leave the nation. Because of this victory, Napoleon III granted Mejía the cross of the Legion of Honor On June 12, Mejía was present at the National Palace at the official reception for the arrival of the royal couple. He was appointed spokesman by the Knights of Guadalupe, and Emperor Maximilian embraced Mejía . For the second half of 1864, Mejía was stationed in the northeast of the nation working to pacify the region with Charles-Louis Du Pin and Édouard Aymard. The tide of the Empire began to turn with the end of the U.S. Civil War in April, 1865, after which the United States began to supply Mexican Republican forces, and put pressure on France to leave the continent. The Republican General Negrete, with some American mercenaries, began to capture towns along the Rio Grande, and Mejía retreated to Matamoros to await reinforcements. Mejía protested to the American commandant at Clarksville that American aid and troops was being given to Republican forces, but the commandant replies that such men did so on their own behalf and not on that of the United States government. In spite of that, another American raid cause the U.S. government to remove the commandant from his post and to reprimand the soldiers involved. As the Empire began to falter, Mejía was forced to retreat from Matamoros on June 23, 1866, and withdraw to Vera Cruz. By December of that year he and his troops found themselves at Guanajuato. By January, 1867, French troops had evacuated Mexico. Imperialist forces while retaining control of Mexico City, began to consolidate at Queretaro, where the Emperor and his leading generals, including Mejía , now found themselves. At a council of war on February 22, 1867, Mejía opposed Marquez’ notion to retreat to Mexico City. On March 12, republican forces commanded by Mariano Escobedo finally appeared at Queretaro. The Imperialists held out the siege for the time being and Mejía played his role in repulsing the besieging republicans, but after a few weeks of comabat, Mejía was persuaded to support a plan of retreat, which was opposed by Miramon and ultimately not followed through by Maximilian. On March 24, Mejía once more repulsed another republican assault. Mejía now fell ill, delaying Imperialist plans of attempting to break through the Republican lines Nonetheless Mejía recovered enough to continue plans to escape and seek refuge in Mejía ’s old haunt, the