USA > New Mexico > Historical sketches of New Mexico : from the earliest records to the American occupation > Part 18
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The following morning they proceeded through La Cuesta to San Miguel, and on the way were met by
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Damacio Salazar, with 100 roughly dressed but well mounted soldiers. In answer to his questions they told him that they were messengers from a large party behind, and desired to see the Governor. This seemed satisfactory, but at the first stop, having surrounded the party with his men, Salazar said that he must demand their arms, at the same time expressing regret at the necessity of carrying out his orders. These were given up, and soon after Salazar said that his instructions were to take all papers and similar articles, and the party had to submit to being searched. Thus far the Mexican officer had expressed so much regret at having to incom- mode the travellers that they had not doubted his sincer- ity, but they were shocked a little later to see twelve men drawn up before them with the evident intent of shooting them then and there ; and this would have been quickly accomplished but for the intervention of Don Gregorio Vigil, who stopped the bloody deed. The pris- oners-for such they now were-were then marched through La Cuesta and Puertocito to San Miguel, where they were confined in a room ; the women all along the route showing a kindness and sympathy in marked con- trast with the unnecessary cruelty of their captors. The next day on the road to Santa Fe, they met Governor Armijo, who directed them to be retaken to San Miguel. Here, from their little window, they saw two of their late companions shot for having attempted to escape after being taken ; and they soon after heard that through the treachery of one of their party, named Lewis, who had been used by Armijo to deceive the Texans, and on his assurance that they would be well treated and allowed to trade, but that the universal custom was for Santa Fé traders to give up their arms on entering the settlements and receive them when their business was done, the entire party had delivered up all their arms ; and thereupon had been surrounded and treated as pris- oners.
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On the 17th of October the whole Texan expedition were marched out of San Miguel, on the way to the City of Mexico, under a strong guard commanded by Salazar. The story of their sufferings and privations, of the numberless cruelties and persecutions inflicted by Salazar, who seems to have been a disgrace to the Mexi- can name; of the great contrast in their treatment when they were transferred at El Paso to the care of General J. M. Elias Gonzales, who put Salazar under arrest ; of the kindness and hospitality of this General "Elias " and Padre Ortiz, and of their long imprisonment in Mexico-is graphically told by Mr. Kendall, but cannot have further space here. The sequel to this history, in the attacks made during the next year on Mexican tra- ders, will be found in the chapter on the Santa Fé Trail.
In 1844 Governor Martinez issued a proclamation which is interesting as containing the last arrangement of civil divisions under the Mexican rule, and also as giving the estimated populations. It states that the Department of New Mexico is divided into three dis- tricts, to be called the Central, the North, and the South-east. The whole is divided into seven counties. The districts are as follows,-
Central District .- Counties of Santa Fé, Santa Ana, and San Miguel del Bado, with populations of 12,500, 10,500, and 18,800.
North District .- Counties of Rio Arriba and Taos, with populations of 15,000 and 14,200.
South-east District .- Counties of Valencia and Bernalillo. Populations 20,000 and 8,204.
This gives the total population of the territory as 99,204. The proclamation is dated June 17, 1844.
Governor Martinez was a special friend of education. He sent a number of the most promising young men in the territory to Durango and the City of Mexico to re- ceive military educations; and established additional government schools in Santa Fé.
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The news of the breaking out of hostilities between the United States and Mexico in May, 1846, naturally created a great excitement at Santa Fé ; the more so as all of New Mexico east of the Rio Grande was included in the territory in dispute, the ownership of which was the occasion of the war. Almost immediately thereafter news arrived that an expedition was being fitted out in Missouri for the invasion of New Mexico, so that it was certain that the territory would become the theatre of ac- tual warfare ; and this raised the excitement still higher.
General Armijo was Governor, but for various rea- sons was unpopular with a large proportion of the in- fluential citizens ; and they distrusted his ability and that of his army to repel an invasion. An important private meeting of leading New Mexicans was therefore held to determine what steps should be taken in the emergency ; and it was decided that the best course would be to organize a volunteer army composed in part of those who had experience in Indian wars, and were of most approved bravery. As commander they nat- urally turned to Don Manuel Chavez, of Santa Fé, who had acquired a high reputation as an Indian-fighter; and the other officers designated were Miguel E. Pino, Nicolas Pino, and Tomas C. de Baca, the latter from Peña Blanca. A petition embodying this programme was presented to the Governor; and Manuel Chavez assured him that if this plan were adopted, he could surely defeat the Americans, as they would be far from their base of supplies and unacquainted with the coun- try. Armijo appeared well pleased with the proposi- tion, but put off a decision until the last moment, and then answered that he was confident of success with his dragoons. The result is known, and finds a place in the chapter on the " American Occupation;" but these facts are here mentioned because they were the founda- tion of subsequent erroneous charges against some of those who were the leaders in the movement.
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C .- MINES AND MINING.
At the time of the journey of Lieutenant Pike, in 1807, as appears in the chapter on his expedition, but one mine was being worked in the territory; to use his words, " There are no mines known in the Province except one of copper, situated in a mountain on the west side of the Rio del Norte, in latitude 34°. It is worked, and produces 20,000 mule-loads of copper annually. It contains gold, but not quite sufficient to pay for its extraction." The locality named above would be directly west of Socorro, in the Magdalenas ; but it is very possible that the latitude given is wrong, and that the description refers to the Santa Rita mine, near Silver City. This was discovered in 1800 by Lieutenant Colonel Carrisco, through the aid of an Indian. In 1804 he sold it to Don Francisco Manuel Elguea, a wealthy merchant of Chihuahua, who at once commenced extensive developments, and found the metal of such file quality that the whole product was contracted to the royal mint for coinage ; and was trans- ported to the City of Mexico by pack-mules and wagons- 100 mules, carrying 300 pounds each, being constantly employed.
The next discovery of importance was that in the district now called the " Old Placers." In 1828 a citizen of Sonora, who was herding some cattle in that vicinity, in following some animals that had strayed into the mountains, saw a stone which resembled those in the gold regions of his native State. A further examina- tion revealed particles of gold, and the news of the dis- covery occasioned much excitement. Many men flocked to the spot, and washing was carried on for a number of years, with what, under the circumstances, was good success. The appliances were of the rudest description, and the lack of water a great drawback. The winter season was the favorite time for operations, on account of the facilities afforded for obtaining water from snow.
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This was thrown into a sink and melted with hot stones. The washing was done in a round wooden bowl called " batea," about eighteen inches in diameter, which was filled with earth and then immersed in the pool, and constantly stirred until nothing was left but the heavy black sand and grains of gold. From 1832 to 1835 the annual product was from $60,000 to $80,000 ; but then diminished somewhat, the poorest years not producing more than $30,000 or $40,000.
Soon after the discovery of the Placers, a vein of gold ore was found on the property of Ortiz in the same vicinity; and in order to work it he formed a partnership with Lopez, a Spaniard, with some experience in min- ing. By the skill of the latter a considerable sum was realized, whereupon a feeling of jealousy arose, and the old decree which ordered the expulsion of all natives of Spain from Mexico, though long considered obsolete, was revived by the officials, who desired to obtain pos- session themselves, and Lopez was immediately ordered to the frontier, the vigilant officers assuring him that it was against their consciences "longer to connive at his residence so near the Capital, in contravention of the laws." A new company, including several officials, with Ortiz, then proceeded with the wealth-producing work ; but from lack of knowledge did not obtain a grain of gold. Subsequently an order was made prohibiting any but natives from working at the mines ; and thus foreign capital and energy were prevented from taking any part in the necessary development. The greater part of the work was done by poor men working on their own account, and satisfied if they could realize scanty wages. Each miner was allowed ten paces in all directions from his pit, as his "claim," and no new- comer . could interfere with the right thus acquired, unless the " labor" was abandoned for a specified time, when the ground again become open to location. The gold was mainly in dust, but occasionally large nuggets
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were found, the most valuable being worth $3,400, al- though it was sold by its finder for $1,400.
In 1839 the "New Placers " were discovered a short distance to the south-west, and the miners speedily deserted their old "diggings" for the greater charms of the new ; and the little village of Tuerto rose into large importance as a business point. In 1845 this town contained twenty-two stores, transacting more business in the aggregate than the establishments of Santa Fé. At that time the annual "output" of both districts had reached $250,000, and as many as 2,000 men congregated there to work in the winter. Machinery was introduced, but the lack of a sufficient supply of water prevented very extensive operations. At the time of the American occupation, Samuel B. Watrous, for whom the town of Watrous has since been named, and Richard Dallum, the first U. S. Marshal, were residents of the " Placers." The "Ramirez " mine is described as being at that time the most important in operation. Among other Placers which were discovered and worked before 1846, were a number in the north, in the vicinity of Taos, and as far distant as Sangre de Cristo ; and Gregg speaks (1844) of some in the mountains, near Abiquiu. At that time no silver mines were in operation, though discoveries had been made near Manzano; but the ore was con- sidered too refractory to be worked by the appliances at hand. Two years later, however, Lieutenant Abert tells of visiting Don Pedro Baca, at Manzano, and receiving some fine specimens of ore from mines of which his host had charge. Some discoveries had also been made of silver near Socorro. This may be said to be the sub- stance of the mining development as it existed when our history closes, showing how almost entirely that branch of industry had been abandoned since the Pueblo revolution, and giving but little earnest of the . enormous proportions which it was to assume in the future.
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L-SANTA FÉ IN 1846.
The following description of Santa Fé, as it appeared in 1846, is taken from the works of Cooke, Abert, Edwards, and Meline, and is of interest as showing the condition at that time of the Capital city: The city, though spread over a large extent, was thinly inhabited, and with the exception of the buildings around the plaza, consisted of scattered houses surrounded by corn-fields. On one side of the plaza (which is about 350 feet square) stood the Palace, a long adobe building, one story high, with a portico formed by extending the roof some distance over the street, supported by the smooth trunks of trees, This portico extended in front of all the buildings front- ing the plaza. The Palace was the only building having glazed windows. At one end of it was the government printing-office, and at the other the guard-house and prison. Fearful stories were connected with the prison ; and Edwards says that he found, on examining the walls of the small rooms, locks of human hair stuffed into holes, with rude crosses drawn over them
Fronting the Palace, on the south side of the plaza, stood the remains of the Capilla de los Soldados, or mil- itary chapel, the real name of which was The Church of Our Lady of Light. It was said to have been the richest church in the Territory, but had not then been in use for a number of years, and the roof had fallen in, allowing the elements to complete the work of destruc- tion On each side of the altar was the remains of fine carving, and a weather-beaten picture above gave evi- dence of having been a beautiful painting. Over the door was a large oblong slab of freestone, elaborately carved, representing "Our Lady of Light " rescuing a human being from the jaws of Satan. A large tablet, beautifully executed in relief, stood behind the altar, representing various saints, with an inscription stating that it was erected by Governor Francisco Antonio Maria del Valle, and his wife, in 1761.
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The other sides of the square were occupied by the shops used by those engaged in the trade of the Santa Fé Trail. There were no trees in the center of the plaza, which was simply an open square, dusty in the spring, and muddy in the rainy season; but on each side was an acequia, with a row of young cottonwoods. The houses were lighted by small grated windows, generally about a foot square; but the dazzling whiteness of the walls made them sufficiently light. The church services were held in the Parroquia, or parochial church (now the cathedral), which had two towers or steeples, in which hung three or four bells. The music was fur- nished by a violin and a triangle. " The wall back of the altar was covered with innumerable mirrors, paint- ings, and bright-colored tapestry."
During the month of November, 1846, a dramatic so- ciety was organized among the soldiers; and Governor Bent having kindly given the use of the ball-room in the Palace, it was soon transformed into a theatre. The " season " opened with Pizarro and Bombastes Furioso about the middle of the month, and continued until many of the troops were ordered South in December. On the night after Christmas, the Governor gave a grand ball in the Palace, to which the leading people of both nationalities were invited, and which was considered one of the finest entertainments that Santa Fé had ever seen.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE EXPEDITION OF LIEUTENANT PIKE-1806.
V ERY shortly after the acquisition of the vast terri- tory then embraced under the one name of Louis- lana from the French by the United States, the Govern- ment of the latter undertook the exploration of such portions of this immense domain as were then unknown, save to the aborigines. Captains Merriwether Lewis, and C. Clark were selected by the President to explore the then unvisited sources of the Missouri, and Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike, of the sixth infantry, to fol- low the Mississippi to its source ; both expeditions having to traverse unbroken wildernesses and encounter untold hardships and privations. The expedition of Lieutenant Pike occupied nearly nine months, extending from August 9, 1805, when he sailed from St. Louis, to the last day of April, 1806, when he returned.
Soon after his arrival he was requested by General Wilkinson to take command of another expedition then being fitted out at St. Louis, the primary object of which was to conduct a number of Osage Indian cap- tives, and also a deputation of that tribe recently re- turned from Washington, up the Missouri and Osage Rivers to the Indian town of Grand Osage. The in- structions then provided that Lieutenant Pike should en- deavor to bring about a permanent peace between the Kansas and Osage nations; and afterwards to "establish a good understanding with the Yanctons, Tetaus, or Camanches," and finally " to ascertain the direction, ex- tent, and navigation of the Arkansaw and Red Rivers." As to the possibility of meeting inhabitants of New Mexico, the instructions of the General were as follows:
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"As your interview with the Camanches will probably lead you to the head branches of the Arkansaw and Red Rivers, you may find yourself approximated to the set- tlements of New Mexico, and there it will be necessary you should move with great circumspection to keep clear of any hunting or reconnoitering parties from that province and to prevent alarm or offense; because the affairs of Spain and the United States appear to be on the point of amicable adjustment, and moreover it is the desire of the President to cultivate the friendship and harmonious intercourse of all the nations of the earth, and particularly our near neighbors, the Span- iards."
This expedition started from the landing at Belle Fontaine on July 15, 1806-the party consisting of two lieutenants, one surgeon, one sergeant, two corporals, sixteen privates, and one interpreter. It had in charge fifty-one Indians, the most of whom were Osages who had been redeemed from captivity among the Potta- watomies, and were now to be returned to their own country. The surgeon was Dr. Robinson, who was a volunteer, giving his services as compensation for transportation and accommodation. Without dwelling on this expedition until it neared the Spanish bound- ary, it may be said that from August 20th to Sep- tember 1st, Lieutenant Pike remained at Grand Osage, holding councils with the chiefs of the Osage nation, and that on September 29th he held a grand council with the Pawnees at their principal village, not less than 400 warriors being present.
At this point he saw the first evidences of the Span- ish expedition which had recently visited there from New Mexico. This expedition, which was the most important that ever penetrated to the eastward into the Indian country, at least in modern times, consisted of 100 dragoons of the regular army drawn from Chihuahua, and 500 mounted militia of New Mexico,
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all equipped with ammunition for six months, and each man leading two horses and a mule, making the whole number of animals 2,075. The whole force was under the command of Don Facundo Melgares, a lieutenant in the Spanish army, a man of large wealth and liberal education, who had gained much distinction in previous expeditions against the Apaches and other hostile Indians. They descended the Red River 233 leagues, held councils there with the Chief of the Tetaus, and afterwards struck off north-east to the Arkansas River, and thence to the Pawnee nation, where they held a grand council, presented Spanish flags and medals, and also a commission to Characterish, the head chief, from the Governor of New Mexico (dated Santa Fe, June 15. 1806), and finally returned to Santa Fé in October. When the distance travelled and the country and tribes passed through are considered, this expedition rivals those of Lewis and Clark, and Pike, for its extent, diffi- culty, and importance.
After leaving the Pawnee capital, Lieutenant Pike proceeded westerly between the Arkansas and the Kansas rivers, (always called in his narrative " Arkansaw " and " Kans" ), seeing many prairie-dogs, which he calls Wishtonwishes from the sound of their cry, and of which he tells us almost the exact story afterwards repeated by Horace Greeley with a slight variation, of their living in the same hole with a rattlesnake, a horned frog, and a land tortoise. On the 28th of October, in accordance with instructions, he detached Lieutenant Wilkinson with five soldiers to make the trip down the Arkansas River in canoes, for the purpose of exploring its whole course to the Mississippi. On the 15th of November he came in sight of the Rocky Mountains, and soon after encountered almost constant snows, suffering great hard- ships-as the company had only summer cotton clothes- and on the 3d of December reached and calculated the altitude of the great mountain which bears his name
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to those who otherwise might never have heard of this intrepid explorer-" Pike's Peak." He mentions it as known to all the savage nations for hundreds of miles around, and spoken of with admiration by the Span- iards, being the bounds of their travels to the north- ward. Pike's measurement made it 10,581 feet above the level of the prairie, which he estimated at 8,000 feet, thus making the total elevation 18,581, whereas the latest estimates make it only 14,147; and he says that in all the wanderings of the party for over two months, from November 14th to January 27th, it was never out of their sight.
The hardships endured during this period are almost beyond description ; the feet of the men became frosted so that they could only proceed with the utmost pain, and finally several had to be left in sheltered localities, and supplied with food from time to time by the re- mainder. The party subsisted entirely on the product of the chase, and sometimes for as long as three full days were without a mouthful to eat. In December the expedition determined to leave the valley of the Arkansas and proceed southerly, to strike the head-waters of the Red River, which they expected to find at that point. Soon after they met a stream which they followed east- ward slowly, on account of their wretched physical con- dition, and the necessity of stopping daily to hunt ; but imagine their feelings, almost of despair, when on January 5th they found that they had thus been led back to the Arkansas, and were at the camp which they had occupied nearly a month before ! Again they started southerly, in search of the Red River, determin- ing to cross the mountains before them on foot ; each of the party, including the commander himself and Dr. Robinson, carrying forty-five pounds of baggage, besides provisions and arms, making an aggregate of seventy pounds burden. At length, on the 30th of January, they arrived in the evening on the banks of a stream of some
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magnitude, which they believed to be the long-looked- for Red River. Here they concluded to build a kind of stockade, where four or five might defend themselves while the others went back to carry assistance to the poor fellows who had necessarily been left at various points, on account of inability to travel; the intention being, when all should be assembled, to proceed in canoes or on rafts down the Red River to Natchitoches, then the most westerly U. S. post in southern Louisiana. At this point Dr. Robinson, who had business in New Mexico, left the party in order to proceed to Santa Fé, which they calculated was then nearer than it would be from any other point.
While most of the men were absent, in search of those left behind, and the remainder were at work building , the fort, Pike himself usually employed himself in hunting; and on February 15th, while thus occupied with a single soldier, he discovered two horsemen near the summit of a hill, but half a mile distant. After much parleying they were induced to come to the camp, and proved to be a Spanish dragoon and a civilized Indian, both well armed. They reported that Robinson had arrived in Santa Fé, and been received with great kindness by the Governor. They seemed surprised at the appearance of the fort, but Pike informed them of his intention of going down the river to Natchitoches as soon as his party was prepared ; and at the same time said that if the Governor of New Mexico would send an officer with an interpreter, it would be a pleasure to satisfy any doubts he might have as to the intentions of this American party in being so near his borders. The two visitors stated that they could reach Santa Fé in two days (which was not true), but never intimated that Pike was wrong in supposing himself on the banks of che Red River. The building of the fort continued, and gradually the frozen men who had been left behind were brought in-with the exception of two still unable to
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walk. Of them Pike says, "they sent me some of the bones taken out of their feet, and conjured me by all that was sacred not to leave them to perish far from the civilized world."
On the 26th of February the report of the guard's gun announced the appearance of strangers, and soon after two Frenchmen arrived. These informed Pike that Governor Alencaster, of New Mexico, had heard that the Ute Indians were about to attack the little ex- pedition, and therefore had sent an officer with fifty dragoons to protect them. Scarcely had this notifica- tion been received, when the Spanish party came in sight, consisting not only of the fifty dragoons but also fifty mounted militia of the province. Pike sent the Frenchman to arrange a meeting between himself and the commander of the troops, and then sallied forth to hold the interview on the prairie near the fort. The officers in command of the Spanish expedition were Don Ygnacio Saltelo and Don Bartolomé Fernandez, both lieutenants. After some conversation, Pike invited them to enter his fortification and they breakfasted to- gether, after which the Spanish officers said that the Governor, having learned that Pike's party had lost its route, had sent them to offer all necessary assistance to reach the Red River, the nearest navigable point of which was eight days' journey from Santa Fé. "What," said Pike, interrupting him, " is not this the Red River ?" Imagine his amazement at the answer "No, sir! it is the Rio del Norte." These words showed that he had unwittingly passed the frontiers of the United States, and actually erected a fort on Spanish soil, within the borders of New Mexico. His first act, on receiving this astonishing information, was to order his men to take down the American flag, which had been hoisted over the works. The Spanish commander then said that the Governor was anxious to see them at Santa Fé as soon as possible, and had provided 100 horses and mules to
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