USA > Arizona > History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530-1888, Volume XVII > Part 24
USA > New Mexico > History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530-1888, Volume XVII > Part 24
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18 Dec. 18th, petition of the friars in Arch. N. Mex., 142-3. It is fol. 87 of the original MS .; but only fol. 37-79 of this cuaderno still exist in the Arch. Sta Fé, MS. The friars who signed were as follows: Salv. de S. Antonio, Juan Zavaleta, Francisco Corvera (the name seems to be Cervera in MS. rec- ords of the entrada of '92), Juan Alpuente, Juan Ant. del Corral, Juan Muñoz de Castro, Antonio Obregon, Juan Daza, Buenaventura Contreras, Antonio Carbonel, José Narvaez Valverde, Diego Zeinos (sec.), Fran. de Jesus María Casañes, Gerónimo Prieto, Antonio Bahamonde, Domingo de Jesus Maria, and José Diez. The last 5-with 3 others, Miguel Tricio (or Tirso), José García, and Blas Navarro, who perhaps arrived a little later-were from the college of Sta Cruz de Querétaro (the rest being of the Prov. del Sto Evan- gelio, Mex.), who came to N. Mex. in '93 and departed about '96, all but one, who 'rubricó con su sangre la fé que predicaba." Espinosa, Chron., 92, 282-4; Arricivita, Cron. Seráf., 176, 199-200.
205
A BATTLE AT SANTA FÉ.
obliged to call a junta de guerra, which decided that the Tanos must be transferred to their old pueblo of Galisteo. The natives had attributed Spanish for- bearance to fear; speakers in their juntas had urged war, claiming that the invaders were few and weak, their governor an embustero, and the story of approach- ing reinforcements a lie. The order to quit the villa brought matters to a crisis. On December 28th the Tanos closed the entrance to the plaza and prepared for defence. Summoned to surrender, they demanded a day for deliberation, and then, with shouts of insult, proclaimed their purpose to resist. El Demonio they said could do more for them than God or María; the Christians would be defeated, reduced to servitude, and finally killed. .
Don Diego caused prayers to be read for his kneel- ing soldiers, raised the virgin's picture on the battle flag, and then the army, shouting praises to the Santo Sacramento, rushed in two divisions upon the capital. This was on the 29th, and the conflict lasted all day. Arrows, stones, and boiling water rained upon the assailants from defensive works erected by the Span- iards years ago. At last the plaza gate was burned and the new estufa captured; but Tehua reënforce- ments appeared. Twice did the cavalry charge and scatter this new foe, but night had come and Vargas could do no more than prevent the interference of the enemy from abroad. Next morning the besieged sur- rendered, their losses being severe and their wounded governor having hanged himself. Seventy surviving warriors-only nine having been killed in the fight ---- including Antonio Bolsas, their leading spirit, were immediately shot, after an exhortation to penitence by Father Alpuente. The women and children, 400 in number, were distributed as 'hostages,' to serve until the viceroy should decide their fate that is, they were made slaves.19 This ended the year 1693 in New Mexico.
19 The Pecos aided the Spaniards, having 5 killed, and this is the founda- tion of the current rumor that they were faithful from '80. Davis says noth-
206
RECONQUEST BY DON DIEGO DE VARGAS.
The Spaniards had now better protection from the cold and from the foe in the dwellings and fortifica- tions of the villa; moreover, they had acquired slaves and a large quantity of corn; yet their prospects as colonists were gloomy, as their occupation was limited to Santa Fé; all beyond was hostile, raids on the cattle were frequent, arms were broken, and ammuni- tion was scarce. The season was not favorable for offensive operations with so small a force. Pecos, Cia, Santa Ana, and San Felipe remained friendly, but had all they could do to defend themselves against their angry neighbors. Early in January Juan Ye, chief of the Pecos, applied for aid against the rebels and Apaches, and Captain Madrid was sent out with thirty men; but it proved to be a false alarm invented to test the sincerity of Spanish promises. On the 9th Vargas marched with ninety men to the abandoned pueblos of Tesuque and Nambé, and thence to the mesa of San Ildefonso, where the Tehuas of these three towns and of Pujuaque, Cuyamanque, Santa Clara, and Jacona, with the Tanos of San Cristóbal and San Lázaro, were encamped. They promised to come to the villa and make peace, but this was only a device to gain time for a junction with the Jemes, Picuríes, Taos, and others.
On the 23d there came the viceroy's letter, already mentioned, sent from Cerro Gordo by Padre Farfan, the procurador, who asked for an escort under which to send up his colony of seventy families from El Paso. Vargas in reply explained the impossibility of sparing an escort, and urged Farfan to come on to Santa Fé with the party, at the same time sending for ammuni- tion.20 On the 28th he marched again to the mesa with offers of peace and pardon. The natives professed
ing of the friars' petition, gives the date of assault as Dec. 26th, says the native gov. was hanged by the Ind., and puts the loss at 160. Arricivita, Cron., 199-200, gives 60 as the no. executed, and says that 60 of the women and children died a little later from an epidemic.
20 In an orig. MS. of the Pinart Col., V. seems to say that he did send a guard, and that they had a fight with the Apaches, killing two and captur- ing three, who were shot.
207
CONTINUED HOSTILITIES.
repentance, but wished the governor and padre to come alone and receive their submission, believing that if they could kill the leader the rest of the Spaniards would leave the country. Failing in this, they paid no heed to entreaties or threats, and Vargas returned to Santa Fé. Captain Madrid attempted to get mate- rial for balls from a lead mine that had been worked by his father near San Marcos; but the Indians had filled it up. Hostilities now became frequent, and through messengers sent from the friendly pueblos, as from occasional captives, always questioned and shot, news was often received of what the rebels were doing. It seems there was a small element among the enemy favoring surrender, but their arguments were always answered by a reference to the seventy Tanos shot after the taking of Santa Fé. Meanwhile, efforts were made by the hostiles to get aid from Acoma, Zuñi, and Moqui, and to forni alliances with Apache bands. Raids on the Spaniards' live-stock were frequent, and sometimes slightly successful in February; while Var- gas, on the other hand, had sent out various raiding parties, taking a few captives and obtaining large quan- tities of maize before the 24th, when the natives be- gan to destroy all the supplies they could not remove.21
Late in February the governor, resolving on a vig- orous offensive policy, marched with about 100 sol- diers and many settlers and Indians for the mesa of San Ildefonso.22 Encamping at the pueblo of that name, he sent Captain Madrid across to the west bank of the Rio Grande to reconnoitre and recover stolen animals, and finally began the attack on the 4th of March, his two pieces of artillery bursting at the first discharge. Charging up the hill in two divisions, the
21 Arch. N. Mex., 149-52; Vargas, Campañas de '94, MS .; Arch. Sta Fé, MS. Davis has nothing of events in Jan .- Feb.
22 Acc. to Arch. N. Mex., 152, and Arch. Sta Fé (a fragment of 64 p. of a kind of diary of events), the start was on the 27th, and the force 110 Span., besides Ind. In his Campañas de '94-an orig. MS. report to the viceroy of events from Feb. 15th, dated June 2d in the Pinart Col .- the date is Feb. 25th and the force 90. Davis, 386 et seq., makes the start in March, and is inaccurate in what follows. Most details are omitted by me.
208
RECONQUEST BY DON DIEGO DE VARGAS.
Spaniards were met and repulsed in a fight of five hours, fifteen Indians being killed and twenty Span- iards wounded, eight of them seriously. Obtaining reënforcements and sending his disabled back to the villa, Vargas repeated the assault on the 11th, fight- ing six hours, without gaining any advantage. Next night the Indians came down and made an attack, but were repulsed. The siege was continued till the 19th, and then abandoned on account of bad weather, dis- abled horses, and lack of ammunition. The army re- turned to Santa Fé, having killed about thirty Indians, recovered 100 horses and mules, and taken a large store of maize, of which 100 fanegas were sent south for the approaching families.23
The friendly Queres now asked for help against the rebels of Cochití, who were said to be intrenched with others on the mesa of Cieneguilla, and to be plotting an attack on the Spaniards and their allies. Accord- ingly, Vargas marched on April 12th, joined the Queres under Ojeda of Santa Ana-the man already named as one of Governor Cruzat's captives of 1689, now a firm friend of the invaders 24-and on the 17th defeated the foe at their new pueblo, capturing and shooting thirteen warriors, besides the seven killed in battle, taking 342 women and children, with 70 horses and 900 sheep, and next day sending a provision train with a guard of twenty soldiers to the villa, where on the 17th a band of raiding Tehuas had been repulsed by Lieutenant-general Granillo. The governor re- mained at Cieneguilla with 36 men; and the natives were now very penitent, desiring the release of their women and children ; but Vargas insisted on their burn- ing the new pueblo, and returning to their old home
23 March 30th, V. rec'd a letter from Farfan, and the supplies started April 3d. On April 3d F. wrote again from Los Patos, not apparently having reached El Paso. P. Buen. Contreras was with F. Arch. Sta Fé.
24 A Zuni chief also joined V. at S. Felipe on the 15th, and served in the exped. He was friendly, and desired aid for his people against their foes. V. wished the Zuñis to move to some of the abandoned pueblos on the Rio Grande, and the chief promised to consult his people on this change. Arch. Sta Fé, MS.
209
THE WAR CONTINUED.
at Cochití. On the 20th or 21st the Spanish camp was suddenly attacked, and 150 of the captives were lost, two soldiers being killed, one of them accidentally, and Adjutant Francisco de Anaya Almazan being drowned a few days later in crossing the river. The mesa pueblo was burned, and the army returned to Santa Fé in two divisions on the 25th and 27th.25
Back at the capital, Don Diego gave his attention to the distribution of slaves and live-stock, to the ap- portionment of lands, and to the posting of guards, and other measures to protect the settlers and friendly natives while putting in their crops.26
On the 21st of May the hostiles of fourteen towns, or six nations, made a raid on the real de caballada, or grazing camp, but were repulsed by the guard;27 whereupon Vargas marched to the mesa of San Il- defonso, where he had several skirmishes, taking 48 animals and a few captives, and returning to Santa Fé. The Queres had also sent in five Jemes prisoners, two of whom were not shot-one because he promised to show the grave of a martyred friar, and the other at the intercession of the Pecos chief Juan Ye.28 The families from Mexico under Padre Farfan arrived on June 23d, and were lodged in the villa until on the close of the war lands could be assigned elsewhere. With the colonists or a little later came new stores of ammunition and other needed articles.
The Queres had again applied for aid, but the river was so high it could not be crossed. On June 30th
25 The three original authorities are clear enough on this campaign, but Davis, 389 et seq., confuses it most inextricably.
26 April 28th, Gov. V. gives 200 sheep to the vice-custodio for the two mis- sions (proposed) at Pecos and Cia; also 100 to the padres for their support. Same date, V. sends a letter to the Zuñis and Moquis, urging the people to submit and resume friendly relations. The letters were sent by the Zuui chief already mentioned. Arch. Sta Fé, MS. Davis mentions the coming of a party of Apaches from the eastern plains, with tales of silver to be found in their country.
27 It is not quite clear whether this was at Sta Fé, or during an exped. of the gov. to Tesuque and beyond.
28 One of our authorities, Vargas, Campañas de '94, ends with June 2d, when V. was confident of breaking up the alliance of rebel pueblos, which, with the coming of reinforcements, would end the war.
HIST. ARIZ. AND N. MEX. 14
210
RECONQUEST BY DON DIEGO DE VARGAS.
Vargas marched northward, killing eleven Tehuas of Cuyamanque the first day, finding Picurí abandoned, and reaching Taos on the 3d of July. This pueblo was also deserted, but the people had left their prop- erty protected by crosses, which they supposed the Spaniards would respect, as they did for a time. The Taos were in a cañon not far off, but after a compli- cated series of negotiations, carried on chiefly through Juan Ye and a band of friendly Apaches, nothing could be effected, and the pueblo was sacked, a large amount of maize being taken. To reach Santa Fé the governor took a roundabout way northward into the Yuta country, across the river, and thence southward to Ojo Caliente, Rio Chama, and San Juan. On the way he had several skirmishes, and spent some days hunting buffalo for meat. In the night of the 12th he was attacked by the Yutas on a stream called San Antonio, losing eight soldiers killed. The savages were repulsed, pardoned on the plea that they mistook the Spaniards for hostile Indians who had often in- vaded their country in Spanish dress, and became very friendly. Finally, having reconnoitred the mesa of San Ildefonso, where the rebels were still strongly posted, he returned by way of Pujuaque and Tesuque to Santa Fé, arriving on July 16th.29
Governor Vargas marched on July 21st with 120 men to join the Queres under Ojeda in an attack on the Jemes, who after his start assaulted Cia and killed five men, but whose new pueblo on the mesa Don Diego carried by assault on the 24th, after a hard fight, in which the allies of Santa Ana and Cia fought bravely, Don Eusebio de Vargas-perhaps a brother of the governor-greatly distinguished himself, and the enemy lost 84 killed and 361 or 371 prisoners. The pueblo was sacked and burned, after 300 fanegas
29 There is much confusion in details, both in the printed archivo, which is most complete, and in the MS., which contains two separate but similar re- ports, as also of the following campaign. V. visited what were supposed to be the ruins of Onate s S. Gabriel, near the stream of Ojo Caliente and 6 l. N. of the mouth of the Rio Chama, which is not very intelligible.
211
NEW ATTACK ON THE MESA.
of maize had been sent to the villa, the rest of the plunder being distributed among the native allies, ex- cept 106 animals given to Padre Alpuente for his pro- posed mission at Cia. Before returning, Vargas went to the old pueblo of Jemes, where he recovered the remains of Padre Juan de Jesus, killed in the revolt of 1680, deposited with appropriate ceremonies in the chapel at Santa Fé on the 11th of August.30 Six days later messengers came in to ask pardon for the Jemes, attributing all their bad actions to the influ- ence of the chief Diego, whom they were willing to give up; also promising to return to their old pueblo and to render aid against the common foe. Their offer was accepted, and Diego was brought in on the 26th to be sentenced to death-a sentence which at the last moment, on the intercession of his people, was commuted to ten years' labor in the mines of Nueva Vizcaya. The Jemes were given some implements, promised their chusma when they should have proven their good faith, ordered to be ready for a march against the mesa, and sent home to rebuild their old town.
Vargas now felt the importance of striking a deci- sive blow against the Tehuas and Tanos before the winter should set in. With all his available force, in- cluding 150 Queres and Jemes, he marched on the 4th of September, assaulted the mesa of San Ildefonso, and was driven back with a loss of 11 men wounded, including Captain Antonio Jorge of the Santa Fé presidio. On the 5th the native allies with three soldiers and an arriero marched up the slope, chal- lenged the foe and were put to flight, the muleteer and
30 Arch. N. Mex., 158-62, includ. V.'s letter describing the finding of the padre's remains; also two records in Arch. Sta Fé, MS. Many details of the battle are given. With this campaign Davis' record practically ends, though, as the Sta Fé documents show many later details, it is not easy to understand why. The Jemes campaign is also mentioned in a brief report in the Pinart Col. In the Arch. Sta Fé, MS., Fr. Francisco Farfan is named as procurador general, Diego Varela as adjutant-gen., Fr. Juan Muñoz de Castro as vice- custodio; and Vargas signs as New Mexico's ' nuevo restaurador, conquistador á su costa, y reconquistador y poblador en él, y castellano de sus fuerzas y presidios por su majestad,' besides being gov. and capt .- gen.
212
RECONQUEST BY DON DIEGO DE VARGAS.
one soldier being killed. For several days Vargas now gave his attention to the cutting-off of supplies. At sight, however, of their fields of corn in the milk trampled by the Spaniards, and of their native foes dancing round the scalp of a fallen warrior, the Tehuas several times came down and engaged in desperate conflict; but they were repulsed, soon became dis- couraged, and on the 8th began to treat for peace, sending trifling gifts to appease the governor's wrath. Peace and pardon were granted on condition of return to their pueblos. Thus New Mexico at last, except the towns of the extreme north and west-those of the south being annihilated-became once more a Spanish province.31
The Jemes, having proved faithful allies in the last campaign, were now given their women and children at the politic intercession of their destined missionary. On the 13th of September the chiefs of San Juan, San Cristóbal, San Lázaro, and Santa Clara came in with some mules which they had taken from the Apaches, reporting that all the Tehuas and Tanos were hard at work rebuilding their pueblos. Vargas now appointed the regular pueblo officials, and on the 17th he started on a tour of inspection, which satisfied him that the natives had submitted in good faith. Other tours followed, during which occurred the formal submission and pardon of other pueblos. The vice- custodio was notified that the missions were ready for their respective padres, and by the end of 1694 the friars were distributed and at work, though obliged to content themselves with very humble quarters while the Indians were rebuilding churches and houses.32
31 The Arch. N. Mex., 162 et seq., is the only authority for this final cam- paign, and for what followed to the end of 1694. Davis has nothing on this period; nor for the rest of 1694 is there anything left in the Arch. Sta Fé, MS.
32 The distribution was as follows: P. Fran. Corvera at S. Ildefonso and Jacona; P. Gerón. Prieto at S. Juan and (temporarily) Sta Clara; P. Ant. Obregon at S. Cristóbal and S. Lorenzo (Lázaro?); P. Diego Zeinos at Pecos; P. Juan Alpuente at Cia; P. Fran. J. M. Casanes at Jemes; P. Juan Muñoz de Castro, vice-custodio and com. de la inquisicion, at Sta Fé; P. José Diez at Tesuque; P. Jose Garcia Marin at Sta Clara; P. Ant. Carbonel at S. Felipe,
213
REESTABLISHING THE MISSIONS.
The several tours of the governor and custodian to inspect the pueblos and settle the missionaries need not be described, though some particulars are preserved in the records. The natives had made up their minds to submit to the inevitable, and not to revolt again until a favorable opportunity should present itself. The women and children taken from the different towns and distributed as servants among the colonists and soldiers were now gradually given up, not without much regret and opposition on the part of their masters. Of the Tanos chusma taken at Santa Fe 45 ran away, whereat the vecinos complained bitterly; but the chieftains were ordered to bring back the fugitives, and did so, which so pleased Vargas that he released the 45 and promised to free the rest soon, proposing to settle with them the village of Cieneguilla, five leagues west of the capital. This policy naturally pleased the natives, but it made for the governor many bitter foes among the colonists. Padre San Antonio, who had gone to El Paso, resigned his office, and Padre Francisco Vargas arrived as custodio on the 1st of November with four new friars. Mean- while the governor sent south an order to a friend to purchase and forward 3,000 fanegas of maize, wishing to relieve the Indians of excessive taxation for a time until the old prosperity should return. 33
In 1695 the seventy Mexican families who had come up with Padre Farfan were settled in the new villa of Santa Cruz de la Cañada, founded on the 12th of April,34 under an alcalde mayor and capitan á
Cochití, and later Taos: P. Miguel Tirso at Sto Domingo; P. José Arbizu at S. Cristóbal; P. Ant. Moreno at Sta Fé (temporarily), La Cañada, and later Nambé; P. Ant. Acebedo at Nambé; P. Fran. Vargas, custodio. This leaves some of the original friars unaccounted for, and also one of the 4 who came in Nov.
33 Arch. N. Mex., 162-7. On Jan. 10, '95, V. wrote to the viceroy, thank- ing him for the provision made of 3,000 fan. of corn; and again, May 9th, on the trouble he had had in transporting that corn. Arch. Sta Fé, MS. This, how- ever, may not indicate that it was not purchased on V.'s account. It was charged later that only about 580 fan. ever reached N. Mex., and much of that was wasted in the distribution.
$+ Yet we have seen indications that already in 1680 there was a settle-
214
RECONQUEST BY DON DIEGO DE VARGAS.
guerra, sergeant, four corporals, and alguacil, with Padre Moreno as the first minister. The new villa and the lands assigned to the vecinos included the sites of San Cristóbal and San Lázaro, the Tanos of those pueblos being deprived of their homes and lands, very injudiciously as the friars claimed later and perhaps now. Some of the exiles were attached to San Juan, and others, after being scattered in dif- ferent Tehua pueblos, were later united and sent to repeople Galisteo. This year the Picuries and Taos were peaceably reduced to submission and put in charge of missionaries; but hardly had the friars begun work when rumors of new troubles began to circulate. The Indians had lost little of their hatred for the invaders, and now that the padres were again at their stations and the military force somewhat scat- tered, there were chiefs, especially among the implac- able Tehuas, who began to dream of a new revolt and massacre like those of 1680, by which once more to rid their country of the tyrant foreigners. The threat- ened dangers, however, took no definite shape this year; although the natives of San Cristóbal and San Lázaro, chafing under the loss of their lands, ran away to the sierra in December. As the other pueblos did not join the movement, the Tanos were persuaded without much difficulty to come back and be pardoned.35
It appears that in 1695-6 there was a failure of crops, resulting in serious privations,36 or even in a
ment at La Cañada under an alcalde mayor, Luis Quintana. At this found- ing of 1695 this villa was given the 'preeminencia de antiguedad ' over all the settlements of N. Mex. except Sta Fé. The poblaciones of Cerrillo and Ber- nalillo are also mentioned in records of this year.
33 Arch. N. Mex., 168-9. May 31st, the settlers had been selling arms to the Ind., which Vargas forbids by a bando of this date. Padre Zeinos shot and killed an Ind. at Pecos; but it was accidental and he was not blamed. The padre's full name was Diego de la Cassa Zeinos, and he was sec. of the cus- todia, definidor, com. del santo oficio, and guardian. Luis Granillo was still lieut .- general. Arch. Sta Fé, MS.
36 In Nov. 1695, Gov. V. sent to the viceroy a petition of the cabildo and vecinos for relief, as all that they had sown had been consumed by the worms. The viceroy and junta in Feb. 1696 decided to send them 200 cattle from Parral, with some arms and ammunition, at the same time warning them that they must learn to rely on themselves and not on the govt for succor. Arch. Sta Fé, MS.
215
FAMINE OF 1695-6.
terrible famine, if we credit the highly colored and partisan statement made in later legal proceedings against Vargas. According to this authority, the people were forced to live on dogs, cats, horses, mules, bull-hides, 'foul herbs,' and old bones; finally roaming over the fields like wild animals, and many of them hiring themselves to the Indians to carry wood and water, and grind corn, over 200 dying from the effects of insufficient and noxious food. Of course, the gov- ernor's failure to distribute properly the stores of maize was noted as one cause of the famine; and it is also stated that four settlers, driven by their sufferings to desert, were brought back and hanged without the last consolations of religion. To what extent these statements were founded in fact it is difficult to deter- mine, but though doubtless exaggerated, they were supported by the sworn testimony of many a few years later, as we shall see.37
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