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ancestry. He entered the government military academy in 1846, and participated with his chiss- mates, in September, 1847, in the defence of Molino del Rey and Chapultepec against the U. S. forces. He was wounded and taken prisoner, but returned to the academy after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and completed his studies with honor. He entered the army in 1853, and served in the states of Mex- ico and Jalisco against local insurrections until Gen. Juan Alvarez in 1854 declared in favor of the plan of Ayutla. Miramon served as captain in the expedition that was sent to the state of Guer- rero in October of that year, taking a creditable part in the action of Temajalco. In July, 1855, he was promoted colonel, and when Alvarez, in October of that year, became pres- ident, Miramon was unwilling to serve under his formerantagonist, and, while he was marching as sec- ond in command

against the rebels

of Zacapoaxtla in December, he imprisoned his chief and, joining the revolutionary party, occupied Puel)la. A government was organized there under Haro y Tamariz {q. v.), but the city was taken in March, 1856, and Miramon was made prisoner, but he escaped, and, in October, with Gen. Orihue- la, pronounced against Comonfort, and defended Puebla a second time during a siege of forty-three days. He escaped shortly before the surrender, and with his followers began a guerilla warfare, captur- ing Toluca in January, 1857. Being made prisoner soon afterward, he escaped in September, joined the insurgents of the south, and seized the town of Cuernavaea. When Zuloaga pronounced against Comonfort at Tacubaya on 17 Dec, and the fight in the streets of Mexico began, Miramon hastened thither and took part against the government till Comonfort left the capital on 21 Jan., 1858. Zulo- aga, becoming president, promoted Miramon briga- dier-general, and in the ensuing three years' " war of reform " the latter took an active part with the reac- tionary or Church party. After the death of Osol- lo, Miramon became the leader of the reactionary party, and defeated the Liberal forces in many en- gagements, notably at Ahualulco in Septemlier, and Atequiza in December. When the government of Zuloaga was overthrown by the " plan de Navidad," 24 Dec, 1858, headed by Gen. Robles Pezuela, the junta de notables, that convened in January, 1859, elected Miramon, who had just gained the victory of San Joaquin, provisional president, and recalled him from the interior. On his arrival in IMexico on 21 Jan. he disapproved the revolution and reinstated Zuloaga, who resigned and appointed Miramon his substitute, and on 2 Feb. the latter took charge af the executive. He first attempted to wrest Vera Cruz from the Libei-al government, and invested the city on 16 Feb., but he raised the siege on 29 March, and, to hide his failure, joined the forces of Leo- nardo Marquez (q. v.) in the hour of victory at Ta- cubaya on 11 April. But the Liberal government, by the law of the nationalization of church prop- erty, had cut off the principal resources of the Con- servatives, and, as the Juarist forces were aug- mented, Miramon was forced to head the cam- paign against them in person. With Gen. Tomas Mejia's forces he defeated Santos Degollado's- army at Estancia de las Vacas on 18 Nov., 1859, and on 23 Dec. he gained a victory over Gen. Rocha at Tonila. He now decided to make a final effort to capture Vera Cruz, which he surrounded on 2 March, 1860, and, although two steamers, bringing supplies for him from Havana, were cap- tured on 2 March at Anton Lizardi by the U. S.. frigate "Saratoga," he bombarded the city from 15 to 20 March ; but after a final and unsuccessful assault he raised the siege on 21 March, and re- turned to the capital. He attacked, defeated, and captured Gen. Uruaga, who was besieging Guadala- jara on 25 May, but suffered a defeat at Silao on 10 Aug., and after Gen. Marquez's rout at Tolot- lan on 10 Nov. the capital was soon surrounded by Liberal forces, and the situation of the Conserva- tive government became critical. Notwithstanding a partial success at San Bartolo on 1 Dec, and his- surprise on 8 Dec. of the city of Toluca, where he- captured several Liberal officers. Miramon was soon forced to make a final effort to break through the lines of his assailants, and left the capital with his forces on 20 Dec, but on the 22d he was totally defeated at Calpulalpam by Gonzalez Ortega. He returned to Mexico on the 23d, and after the Liberal genei'al had refused a capitulation fled, and, reaching the coast in safety, sailed on a French vessel for Europe. In January, 1862, when the allied forces occupied Vera Cruz, he attempted to return, but was not per- mitted to land, and w-ent to Havana. After the installation of the regency he reached the capital from the American frontier on 28 July, 1863, to offer his services. They were not accepted, and he had to leave the country again. Afterward Maxi- milian accepted Miramon's offer, but, fearing that his popularity might embarrass the government, requested him to remain abroad to study Prussiaa military tactics. In November, 1866, he retui-ned with Marquez to Mexico, and when Maximilian abandoned his intention of abdicating he was sent to the capital to take command of a division witk which he marched at the close of the year toward Zacatecas. He was defeated by Escobedo {q. v.) at San Jacinto, 1 Feb., 1867, and retired to Queretaro,. where he was one of the most able aids of Maximil- ian during the siege. Pie was taken prisoner, con- demned to death, and shot with Mejia and the em- peror, the latter yielding to him the place of honor.

MIRANDA, Francisco (me-ran'-dah), Venezuelan soldier, b. in Caracas, 9 June, 1756: d. in Cadiz. Spain, 14 July, 1816. He entered the Spanish military service as a cadet at the age of seventeen years, and, after attaining the rank of captain, served in t;he United States in 1779 and 1781. He was then sent to Cuba, where Manuel Cajigal, the captain-general, became his firm friend, but, on account of trading illegally, he was forced to fly to Europe, where he travelled through England, Turkey, Germany, and Russia. He served in the French revolution, and reached the rank of major-general. In the campaign of 1793 he was taken prisoner at Neerwinden, and brought to trial for mismanagement, but was acquitted. The name of Miranda is on the " arc de triomphe " in Paris among those of the great captains that fought in the revolution. In 1797 he was condemned by the Directory, and escaped to England, where in 1803 he vainly endeavored to prevail on William Pitt to aid him. He then went to the United States,. where he found means to fit out two vessels and about 200 volunteers, with whom he sailed for-