the men who had joined the Juarists were no longer in the United States service. His manifest hostility continued, and early in January 1866 bands of negro soldiers, with Cortina's name on their caps, came over and sacked Bagdad, carrying off the garrison. This being a manifest infringement of neutrality, the United States government hastened to make amends by removing the commandant and arraigning the participants in the outrage.[1]
Escobedo fell back on Monterey, taking possession of the town; but a part of the imperial garrison retired, after a sharp contest, into the citadel, and held out till Jeanningros came to the rescue on November 25th, after a flying expedition to Monclova,[2] and compelled Escobedo to hurry away to Camargo, and there recruit for the next favorable opportunity. In the lower part of Tamaulipas Mendez remained supreme, notwithstanding a temporary advantage of Ornano, who took Victoria on the 17th of November, and held it for a month, after which it was finally evacuated.[3]
The dispersion of Negrete's army having deprived Juarez of his last imposing support, Maximilian be-
- ↑ An act in accordance with the similar conduct of Bazaine, who some months previously had removed certain officers and restored war material in order to maintain harmonious relations with the commandant at Brownsville. Sheridan sustained Gen. Weitzel, the commandant at Clarksville. During the sacking of Bagdad, French vessels were fired upon by the invaders, and U.S. regulars came over to stop the excesses, only to continue the pillage in their turn, according to imperialist accounts. They remained at Bagdad till the 22d of Jan. Three days later an Austro-Mexican body retook the town. Alvensleben, With Max., 43-6, relates his personal observations on the spot. Niox, Expéd. du Mex., 534-S, reproduces a part of the sharp correspondence. Mejia's conduct under these trying circumstances brought a letter of thanks from Maximilian and the grand cross of the Aguila order. Arrangoiz, Méj., iv. 40, 60.
- ↑ La Hayrie, commandant at Saltillo, arrived earlier in the day with a small force, which managed to cut its way through Escobedo's lines and reach the citadel. Elton, With the French, 115-16, places his force at 110 men, and the republicans at 1,400. Iglesias speaks of 'la derrota de La Hayrie,' Revistas, iii. 530, in allusion to his later sortie from the citadel. Escobedo failed to collect the $200,000 levied on the city. Pap. y Corr. Famil. Imp., 165-7.
- ↑ For additional details on the north-east campaign, I refer to La Voz de Méj., Periód. Ofic., Diario Imp., Pájaro Verde, Mexicano, and other journals, throughout the year.
