Office of the Historian
[Translation.]

Señor Romero to Mr. F. W. Seward

Unofficial]
Washington, November 16,1866.

My Dear Sir: Fulfilling the offer I made you some time since, to obtain authentic intelligence from my government about the reported shooting of a son of the Marquis de Montholon, I wrote at once for that purpose to Mr. Lerdo de Tejada, who has replied to me, contradicting that rumor, as you will see in the letter (of which I send you a copy with this note) which that gentleman sent me on the subject under date of 20th of October last.

I remain your very respectful and obedient servant,

M. ROMERO.

Hon. Frederick W. Seward, &c., & c., & c.

[Translation.]

No. 478.]
Dep’t of Foreign Relations and of Government, Chihuahua, October 20, 1866.

I have received your notes Nos. 625 and 630, of dates 20th and 21st of September last, relative to the information which was confidentially asked from you by the Hon. Frederick W. Seward, acting Secretary of State, about the news published there of the death of a Marquis de Montholon, who was supposed to be son of the Marquis de Montholon, minister Of France near the government of the United States.

Such news was published in a newspaper at St. Louis, by inserting a letter which was said to have been received from a point on the frontier, in which assurance was given that the Marquis de Montholon had been taken in the State of Durango and executed by his captors.

I can assure you that the fact so related is not true. In the State of Durango no one has been captured or executed who could be Marquis de Montholon, or other person who could bear that name.

I suppose that the origin of that inaccurate report must have been a rumor set afloat in March or April of this year. Then it was said, that in one of the many encounters had near Mazatlan, in the State of Sinaloa, a son of the Marquis de Montholon died. A little time afterward it was cleared up, that the French commander or officer killed was not a son of Monsieur Montholon, nor bore that appellative; and that the mistake originated in his having an appellative with some termination similar to it, and that he belonged to some family well known and respected. Although I have not now before me the notices relating to the person [Page 389] who died at that time, I can assure you that I saw them at the time, and in the manner I have related.

Therefore I believe I can assure you that the notice published in the St. Louis newspaper, neither in the mode of publication nor otherwise, is in any respect accurate.

I assure you of my respectful consideration.

LERDO DE TEJADA.

C. Matias Romero, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Mexican Republic to the United States of America, Washington, D. C.