Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/128

 120 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Crossing the river the little army had many bloody encounters with Mexicans and Indians, coming out victorious in every fight.

Shelby's messengers could get no satisfaction from Maxamilian, and at last the order came from Bazaine for the Confederates to re- port to him in the city of Mexico.

The story of that adventurous march cannot be told in this brief article. It was one of the most heroic on record, full of romance and adventure.

At the capital Shelby, his officers, soldiers and his distinguished Confederate companions were cordially received.

Maximilian heard Shelby with close attention, and Bazaine was evidently very much interested. In fact the marshal was not unwil- ling to support Shelby's scheme.

The Emperor, however, had faith in his people. He believed that his empire was safe, and he was averse to anything that would lead to trouble with the United States.

With profuse thank?, he declined to help the Confederates to regain control of the department west of the Mississippi in return for their general's pledge to bring 100,000 southerners to fight for the empire.

Maximilian had been advised by his counsellors that it was not safe to trust Americans Yankees, as they were called in Mexico. He had been taught to believe that the new-comers would finally turn against him and take control of the government.

Disappointed and helpless, in a strange land, with his companions dependent upon him, what could Shelby do but accept the emperor's offer of a big tract of land at Cordova for his colony ?

Bazaine gave him $50,000 in gold to aid the new settlement, and the general and hundreds of his friends began their life as colonists under the empire.

Gradually the settlers returned to the United States, and their leader followed their example, not however, before he had, at the risk of his life, befriended Maximilian in a vain effort to save him from his Mexican murderers.

With other notable bits of history connected with Shelby's expe- dition this narrative has nothing to do. The purpose of the writer is simply to give a flashlight glimpse of the last desperate effort of the Confederates to recover and hold a part of their territory under a government of their own.

What would have been the ultimate result if the movement had been successful in its day and time does not admit of much specula-