Page:Vol 6 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/321

Rh was not very difficult, for he commanded the reserve brigade, which occupied the Convento de la Cruz and adjoining fortifications, and held, therefore, the key to the town. He had already removed certain troops, replacing them with men under control of a fellow-conspirator, and with incorporated prisoners of war; and on returning from Escobedo's camp he made further changes, ordering the horses to be unsaddled, cannon to be removed, and so forth. He thereupon introduced the republican soldiers under General Velez, and favored by darkness, led them from one post to another, explaining that they were relief troops, whenever he deemed any explanation necessary. His presence as commander and recognized favorite of the emperor, and the mixture of uniforms among the imperialists preventing suspicion, many assumed at once that the movements were part of the evacuation plan.