The Lost Cause: The Confederate Exodus to Mexico

by Andrew F. Rolle

In the midst of the heartbreak, confusion, and rumors that followed Appomattox, some Southerners resolved to emigrate rather than surrender, and emigrate they did-to South America, Europe, Canada, and Mexico. Mexico's Emperor Maximilian, trying to secure his shaky throne against Juarez' opposition, encouraged these recalcitrant Confederates to settle in Mexico. But, doomed to defeat by the internal crisis in Mexico and by the Southerners' failure to face reality, the Confederate colonies were established and destroyed within two years' time. Later, many of the colonists who survived the ordeal tried to forget that they had ever gone into exile. Among the emigrants were many prominent Southern leaders, barred from holding public office and, in some cases, facing possible General Jo Shelby, the hero of the Confederacy, who later became so reconciled to the victory of the North that he voted for a Republican; Commodore Matthew Maury, internationally recognized oceanographer and naval astronomer, who was welcomed to Mexico by Maximilian himself; Henry Watkins Allen, "the single great administrator produced by the Confederacy," who founded the English language Mexican Times; and Thomas Caute Reynolds, former lieutenant governor of Missouri, who encouraged Maximilian to stay in Mexico but who himself left. In all there may have been between eight and ten thousand Confederates in Mexico. The exodus, exile, and repatriation of the Confederates constitute a hitherto incompletely known incident in American history. In this fully documented account, Andrew F. Rolle reveals the hope, humor, disappointment, and defeat of Americans who believed that the only way to save their way of life was to leave their homeland.

Genres: History, American Civil War

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The more I read books of this nature, the more I realize how little I know about the phenomenally varied history of this nation. I suspect the majority of you are far less deficient when it comes to your knowledge of history. That said, I have to tell you that this book fascinated me. Think of Mexico, and your first thoughts probably include the idea that a heck of a lot of people want out of there these days—legally or otherwise. I was fascinated to read that at the end of the Civil War, there were a significant number of confederate soldiers who refused to believe that they were defeated and who made the choice to enter Mexico as a result.

This book details the migration of between four thousand and five thousand Americans into Mexico at the end of the Civil War. Days prior to his death, Mr. Lincoln apparently expressed concern over the possibility of Americans emigrating to Mexico, pointing out that he was perfectly fine with them leaving the country, but suggesting that he wanted to make darn sure they actually got there and stayed or something along those lines.

This book details the exodus of several groups of disillusioned soldiers and their families, and it covers the establishment of several colonies in Mexico. You’ll read about the deceptions and treacheries of the puppet French emperor of Mexico, Maximilian, and his willingness to invite the Americans into Mexico, but then to never really allow them to assimilate into the country and culture. Of course, he had problems simply holding onto his throne, and he would eventually be deposed, which caused even greater problems for the Americans, who were thought to be friends of his.

In fact, none of the confederate colonies established thrived; there’s nothing left of them today. There were a few citizens who stayed and eked out a living somehow, but predominantly, the bitter defeated exiles ultimately realized that they were better off to come home under even the worst of circumstances such as imprisonment than to stay in a country where they weren’t ultimately wanted, where they were considered occupiers and invaders, and where the weather didn’t generally cooperate with their ability to grow the crops they were used to growing as sons of the South.

This is a highly readable little history, and it helped me better understand the mindset of the defeated confederate soldier—especially those more militant ones who would rather bake and toil in a land whose language and culture they didn’t understand than to deal with the vanquished and conquered communities they left with such promise at the beginning of the conflict.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about Confederate generals and their attempt to form a colony in exile in Mexico. They were welcomed by the regime of Napoleon's puppet emperor Maximillian. Unable to live up to their pre-war style and seeing the world at home pass them by the generals soon became disconsolate. The fall of the short-lived empire of Maximillian to the republican Juaristas put a complete end to the colonialization efforts in Mexico. Eventually most of the former generals drifted back to the United States.

This is a somewhat dry political tract. If you are looking for details of day to day life or of the trek to Mexico they are not in this book. The author makes it a point to say that most of the participants were too embarrassed by leaving the United States, failing in Mexico, and then returning to the country that they left no detailed account of their time south of the border.

The style of the book is a bit dated. The first printing came out in 1965 and reflects the prose of the period. At points the author appears to show sympathy toward the generals and to damn efforts at Reconstruction. At other times he seems to damn the southern attitudes. The books is interesting but I do not recommend it unless you have a keen interest in the subject. It is rather tedious.

[Candida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish there was more information out there about this subject. I watched the John Wayne movie "The Undefeated" but that was the only indication that this ever happened. I was not taught this piece of history in any history class. The movie was highly abbreviated. This book filled in the gaps. I can't help but think that these events helped fuel tensions in the South.

[Tom Buske · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable account of a little known aspect of Civil War history. There are a lot of interesting stories in here.

[Craig McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on those Confederates who went to Mexico and what happened to them there

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Lee surrendered and the American Civil War was lost to the Confederacy, one Confederate force refused to surrender. This is the story of its escape into Mexico with Union forces in pursuit.