AHEAD OF THE ARMY

IT WAS SEVERE WORK, BUT IT WAS DONE
WITH EAGER ENTHUSIASM

(See page 277)

COPYRIGHT, 1903,
by LOTHROP
PUBLISHING
COMPANY.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Published June, 1903

PREFACE

Lest any one should suspect exaggeration in the pictures of Mexicanaffairs in the old time, which are presented by Señor Carfora, it may bewell to offer a few facts by way of explanation. During sixty-threeyears of the national life of the Republic of Mexico, from theestablishment of its independence in 1821 to the year 1884, nearly allof its successive changes of government were accompanied by more or lessviolence and bloodshed. There have been fifty-five Mexican Presidents;at one revolutionary period, four within three months, and to this listmust be added two emperors and one regency. Both of the emperors wereshot, so were several of the Presidents, and nearly all of the othersincurred the penalty of banishment. How this came to be so will possiblybe better understood by the young Americans who will kindly travel withSeñor Carfora and his generals and his two armies, commanded for him byGeneral Scott and General Santa Anna. It is the wish of the author thatall his young friends may cultivate a deeper and kinder interest in thewonderful land of Anahuac and its people. The now peaceful and rapidlyimproving republic of the South is, in fact, only a kind of youngerbrother of the United States. Mexico has no more sincere well-wisherthan

William O. Stoddard.

CONTENTS