 When the emperor and his entourage were betrayed to Benito Juárez by Colonel Miguel Lopez on 14 May 1867, Basch rushed to saddle his horse, but was at once overpowered by the Mexicans.Basch lost most of his memoranda, saving only cursory notes.After the execution of Maximilian, he returned to Austria with the Emperor's body, arriving on 26 November 1867 on the "Elizabeth".