Page:The rise and fall of the Emperor Maximilian.djvu/86

70 eventuality. Unfortunately, General Cortina, who commanded a party of troops ranged en échelon on the lower portion of the Rio Bravo, and was already notorious for his treachery, suddenly declared himself against the empire, and endeavoured to deliver up the valuable port of Matamoros into the hands of Negrete, with whom he had agreed for a large sum of money. What blindness, in spite of repeated warning, could have urged Maximilian six months before to pardon Cortina, a merely irregular general, and a thief, as cowardly as he was unruly, at the time when he was blockaded in Matamoros, without hope of escape, and was compelled to surrender after many extortions? Then, again, why should he have been promoted on the same day to the rank of regular general, and given an active command on the frontier, and in the very town he had just plundered without remorse? Maximilian believed he was acting with good policy, and that he would thus appease the other non-contents. Negrete immediately attacked Matamoros, but his contingent was obliged to be disbanded owing to the landing at Bagdad of our naval forces, who came to the help of Mejia, who occupied the place.

The signal of revolt was given. The imperial government had directed that the department of Tamaulipas, so laboriously conquered by the French contra-guerillas, should be given over to one of its brigades. Two months afterwards this province was again entirely lost, and Monterey, the capital of Nuevo Leon, which the Mexican authorities, in spite of all the recommendations from our head-quarters, had neglected to put in a proper state of defence, also succumbed under the attacks of the rebel party. During the month of May, the marshal was obliged to resume the offensive at all the points invaded, and to capture them afresh.