplent revolution in the bud.
But Mexico was very much the
then as now, and the native support
ers Of Macmillan soon began to quar-.
rel among themselves. Dissensions
arose among the revolving factions,
and this fact taken in connection with
Sheridan's successful efforts in pre-
venting any considerable number OF
former Confederates from Joining the
imperial forces, led MaXimilian to send
his wife to France to beseech Napol
con to send more troops to his aid
But Napoleon began TO see the hand
writing on the wall. The United States
had continued to protest against his
attempt at empire building, and now
that the Civil War was at an end and