USA > New Mexico > History of New Mexico : its resources and people, Volume I > Part 9
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42
HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
watered in rotation. At this place were as finely cultivated fields of wheat and other small grain as I ever saw; also many vineyards, from which was produced the finest wine ever drank in the country, which was celebrated through all the provinces, and was the only wine used on the table of the commanding general."
Describing the towns, the first one in his route after leaving his camp under Spanish escort was Warm Springs, or Aqua Caliente, which "at a distance presents to the eye a square enclosure of mud walls, the houses forming the wall. They are flat on top, or with extremely little ascent on one side, where there are spouts to carry off the water of the melting snow and rain when it falls, which, we were informed, had been but once in two years previous to our entering the country. Inside of the enclosure were the different streets of houses of the same fashion, all of one story; the doors were narrow, the windows small, and in one or two houses there were talc lights. This village had a mill near it, situated on the little creek, which made very good flour. The population consisted of civilized Indians, but much mixed blood."
Passing on through several adobe villages, San Juan among others, they arrived on evening at Santa Fe "situated on the banks of a small creek which runs west to the Rio del Norte. The length of the capital on the creek may be estimated at one mile; it is but three streets in width. Its appear- ance from a distance struck my mind with the same effect as a fleet of the flat-bottomed boats which are seen in the spring and fall seasons descend- ing the Ohio river. There are two churches, the magnificence of whose steeples forms a striking contrast to the miserable appearance of the houses. On the north side of the town is the square of soldiers' houses. The public square is in the center of the town; on the north side of which is situated the palace (as they term it) or government house, with the quarters for guards, etc. The other side of the square is occupied by the clergy and public officers. In general the houses have a shed before the front, some of which have a flooring of brick; the consequence is that the streets are very narrow, say in general 25 feet. The supposed population is 4,500 souls. * * * The houses are generally only one story high, flat roofs, and have a very mean appearance on the outside, but some of them are richly furnished, especially with plate."
"The second cities in the province are Albuquerque and Paso del Norte. The latter is the most southern city of the province, as Tous is the most northern. Between the village of Sibilleta and the Paso there is a wilderness of nearly 200 miles." Of Sibilleta, Pike describes it as "a reg- ular square, appearing like a large mud wall on the outside, the doors, windows, etc., facing the square and is the neatest and most regular village I have yet seen."
The government of the province Lieutenant Pike described as "military in the pure sense of the word; for, although they have their alcaldes or inferior officers, their judgments are subject to a reversion by the military commandants of districts. The whole male population are subject to mil- itary duty, without pay or emolument, and are obliged to find their own horses, arms and provisions. The only thing furnished by the government * is ammunition. * * There is but one troop of dragoons in all New Mexico of the regular force, which is stationed at Santa Fé, and is 100 strong. Of this troop the governor is always the captain; but they are
43
EARLY AMERICAN RELATIONS
commanded by a first lieutenant, who is captain by brevet. The men capa- ble of bearing arms in this province may be estimated at 5,000; of those probably 1,000 are completely armed, 1,000 badly, and the rest not at all."
Of the general character of the New Mexicans Lieutenant Pike observes that the fact of their being on the frontier and cut off from the more in- habited parts of the kingdom, together with their continual wars with some of the savage nations that surround them "render them the bravest and most hardy subjects in New Spain; being generally armed, they know the use of them. Their want of gold and silver renders them laborious, in order that the productions of their labor may be the means of establishing the equilibrium between them and the other provinces where those metals abound. Their isolation and remote situation also cause them to exhibit, in a superior degree, the heaven-like qualities of hospitality and kindness. * * * And I shall always take pleasure in expressing my gratitude for their noble reception of myself and the men under my command."
It is noteworthy that Lieutenant Pike found only one or two Amer- icans from the States living in New Mexico. A French creole, named La- Lande, who is described as a treacherous rogue, had come from Illinois to New Mexico with a stock of goods furnished him by an American merchant named Morrison, and had established himself at San Juan. At Santa Fé was found a man named Colly, then acting as interpreter for the governor, and who had been a member of the ill-fated Nolan expedition into Texas.
At Santa Fé Lieutenant Pike discovered James Pursley and accords him the honor of being "the first American who ever penetrated the im- mense wilds of Louisiana and showed the Spaniards of New Mexico that neither the savages who surround the deserts which divide them from the habitable world, nor the jealous tyranny of their rulers, was sufficient to prevent the enterprising spirit of the Americans penetrating the arcanum of their rich establishment in the new world." Pursley was from near Bairdstown, Ky., which he left in 1799. In 1802 he set out from St. Louis and for several years traded with the Indian tribes of the Kansas plains and about the Osage and Arkansas rivers. In 1805 he and his two companions and two Indians were selected as emissaries of a large band of Indian hunters and traders to go to Santa Fé and inquire if the Span- iards would receive them friendly and enter into trade with them. "This being acceded to by the governor (Allencaster), the Indian deputies re- turned for their bands; but Pursley thought proper to remain with a civilized people. He arrived at Santa Fé in June, 1805, and had been fol- lowing his trade, a carpenter, ever since, at which he made a great deal of money, except when working for the officers, who paid him little or noth- ing. He was a man of strong natural sense and dauntless intrepidity. He was once near being hanged for making a few pounds of gunpowder, which he innocently did, as lie had been accustomed to do in Kentucky, but which is a capital crime in these provinces. He was forbidden to write, but was assured he should have a passport whenever he demanded it, but was obliged to give security that he would not leave the country without per- mission of the government."
SANTA FE TRAIL.
Practically nothing was known among Americans of Santa Fé and the possibilities of trade there until the return of Lieutenant Zebulon Pike from his expedition.
44
HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
Pike's descriptions of the resources of the northern part of New Mexico attracted immediate attention to that region, especially throughout the Missouri valley. In 1812 McKnight, Beard, Chambers and eight or nine others fitted out an expedition for trading purposes and succeeded in reaching Santa Fé over the route described by Pike. Unfortunately for them they reached the town during the closing days of the revolu- tionary movements which had just been checked by the royalist successes. They were seized as spies, their goods confiscated, and they were sent as prisoners to Chihuahua, where they were confined for nine years. Two of the party returned to the United States in 1821, and the stories they re- lated, instead of discouraging, prompted others to embark upon the same enterprise. Among these was an Ohio merchant named Glenn, who had established an Indian trading post near the mouth of the Verdigris, who reached Santa Fé late in the fall of 1821. About the same time Captain Becknell and four companies started from Franklin, Mo., intending to trade with the Comanche Indians; but a party of Mexican rangers per- suaded them to take their wares to Santa Fé, where they disposed of them easily at an enormous profit.
Up to this time New Mexico had secured all its supplies from the internal provinces of Mexico, by way of Vera Cruz, and these were sold at most exorbitant prices-ten to fifteen times as much as they were worth in the eastern markets. Becknell returned east alone the succeeding winter, leaving his companions : and his account stimulated others to similar under- takings. In May, 1822, Colonel Cooper, his sons, and a dozen or more neighbors, all Missourians, started out with about five thousand dollars' worth of merchandise, which they transported on pack mules to Taos. A month later Captain Becknell, accompanied by about thirty men, set out upon his second trip westward. Anxious to avoid the circuitous route he had followed the first time, he left the Arkansas river at "the caches," strik- ing directly for Santa Fé across the unknown desert. Unable to procure food or water, they were reduced to the killing of their dogs, and even cutting off the ears of their mules, in the hope of quenching their thirst by drinking the hot blood. Maddened by torture, they separated in the hope that some of the party might find water. Not suspecting that they were almost upon the banks of the Cimarron, they had determined to attempt to retrace their steps to the Arkansas, when they saw a buffalo, his stomach distended with water. The animal was immediately killed, and they quenched their thirst by drinking the filthy water they found in his stomach. Strengthened by this draught, some of the party managed to reach the river. where they filled all the canteens. By degrees the greater sufferers in the party were relieved of their distress, just when death seemed imminent, and the journey was resumed.
The Santa Fé trade may be said to date from 1822. Until 1824 goods were transported upon the backs of mules or horses. In 1824 a company of about eighty missionaries set out with a great trainload of wares, in- cluding both pack mules and wagons, the first wheeled vehicles to cross the plains. Colonel Marmaduke, afterward governor of Missouri, was a member of this party, which carried about $30,000 worth of merchandise to Santa Fé.
Troubles with the Indians began at an early day, and the traders finally felt compelled to ask the Federal government for escorts. The de-
45
EARLY AMERICAN RELATIONS
mand was instantly met, and in the spring of 1829 Major Riley accom- panied an expedition as far west as Chouteau's Island, in the Arkansas. This escort, and one commanded by Captain Wharton in 1834, constituted the only military protection granted the Santa Fé trade until 1843, when Captain Cook commanded large escorts for two caravans as far as the Arkansas river.
The original Santa Fé trail*, beginning at Independence, passed through Westport, traversing the plains of Kansas in a direction a little south of west, until it reached the great bend of the Arkansas river, which it crossed at Fort Dodge. It followed the course of the river until it crossed the present western boundary of Kansas. It cut off the south- eastern corner of what is now Colorado, traversed a portion of the Pan-
*NOTE .- Gregg, in his "Commerce of the Prairies," gives the following table of distance and stations on the Santa Fé trail, based on estimates made on six trips between Independence and Santa Fé, and therefore to be taken as substantially accu- rate :
From Independence to-
Miles.
Aggregate.
Round Grove
.35
.. .
Narrows
.30
65
IIO-Mile Creek.
.35
100
Bridge Creek
8
108
Big John Spring.
.40
148
Council Grove
2
150
Diamond Spring
15
165
Lost Spring
15
180
Cottonwood Creek
12
192
Turkey Creek
25
217
Little Arkansas
.17
234
Cow Creek
20
254
Arkansas River
16
270
Walnut Creek
8
278
Ash Creek
297
Pawnee Fork
6
303
Coon Creek
.33
.3.36
Caches
36
372
Ford of Arkansas.
.20
392
Sand Creek
50
442
Cimarron River
8
450
Middle Spring
36
486
Willow Bar
26
512
Upper Spring
.18
530
Cold Spring
5
535
McNees Creek
.25
560
Rabbit-Ear Creek
20
580
Round Mound
8
588
Rock Creek
8
596
Point of Rocks.
19
615
Rio Colorado
20
635
Ocate
6
641
Santa Clara Spring.
.21
662
Rio Gallinas (Vegas)
.20
704
Ojo de Bernal.
17
721
San Miguel
6
727
Pecos Village
.23
750
Santa Fé
.25
775
.22
684
Rio Mora
During General Kearny's march upon Santa Fé, Captain Alexander B. Dyer, an officer in the command, measured the distance from point to point in the route after leaving Fort Leavenworth, employing a viameter. He found the mileage to be as
...
16
HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
handle of Texas and then passed into New Mexico and on to Santa Fé, Fort Union then being about eight miles to the north of the trail. After a few years it continued west from the Arkansas river to Trinidad, crossing the Raton mountains on or near the line now traversed by the Santa Fé railroad. On this trail the Arkansas river was crossed at Fort Bent, near the site of La Junta. The trail was about eight hundred miles in length. Through the mountains there were many places where it was necessary to hew a path out of steep hillsides. In the winter the snows would fre- quently drift so deep into the canyons that every trace of the trail would be obliterated.
While the town of Franklin (Boonville), Mo., was the original east- ern headquarters of the Santa Fe trade, the town of Independence was made an important center in 1831. From that point to New Mexico there was not a human abode on the trail, or near it. The "Commerce of the Prairies" thus describes the entrance of a caravan into the ancient city of Santa Fé :
"The arrival produced a great deal of bustle and excitement among the natives. 'Los Americanos!' 'Los Carros!' 'La entrada de la caravana!' were to be heard in every direction ; and crowds of women and boys flocked around to see the new comers ;. while crowds of leperos hung about as usual to see what they could pilfer. The wagoners were by no means free from excitement at this occasion. In- formed of the ordeal they had to pass, they had spent the previous morning in 'rub- bing up;' and now they were prepared with clean faces, sleek combed hair and their choicest Sunday suit, to meet the fair eyes of glistening black that were sure to stare at them as they passed. There was yet another preparation to be made in order to 'show off,' to advantage. Each wagoner must tie a brand-new 'cracker' to the lash of his whip; for, on driving through the streets and the plaza publica, every one strives to outlive his comrades in the dexterity with which he flourishes this favorite badge of his authority.
"Our wagons were soon discharged in the warerooms of the customhouse; and a few days' leisure being now at our disposal, we had time to take that recreation which a fatiguing journey of ten weeks had rendered so necessary. The wagoners, and many of the traders, particularly the novices, flocked to the numerous fandangoes, which are regularly kept up after the arrival of a caravan. But the merchants gen- erally were actively and anxiously engaged in their affairs-striving who should first get his goods out of the customhouse, and obtain a chance at the 'hard-chink' of the numerous country dealers, who annually resort to the capital on these occasions.
* * The derechos de arancel (tariff imposts) of Mexico are extremely
follows: Fort Leavenworth to the Upper Ferry of the Kansas river, 25 miles; to Willow Spring, 17; to One Hundred and Ten Creek, 24; to Beaver Creek, 12; to Dragoon Creek, 8; to Bluff Creek, 13; to Council Grove, 12; to Diamond Spring, 15; to Lost Spring, 14; to Cotton Wood, 15; to Main Turkey Creek, 18; to the Little Arkansas, 26; to Big Cow Creek, 21; to Walnut Creek, 25; to Pawnee Fork, 25; to Cow Creek, 12; to Fort Mann. 55; to the crossing of the Arkansas, 26; to Sand Creek. 50; to the lower spring on the "Cimerone," 8; to the middle spring, 34; to the crossing of the "Cimerone," 27; to Cold Spring. 18; to Cedar Spring, 14; to McNee's Creek, 10: to Cotton Wood, 10; to Rabbit-Ear Spring, 14; to Whetstone, 24; to Point of Rocks, 15; to Red river, 21; to Ocate, 5; to Wagon Mound, 20; to Rock Creek, 16; to Mora river, 8; to Las Vegas, 19; to "St. Miguel," 23; to "Old Pecos church." 24; to Santa Fé, 24; making the total distance from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fé, 757 miles. From Santa Fé southward these distances were recorded: To "Albuquerque," 65; to Peralto (The Oteros), ....; to La Joya, 45; to Socorro, 18; to the ford of the Del Norte (Rio Grande), above the ruins of Val Verde, 25; to "Fra Christoval" (Fray Cristobal), entrance of Jornada de los Muerto (Jornada del Muerto), 16; to Doña Anna (Mexican town), 95; to the grove on the river, 15; to Brazito, 16; to El Paso, 32-the total from Fort Leavenworth to El Paso being given as 1,104 miles.
47
EARLY AMERICAN RELATIONS
oppressive, averaging about a hundred per cent upon the United States' cost of an ordinary 'Santa Fé assortment.' Those on cotton textures are particularly so. Accord- ing to the arancel of 1837 (and it was still heavier before), all plain-woven cottons, whether white or printed, pay twelve and one-half cents duty per vara; besides the
* derecho de consumo (consumption duty), which brings it up to at least fifteen. * *
"For a few years, Governor Armijo of Santa Fé established a tariff of his own, entirely arbitrary-exacting five hundred dollars for each wagon-load, whether large or small-of fine or coarse goods! Of course, this was very advantageons to such traders as had large wagons and costly assortments, while it was no less onerous to those with smaller vehicles or coarse, heavy goods. As might have been anticipated, the traders soon took to conveying their merchandise only in the largest wagons, drawn by ten or twelve mules, and omitting the coarser and more weighty articles of trade. This caused the governor to return to the ad valorem system. * * *
"The arrival of a caravan at Santa Fe changes the aspect of the place at once. Instead of the idleness and stagnation which its streets exhibited before, one now sees everywhere the bustle, noise and activity of a lively market town. Taking the circuit of the stores, I found they usually contained general assortments, much like those to be met with in the retail variety stores of the West. The stocks of the inexperienced merchants are apt to abound in unsalable goods-mulas, as the Mexicans figuratively term them."
In his "Commerce of the Prairies," Dr. Gregg estimates the amount of merchandise invested in the Santa Fé trade from 1822 to 1843, inclu- sive, as follows :
1822.
$ 15,000
1833
180,000
I823.
12,000
1834.
150,000
1824.
35,000
1835.
140,000
I825.
65,000
1836.
I30,000
1826.
90,000
183
150,000
1827.
85,000
1838.
90,000
1828.
150,000
1839.
250,000
I829
60,000
1840
50,000
1830.
120.000
1841
150,000
1831
250,000
1842
160,000
1832
I40,000
1843.
450,000
The overland freight trains of the early days crossed the plains into New Mexico in something of the character of a military expedition. The trains consisted, generally, of from twenty to sixty or more heavy wagons, each drawn by oxen or mules. Sometimes, when very heavily laden, as many as five pair of oxen would be hitched to each wagon. Frequently a considerable herd of loose cattle would be driven along with the train, which could be drawn upon to fill the teams in case of injury to or death of the oxen. Not infrequently the length of a train would be a mile or more. The vehicles were usually what was known in those days as "prairie schooners." They were strong, heavy wagons, with long, high beds, and would carry loads of from three to five tons each. Each wagon had a driver. The wagon-master, or major domo, had a general oversight of the train. and the herders, usually several in number, had charge of the stock. Most trains were accompanied by an ambulance for the transporta- tion of provisions and special passengers.
The train crew were divided into parties of ten or a dozen each, called messes : and each mess was furnished with a complete camp outfit for cooking purposes. The cooks were selected from among the teamsters, received extra pay, and were relieved of guard duty and the other work which fell to the drivers while in camp. Upon arriving at a place selected for camping for the night, the wagons were driven into position into two
48
HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
lines, so as to form a circular corral. The wagon tongues were turned outside of the corral and the forewheel of one wagon rested against the rear wheel of the one directly in front of it. This left all the cattle outside of the improvised corral, and they were then unyoked and driven to water, after which they were watched by the herders while they fed on the prairie grass. This was the ordinary camp corral. What was known as a fighting corral, formed when an attack by Indians was made or anticipated, was made by turning the wagon tongues inside the circle. This brought the cattle all inside the corral, rendering it easy to protect them and prevent them from stampeding. When the start was made early in the morning after a night's rest, the cattle which had followed the wagons on the pre- ceding day were yoked, and those which had labored were allowed to bring up the rear. These trains moved and were governed with military pre- cision. The major-domo was absolutely in control and his word was law.
When the wagons were driven into line in the morning each driver took his place beside his wagon and awaited the order to start. The wagons were always kept at a uniform distance from one another, like soldiers marching in single file. By maintaining discipline in this way- and all experienced train-masters observed these precautions-there were no stragglers to look after, and preparations for a fight could be made on short notice, a thing which was sometimes quite necessary for the salva- tion of the train and the men. . The average day's travel was sixteen to eighteen miles, though some trains maintained an average of twenty miles. It usually required about four months to make the trip from Fort Union to Westport or Leavenworth and return.
As a rule the trains going east carried about half the load of those west-bound. The east-bound freight generally consisted of little but the peltry gathered in the mountains. The pay for the transportation of mer- chandise westward varied slightly, growing smaller as business in the southwest increased and competition in freighting grew keener. For carrying goods through from Westport to Fort Union, for many years the principal destination in New Mexico, eight dollars per hundred was the ruling price for many years, a freight bill on a train of stores and merchandise frequently amounting to many thousands of dollars. The value of the merchandise shipped frequently aggregated between one hun- dred thousand and two hundred thousand dollars. Some of the shrewdest and most sagacious of the early fighters were able, however, to pay prac- tically the entire expenses of the trip by the sale, in the east, of furs or other commodities they had gathered, leaving the sum received for the westward trip clear profit. Teamsters were paid from twenty to twenty- five dollars per month, and provisions would cost an average of about a thousand dollars per trip, which left, for the average train, a net profit of five to ten thousand dollars, aside from any additional profit arising from private transactions. The freighting business, however, was confined to those months when the plains and mountains were relatively free from snow.
Regular freighting trips across the plains began in the twenties, but it was not until 1846 or 1847 that the passenger stages were placed in operation between Independence, Mo., and Santa Fé. Each month a stage would start, about the same time, from Independence and from Santa Fé. As passenger traffic increased trips were made semi-monthly; then
49
EARLY AMERICAN RELATIONS
weekly, then finally three times per week. Six mules or horses were usually attached to each stage. As the demand for quicker trips increased the animals were changed more frequently-about every twenty miles while traversing the mountain region. It required about two weeks to make the trip by passenger coach, barring accidents. Each coach would carry eleven passengers, nine of whom rode inside and two outside. The fare was two hundred and fifty dollars, and each passenger was permitted to carry forty pounds of baggage free. For extra weight fifty cents per pound was the charge. Passengers were entitled to their board en route, their fare consisting chiefly of "hard tack" and pork, and such wild meat as could be killed on the road. As travel was continued day and night without interruption, the only sleep possible was such as might be obtained while seated in the rolling vehicle.
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