combatants, including the foreign legion.' Moreover, this number was to be still further reduced in proportion as the Mexican troops became organised.
In contradiction to this double clause, the French army had always been above the number of 28,000 men, notwithstanding the return to Europe of the brigade of General Lhériller. Besides, this brigade, which only consisted of about 4,000 fighting men, was succeeded by the Austrian legion, 8,000 bayonets strong; the forces were thus increased, instead of being diminished. But yet the marshal could not, even with this force, occupy effectively an extent of about eighteen hundred leagues, and thus abandon weak French detachments to all the hazards of desertion and want. These, however, were the tactics to which the Emperor Maximilian was inclined, whose tendencies to scattering the military forces did not cease to show themselves; to have yielded to them would have been to overlook the share of responsibility which would fall on our head-quarters in case of any check.
The city of La Paz, the capital of Lower California, is situated about 500 leagues from Mexico, and any communication with this distant point presented very great difficulties. Nevertheless, it was occupied in 1865 by the interventionary forces, who only left after they had assisted in the political and military organisation of the country. This city, after the departure of our forces, again pronounced in favour of the Juarists. When Maximilian heard the news, he wrote as follows to the commander-in-chief:—
Mexico, December 17, 1865.
