[Translation.], April 26, 1866.

[Translation.]

Very Dear Sir: General Escobedo sent you some original letters of chiefs, officers, and soldiers of the invading army, intercepted by our forces. Thinking it would be well to let them be seen by the French people, who acknowledge the justice of our cause, and censure Napoleon’s obstinacy in meddling with our affairs, I have thought proper to make some observations, which may have some importance, as coming from witnesses of the facts.

The brave men who are defending their country suffer so many privations that, if their cause were not so holy, I am sure many of them would give up in despair. Our enemies have all the ports and many of the chief towns; so our means are reduced to the smallest scale. Our soldiers have scarcely the necessaries of life, yet they always meet the enemy bravely, badly armed as they are, and worse clad, and suffering from exposure and hunger. The necessary continued action does not permit time to drill them and give them the proper discipline, whereas the enemy have all they want and are punctually paid; so it is not strange that masses of men superior to the French in numbers (though not as great as they represent it) give up or avoid a fight.

I am sure General Escobedo’s army corps is better supplied, as we have only white cotton pants and sandals for our men. They have just made a campaign that nobody would credit who had not seen it. On the 23d, near Soledad, we learned that Dupin was coming with four hundred cavalry and two hundred infantry, with two pieces of artillery; and though we were waiting for aid from Matehuala, General Espinosa determined to attack them with four hundred infantry and five hundred cavalry, in conjunction with General Aureliano Rivera. On the 23d, at five in the morning, after eating pinole without bread or cakes, our infantry marched out, and suffered for water till three o’clock, when they came in sight of the enemy. This was a company of considerable reputation, whose chief was very haughty. He did not wait for us, but began the attack with such boldness and confidence that his cavalry nearly surrounded our line; but, not frightened, we stood our ground for the first charge, and then rushed on them, repulsing them with considerable loss. I firmly believe that if night had not supervened their rout would have been complete; but it would have been very imprudent in us to continue the fight in the dark. General Espinosa, fearing the enemy might be re-enforced, ordered a retreat, which was effected in good order; and our fatigued men had to march back to Soledad, where they got the first meal they had eaten that day.

To march twenty-five leagues without eating for forty hours, fighting with an enemy well armed, equipped, and fed, is no ordinary labor, and could not be imitated by the haughty French. Yesterday the infantry returned to this place, twelve leagues, because there was no resting place at Soledad.

The French letters, as you may imagine, are full of exaggerations and foolish boasts: but they all agree in the idea that there is no peace in Mexico, and intervention cannot hold out without more French troops; and some confess that intervention is unjust and inexcusable. They are generally dissatisfied; they think there is no glory, and certainly no profit, in the campaign; and they are beginning to despair of the empire, because it is neither honest nor just.

The rout of three French companies on the first at Santa Isabel, near Parras, by a cavalry brigade of this army corps under General Treviño, with some Coahuila forces, has caused many absurd stories, which you will see in the letters. Without mentioning the 700 traitors that fought with the 200 French, they want to make the world believe that they alone fought against four or five thousand of our men. Their official report is very far from true; but you will find the whole truth in General Escobedo’s report. When they take one of us prisoner, which is not very often, they spare his life and boast of it, while we have more than seventy French prisoners and spare them; yet we are called bandits and assassins. Here where I am now writing I am looking on the ruins of four of the best houses in the town, burned by the French last December because they belonged to persons in our army. The town was sacked, and few houses, are left in which they did not destroy the furniture. Thus they make war on us, and with the odious decree of the 3d of October they cry to Heaven, calling us barbarians incapable of self-government, because we take food and horses where we can find them, and impose loans from necessity and stick to a cause as sacred as our own existence.

The citizens of Mexico had better perish than give up the independence of their country.

We have no news from the interior; but the papers in the capital announce that each day brings trouble to the empire; rebellions spring up on every side, and the clergy no longer offer the support they promised. Now that there is so much trouble in the States of Ta maulipas, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and San Luis, the centre will have time to rest, and our brothers can recover their accustomed strength.

We are united and compact. The presidential question passed without disturbance, and we continue to acknowledge the government of Señor Juarez. It is the same in the interior; and the liberal newspapers, even in towns held by the empire, defend our cause. We need arms, particularly sabres for cavalry. It is impossible for us, armed only with a rifle or musket, to contend with the French, Austrian, or traitor cavalry, all well armed, mounted, and equipped; yet we do not shun battle, and have often whipped them in fair fight. If you can send some of these articles to this army corps it will give a new impulse to the national cause.

I hope you will consider this letter as the expression of a Mexican who loves his country, and wishes, when it is spoken of in Europe, that the truth may be known, so that good men may not be deceived by persons like Forey, who think they know a country they have seen in arms and examined from camps.

I remain, Mr. Romero, your very attentive and humble servant,