Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/137

Rh Looking forward to the future, our head-quarters in 1865 had busied themselves in the special formation of this force, and had taken the greatest care in the choice of the military elements which were to compose it. The legion was not long before it became formidable, and, at the beginning of the year 1866, it already reckoned six battalions, two squadrons, two batteries of artillery, and a company of engineers. It formed a new and firm support for Maximilian in addition to his army, the effective force of which, as we have seen, reached a total of 36,000 men, and about 12,000 horses.

The Austro-Belgian brigade was managed in a similar way to the foreign legion; its cost, however, was almost double that of the French corps. Nevertheless, as its existence was important and its dismissal for want of pay would have been the signal for a general disbanding of the Mexican army, the French government thought it right that our treasury should provide for the expenses of the Belgians and the Austrians. For the sake of the better management of these two contingents which our commissariat had to maintain and control, it was proposed to Maximilian to unite the foreign legion and the Austro-Belgian brigade in one division, both corps being called upon to follow the same fortunes under the same flag. This division was to be commanded by a French general. A combination of this sort was a happy one: it put a stop to any cause for a conflict of authority between the foreign and native officers. Moreover, these European elements, become consolidated by close companionship, would acquire a cohesive force which, in difficult times, would have enabled Maximilian to march victoriously throughout all Mexico. The French general was selected; our acquired rights did not