Stars and Stripes in Peril (4 page)

They followed Fox across the room to one of the large maps.

"Mexico," he said, tapping the green, inverted triangle of that land. "The French landed in strength last year, here in the port of Vera Cruz on the Gulf coast. They suffered a major defeat last year on the fifth of May, in the battle of Puebla. Over a thousand of their troops were killed. But the Emperor Napoleon was too committed by this time to the conquest of Mexico, so he has sent thirty thousand fresh troops under the command of General Forey. A far more able general than his predecessor—who since his arrival defeated all of the Mexican armies that he has engaged in battle. Under the pretence that he is 'liberating' Mexico—from its own army! In addition he is a politically knowledgeable man. With his troops standing by at the ballot boxes he has held mock elections. These are a complete fraud, but Forey has used the results to convince the French government as well as the Archduke Maximilian of Austria that he is really the people's choice. So now the Emperor Maximilian rules from the palace of Chapultepec."

"And this young man has reported all this to you?"

"Part of it. We have been keeping close watch on the French for some time—even before the war ended. Since we have other agents in Mexico, Lobo was sent to investigate a totally different matter. A very quiet invasion right here, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This is where the events of a most serious nature are occurring."

Lincoln leaned close as Gustavus Fox ran his finger across the map, tapping the thin neck of land that connected Mexico with Central America. "That name is most familiar," Lincoln said. "Yes, I do remember, it was just before the last election. A matter of some two million dollars was needed as I remember. It almost passed Congress."

"It almost did. That was the McLane-Ocampo Treaty of 1859. This country wanted to open a trade route to California. The two million dollars would have given the United States the perpetual right of transit across the isthmus. Unhappily, the treaty agreement was narrowly defeated. It now appears that someone else has been studying history and has had the same idea. You will notice that Mexico narrows greatly here to the south, so that only a narrow isthmus, barely a hundred miles of land, separates the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Here, on the Pacific shore, is where the unusual activity is taking place. Earlier reports were very vague. That was why I sent O'Higgins there to find out what we could. His report is most detailed and most accurate. There are troops there, many of them, regiments of soldiers. And they are not French or Austrian."

Lincoln looked up, startled.

"They are British," Fox said grimly. "Our recent enemy seems to be thinking about war and invasion again."

"A road," O'Higgins said. "Would you believe that they have invaded Mexico, right here, and are now engaged in building a road across the isthmus from one ocean to the other. I have watched them laboring to cut through what has been, up to now, the trackless jungle. I do not envy them their labors in the heat. Many of them sicken and die at this thankless task. But troop transports arrive from across the Pacific quite often and their numbers grow. I have reported all of these facts to Mr. Fox, as well as the names and the numbers of the regiments of troops involved."

"They are all troops from the various countries of the British Empire," Fox said. "Indian for the most part, as well as some English regiments that were stationed in the remote corners of the Empire. And I believe what they are planning is obvious, although I have no exact knowledge as such. I am sure that when I get reports from our agents in Britain they will support what is, so far, just a supposition."

"Which is?" Lincoln asked.

"Invasion," Fox said. Striding over to a map of the United States and tapping the Gulf coast close to New Orleans. "In the soft underbelly of our country. They can pick a landing site, anywhere from Texas to Florida, and land there in overwhelming numbers. There is a thousand miles of coastline here, and it is impossible to defend all of it at the same time. Troop transports in ballast could leave England and sail swiftly across the Atlantic, protected all of the way by warships. Without advance knowledge of their course, position and strength, there is little that we could do to stop them. Once they have reached Mexico they could load the soldiers from the east here, at the port of Vera Cruz, on the Atlantic shore. And the new road
is
going to that seaport."

"You are sure of that?" Lincoln asked.

"With my own ears," O'Higgins said. "I heard two of their officers talking and they mentioned that city as the road's destination. I had heard it mentioned before, in passing, but these officers were quite positive about it. Of course they had no idea that I could understand what they were saying."

"This is indeed unhappy news," the President said, shaking his head. "I had hoped that our cousins in Britain would come to their senses once they had been defeated. It appears that defeat has only incensed them the more."

Fox nodded in somber agreement. "Their plan is a good one. They can mass overwhelming troops at Vera Cruz, bring in the transports—then strike! Once the soldiers are boarded and at sea, guarded all the way by ironclads, they can attack at any time—and at any place they might wish. If they can strike fast enough, before reports reach us, why there is no way that we can stop them from putting those troops ashore."

"This is terrible, disastrous," Lincoln said. "Then—what can be done?"

"The answer to that is a simple one. But it might be very difficult to achieve."

Lincoln looked puzzled. "Please enlighten me."

Fox touched the map of Mexico again. No, he did not touch it—he slammed his fist hard onto it.

"We stop them here. We stop the road being built. We harass the troops and make it impossible for them to reach the Atlantic Ocean. Without these troops there can be no invasion."

"That is a tall order, young man," Lincoln said. He approached the map, put his finger on Texas, then traced down the length of Mexico to the isthmus. "That is a powerful long way to march our men. And powerfully hard to do with all those Frenchmen with guns sitting along the route."

"That will not be necessary," O'Higgins said. "There is a word in Spanish that does not exist in English. The word is
guerrillero.
It means those who fight the
guerrilla,
the little war."

"You have left me in the dark, Mr. O'Higgins. Please enlighten me. Dare I ask you how fighting a little war will help us win a big one?"

"To answer that you must look to the first Emperor Napoleon who invaded Spain. His mighty war machine, that had conquered all of Europe, had little difficulty in defeating and destroying the Spanish and Portuguese armies. But they could not defeat the Spanish and Portuguese people of the Iberian peninsula. They fled to the mountains before his attack, and fought their little war from the security of their rocky fortresses. They harassed the lines of communication so vital to an army. They struck at any weak points, vanishing into the mountains again before they could be caught. That is the little war that the Mexicans also know how to fight so well. Here in Oaxaca, Guerrero, even the valley of Mexico, there are
guerrilleros
who have never surrendered to the invaders, who are still fighting. It is the noble tradition of these people. And here, in the jungles of Yucatan, there are the Mayans. They have
never
been defeated. Not by the Spanish invaders—or anyone since. They still speak Mayan and refuse to learn Spanish. With people like these on our side the English will never build this road. So they will never invade the United States—at least not by this route."

Lincoln turned to Gustavus Fox. "Can this be done?" he asked.

"I don't see why not. These guerrilla armies are already fighting the French, although they are very badly supplied. If we can arm them with modern weapons, aid them with supplies and ammunition, why then there is every possibility that it could be done."

"Let me know just what you need and tell the War Department the same. If they give you any problems—why just send them around to see me. This whole thing makes very good military sense." He started towards the door, then turned back rubbing his jaw in thought. "If we can lick the English this way—why can't your fighters of the little war do the same thing to the French?"

"We can," Fox said. "That is an astute observation, Mr. President. The simple answer is that we are already implementing plans to do just that. The Mexicans who are fighting back against the invaders are poorly armed. When the French first loaned money to Mexico, they held a good part of it back for weapons for the Mexican army. Being parsimonious in a very Latin way they saved money by supplying smooth-bore muskets for the most part—many of them actually used in the battle of Waterloo! So when the
guerrilleros
seized the enemy's weapons they got very little for their efforts. We are changing all that. Our army has left caches of modern weapons and ammunition close to the Mexican border. Information has been passed to the
guerrilla
bands. Soon the French will be under attack and will be too busy to even think about aiding their English allies."

"Will the Mexicans fight the French, Mr. Fox?"

"They have never stopped fighting them, Mr. President. Even though their president, Benito Juarez, had to flee to the United States for safety. Before he returned to this country, in fact as soon as he landed in New Orleans, O'Higgins made a coded report to me by telegraph. As soon as I received it I contacted the Mexican ambassador here in WashingtonCity. He in turn telegraphed Juarez in Texas. If the train arrives in time President Juarez will be here this afternoon."

Lincoln climbed to his feet and slammed his fist into his hand. "Capital! We must now coordinate all efforts." He paced the length of the room and back. "Firstly, troops, an honor guard, must be sent to greet him. Led by a general who will officially receive him. Then I want him brought here to the War Department. Is General Sherman here?"

"He has an office on this floor." Fox made quick notes.

"See that he joins us, as well as Secretary of War Stanton. Now what about Generals Grant and Lee?"

"Both of them in the field, I am afraid."

"We could have used their wise judgement. Unhappily we must do without. Who else?"

"Since the possible invasion that is being planned will be by sea, perhaps the Secretary of the Navy should be at the meeting as well."

"Very good. See that Welles joins us on the behalf of our seagoing forces. Let me know when they have been assembled. In the meantime I have much other work to do."

Hay poked his head around the door and Lincoln looked up from the mountain of paperwork before him.

"You wanted to be notified as soon as the Mexican party arrived."

"I did indeed," Lincoln said, happily pushing the papers away from him. "Let's get over there."

When the President entered the flag-draped conference room the others were already assembled there. Secretary Stanton made the introductions, first to Ambassador Matias Romero, a thin, dark-skinned, dark-haired man with gray hair at his temples.

"President Juarez, unhappily, does not speak English. If you would permit I will translate for him."

Romero lifted his hand and Benito Juarez came forward. He was a small and unprepossessing man in a black suit and black tie. His skin was very dark and he had the typical high cheekbones and square nose of a Zapotec Indian from Oaxaca. He looked most commonplace—but Lincoln knew that this was the man who had led the Liberals to victory in the last election and who had united all of Mexico.

"It is my pleasure to greet you," Lincoln said, "as the leader of our sister republic to the south. And to help you, if possible, in your continuing battle against the usurpers who occupy your country."

Romero translated as Juarez spoke.

"I, all of us, appreciate your aid. This so-called emperor, this foreign prince forced upon us by the French armies, has attacked the rights of others. He has seized our goods, assaulted the lives of those who defend our nationality, who makes of these virtues crimes, and his own vices a virtue. But there is one thing beyond the reach of such perversity—the tremendous judgement of history."

Lincoln nodded agreement. "Well said, Mr. President. But I would like to give history a helping hand if that is at all possible." He looked around. "Now has anyone here any idea of how that can best be done?"

"We discussed it in some depth before you arrived," Stanton said. "I believe that General Sherman is the one most versed in these matters."

Sherman had been staring at the map of Mexico that had been mounted on an easel. His cold eyes, like those of a bird of prey, seeing into the future. Seeing the movement of men and machines. Seeing death.

"The French, Belgian and Austrian troops have occupied all of the large cities. Here, here and here. As well as all of the smaller cities if they are of any strategic value. While the Mexican armies have all been destroyed, the
guerrillero
bands are still active in these mountains and jungles. These are men who know the country and know how to fight in it. What I propose to do is to supply them with modern rifles and ammunition—and as many cannon as we can get to them through Texas. Once they are armed they will push south. I see no reason why they should not be able to vanquish the French in the field. If the enemy makes a stand in any cities on the way, the cannon will drive them out. As the new army sweeps south it will gain men from the
guerrilleros
along the way. So, the situation will be such that it will be the direct opposite of the usual attacking force, in that it will gain strength as it advances, instead of growing weaker and weaker as it would normally do through attrition."

Juarez said something to Romero who nodded, then spoke.

"The president says that he will write letters to the various commanders that will be encountered on the way, so they will know that they are fighting in his cause and that of Mexico. He also says that the men in the mountains are poor—and very hungry. If they could receive some money as well as the guns they will be able to carry the war to the enemy."