Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/41

Rh States and Havannah to supply the corn requisite both for man and beast. Considerable sums of money were devoted by the commissariat to the purchase of mules, which they sought for far and wide, whilst at that very time they abounded at our outposts; and a portion of a large quantity of oats, imported from New York, remained, for want of means of transport to the plains, standing on the quays at Vera Cruz, and inundated by sea water, until the time came when, finding them quite useless, it was decided to reship them to France, where they arrived considerably damaged. A plan for remounting our soldiers was also attempted at Tampico, and each horse brought back to Vera Cruz by our African troopers, after estimating all the expenses, cost, on an average, 25,000 francs. It is true that the operation also cost us a gunboat, 'La France,' which was lost on the bar of the river. Such were the fruits of procrastination.

At last the ville des anges appeared before our eyes as a sort of promised land. It was thought necessary to commence a siege in all due form. The same system which had hitherto prevailed in the management of military operations was applied to the investment of the town. All idea of an assault was scouted, which certainly might have been attempted against the Mexicans if some entrenchments had been thrown up to aid the approach, and if the attack had been made at first on the town only, and the forts of Guadelupe and Loreto had been left to fall through famine. Subsequently, the capture of the Penitencier gave us for an instant the key of the town, for the assailants had pushed on as far as the quadres, from which they could easily have reached the cathedral, which served as a residence for General Ortega. The besieged, driven to close quarters, gave way, and fell into panic-