The Old Santa Fe Trail

s, was, of course, Santa Fe, and ranking second to it, that of the beautiful Valle de Taos, which derived its

s valley, and the initial consignments of goods from the Missouri were disposed of in the little villages scattered along the road, th

a town with the name of Taos, which never had an existence. Fernandez de Taos is the chief city, which has

ery spirit, always known in the days of the Santa Fe trade as "Taos lightning," which was the most profitable article of bar

to the chief in marriage when she arrived at a suitable age. At the time for the ratification of her father's covenant with the Indians, however, the maiden stubbornly refused to fulfil her part. The savages, enraged at the broken faith of the Spaniard, immediately swept down upon the little settlement and murdered everybody there except the betrothed girl, whom they carried off into captivity. She was forced to li

the provisional governor of the Territory of New Mexico, with a numbe

gidly loyal to the political change. At this time the command of the troops devolved upon Colonel Sterling Price, Colonel Doniphan, who ranked him, having departed from Santa Fe on an expedition against the Navajoes. Notwithstanding the apparent submission of the

be preserved, and the most influential men, whose ambition induced them to seek preferment, were alone to be made acquainted with the plot. No woman was to be privy to it, lest it should b

dangoes, not having their arms in their hands. All the Americans, without distinction, throughout the State, and such New Mexicans as had favoured the American government

o use the utmost vigilance. The rebellion was immediately suppressed, but the restless and unsatisfied ambition of the leaders of the conspiracy did not long permit them to remain inactive. A second and still more dangerous conspiracy was formed. The most powerful and influential men in the State favoured the design, and even the officers of State and the priests gave their aid and counsel

rushed, with an escort of five persons-among whom were the sheriff and circu

e Mexican wife of the occupant, a clever though shiftless Canadian, hearing him, with all her strength rendered him assistance. He retreated to a room, but, seeing no way of escaping from the infuriated assailants, who fired upon him from a window, he spoke to his weeping wife an

he tragic scene by shooting him. Stephen Lee, brother to the general, was killed on his own housetop. Narcisse Beaubien, son of the presiding judge of the district, hid in an outhouse with his Indian slave, at the commencement of the massacre, under a straw-covered trough. The insurgents on the search, thinki

runs along the base of a ridge of a mountain of moderate elevation, which divides the valley of Taos from that of the Rio Colorado, or Red River, both flowing into the Del Norte. Th

barns were filled with grain, his mill with flour, and his cellars with whiskey. He had a Mexican wife and several children, and he bore the reputation of being one of the most gener

-animals laden with furs, when the savages, meeting them, after stripping them of their goods, and securing their arms by treachery, made them mount their mules under pretence of conducting them to Taos, where they were to be gi

ot in the back with several bullets. Both men were then stripped naked, scalped, and

William Drummond Stewart on one of his expeditions across the Rockies, it happened that a half-breed Indian employed by Sir William absconded one night with some animals, which circumstance annoyed the nobleman so much, as it disturbed all his plan

ral mule-loads of whiskey a few days before, made his appearance at the gate on horseback, and hastily informing the inmates of the mill that the New Mexicans had risen and massacred Governor Bent and other Americans, galloped off.

ite flag, summoned Turley to surrender his house and the Americans in it, guaranteeing that his own life should be saved, but that every other American in

ever surrender his house nor his men, and that

they numbered about five hundred, but were hourly reinforced by the arrival of parties of Indi

o, about twenty yards from one side of the square, and the other side was broken ground which rose abruptly and formed the bank of the ravine.

nder cover of the rocks and bushes which surrounded the house. From these they kept up an ince

bitten the dust, and parties were seen bearing off the wounded up the banks of the Canada. Darkness came on, and during the night a continual fire was kept up on the mill, whilst its defenders, reserving their ammunition, kept their posts with stern and silent determination. The night was spent in casting balls, cutting patches, and completing the defences of the building. In the morning the figh

mpted to cross, who happened to be a Pueblo chief, was dropped on the instant, and fell dead in the centre of the intervening space. It appeared to be an object to recover the body, for an Indian immediately dashed out to the fallen chief, and attempted to drag him within the shelter of the wall. The rifle which covered the spot again poured forth its deadly contents, and the Indian, springing into the air, fe

out of rage, poured in a rattling volley, and two of the defenders fell mortally wounded. One, shot through the loins, suffered grea

ill, which blazed fiercely, and threatened destruction to the whole building. Twice they succeeded in overcoming the flames, and, while they were thus occupied, the Mexicans and Indians charged into the corral, which was full of hogs and sheep, and vented their cowardly rage upon the animals, spearing and shooting all that came in their way. No sooner were the f

without motion under the fence, and as soon as it was quite dark he crept over the logs and ran up the mountain, travelled by day and night, and, scarcely stopping or resting, reached the Greenhorn, almost dead with hunger and fatigue. Turley himself succeeded in escaping from the mill and in reaching the mountain unseen. Here he met a Mexican mounted on a horse, who had been a most intimate friend of his for many years. To this man Turley offered

sacked and gutted, and all his hard-earned savings, which were concealed in gold abo

rince's chapter on the fight at Taos, in his e

of the assassinatio

Santa Fe, and reach

ously, letters were

he Rio Abajo to se

o aid the other i

hat a united Mexica

s marching down th

flushed with the s

troops were in San

n the whole territ

ttered at Albuquer

ts. At the first-n

n Burgwin; the form

r with a company of

no time in taking s

ermitted. Edmonson

a Fe to take comman

Price as fast as p

he colonel himsel

which were all on

e battalion which

ordinary marches on

lmost outwalk the

any formed of nearly

city, under the com

pened to be in San

at the time of t

rce, amounting in a

l Price started to

the army which wa

orth and which gre

ons from the sur

e was left in charg

l Willock. While

without experience

d to desperation b

that the only alte

nihil

out on January 23

under command of

, aided by General

g the heights comm

ruz), with detachm

the river banks. T

e at the rocky pas

there and before re

ians, who had joine

er a kind of compul

removing the lock

Canada, Price order

ed fire; and after

lt on the nearest

le an attempt by a

ican baggage-wagons

rated by the activ

ge all along the l

uted; the houses, w

lly so many ready

d, and St. Vrain st

ar. Seeing this man

exicans retreated,

Among those killed

d on the field afte

it, and

ed on up the river

and at Los Luceros

oiced at the arriva

ted company of caval

been pushed up by f

nd a six-pounder br

ged, the American

ghty men, and conti

a, which was as far

Meanwhile the Mexi

row pass near Embud

road impracticable

ng the sides of th

. Burgwin was sent

and open a pass

mpany took the wes

rgwin himself march

p-shooting of the

that the pass was s

splay of great her

tered Embudo without

this campaign were

e weather, the mou

and the cold so i

itten and disabled.

, where Price arriv

my on the last day

y marched in

cold and snow they

he 3d of February

only to find that t

itself in the celebr

distant. That fo

the retreat from L

to their homes, a

ueblo Indians. The

ue and exposure, an

intrepid commander,

ime to strengthen t

y, if not of prud

an immedi

ings at this Pueblo

xtraordinary inha

nown from descripti

ies high and irreg

ing smaller than the

the outer rooms of

dvent of artillery

able, as, when the

re no means of ing

t openings, and of

buildings, each of w

runs the clear wat

the northerly bui

of adobe from three

Outside of all, and

the church, ran an

hostile Indians and

hwork. The church

d was the point w

strength; and again

ipal attack. The s

ght into position

utenant Dyer, then

ince then chief o

, and opened a fir

-balls made littl

rth, in which they

age; and after a

hdrawn, and the tro

Taos for their

ing, the troops, no

vanced again to th

y prepared. The sto

ace is so interest

e of old and new s

th an aboriginal st

ies can be distingu

scription, that it

ort as presented

w more plainly ho

ny more ambitious st

splay the courage a

e battle, or the si

Burgwin which led t

Price

oons under Captai

rds from the western

d men under Captains

e opposite side of

ntercept any fugitiv

he mountains, or i

esidue of the troop

ds from the north

tablished himself

while Lieutenant Ha

light artillery, re

of two howitzers.

tained, sweeping th

h. All these arran

ed upon the town a

finding it imposs

h with the six-pou

orm the building.

d of his own compan

the western flank

antry battalion, an

ond Missouri Mounted

As soon as the tr

emselves under the

sed in the attempt

aving been made, t

aptain Burgwin, at

er afforded by the

o the corral in fro

e the door. In this

eived a severe woun

ervices, and of w

enants McIlvaine,

yall and Lacklan

anied Captain Burg

the church door p

ed to retire behi

es had been cut in

n in by hand, doi

now brought around b

e of two hundred ya

o the town. The e

a destructive fir

ee o'clock, the six

of the church, an

which had been cu

cticable breach. T

ieutenant Dyer, o

nd Taylor, First Dr

of the church wi

illed with dense s

orming party would

he enemy were se

r admitted the ai

gun. The troops l

th side were now o

t s

andoned the wester

n the large houses

ed to escape tow

ursued by the mount

, who killed fifty-

ing. It was now ni

ered in the house

next morning the e

vere loss they had

I granted their s

should deliver up

, who had instigate

urder of Governo

enemy at the battl

seven hundred, and

ed, wounded not kno

orty-five wounded;

since

Taos Pueblo practic

the Americans f

who was a very inf

ed himself the "San

-martial, convicte

e presence of the a

icipating in the mu

were killed on the

executed. Thus, f

l number to those m

Rio Colorado. Of

were Pueblo Indians

ng for treason, bu

hem, on the ground

was not a crime

found guilty, whi

ar with the U

the insurrectionists; in regard to which I shall quote freely from Wah-to-yah, whose author, Mr. Lewis H. Garrard, accomp

to that strong Indian fortress. He was a man of good feeling, but his brother having been killed, or rather murdered by Salazar, while a prisoner in the Texan expedition against Santa Fe, he swore vengeance, and e

s, below which a sentinel, wrapped in a heavy cloak, paced to and fro, to prevent his escape. He watched until the guard's back was turned, then swung himself from the wall, and with as much ease as possible,

s particular red devil had been especially prominent in the hellish acts of the massacre, the colonel dismounted from his pony to satisfy himself whether the savage was really dead or only shamming. He was far from being a corpse, for the colonel had scarcely reached the spot, when the Indian jumped to his feet and attempted to run a long, steel-pointed lance through the officer's shoulder. Colonel St. Vrain was a la

cared, sullen fellows; and the jury of Mexicans and Americans having been empanelled, the trial commenced. It certainly did appear to be a great assumption on the part of the Americans to conquer a country, and then arraign the revolting inhab

ason, indeed! What did the poor devil know about his new allegiance? But so it was; and as the jail was overstocked with others awaiting

ate governor's wife, and Senora Boggs, giving their evidence in regard to the massacre, of which they were eye-witnesses. Mrs. Bent was quite handsome; a few years previously she must have been a beautiful w

lose to them on a bench by the wall. When Mrs. Bent gave her testimony, the eyes of the culprits were fixed sternly upon her; when she pointed out the Indian who had killed the governor, not a muscle of the chief's face twitched or betrayed agitation,

ans with that mistaken sentimentality characterizing the average New England philanthropist, who has never seen the untutored savage on his native heath. His ideas, however, underwent a marked change as the years rolled on and he became more familiar with

ing killed an Indian, and it grieved him for a long time. One day, a month after the incident, he was riding alone far away from our party, and out of sound of their rifles as well, when a band of Blackfeet discovered him and started for his scalp. He had no possible chance for escape except by the endurance of his horse; so a race for life began. He experienced no trouble in keeping out of the way of their arrows-the Indians had no guns then-and hoped to make camp before they could possibly wear out his horse. Just as he was congratulating himself on his luck, right in front of him there suddenly appeared a great gorge, and not daring to stop or to turn to the right or left, the o

-the usual signal when a trapper is lost or in danger-or to make any demonstration, so he was compelled to lie there and suffer, hoping that his comrades, missing him, woul

could, while Baptiste suffered excruciating torture. When they had completed their crude surgery, they improvised a litter of poles, and rigged

original sentimentality in relation to the In

ried, Baptiste, as soon as the jury room was closed, sang out: "Hang 'em, hang 'em, sacre enfans des garces, dey dam gran rascale!" "But wait," suggested one of the cooler members; "let's look at the evidence and find out whether they are really guilty." Upon this wise c

llow and white mud-houses, reflected cheerful hues, while the shades of the toppling peaks, receding from the plain beneath, drew within themselves. The humble valley wore an air of calm re

glances around; los Yankees at El casa Americano dran

f the wherewithal to hang the condemned criminals, so he bo

y present, "these reatas are might

ut good enough for Greasers," said the sheriff, producing a dollar's worth of Mexi

ed serape interposing between them and the ground. The ends, once fringed but now clear of pristine ornament, were partly drawn over their breasts, disclosing in the openings of their fancifully colored shirts-now glazed with filth and faded with perspiration-

dress, miserable in features, miserable in feelings-a more disgusting collection of ragged, greasy, u

mustered. Reverend padres in long black gowns, with meek countenances, passed the sent

arms. The prison was at the edge of the town; no houses intervened between it and

oldiers received them at the gate, with their muskets at "port arms"; th

behind, and bare heads, with the exception of white cotton caps s

itness the first execution by hanging in the valley of Taos, save that of Montojo,

his hand a lighted match. The two hundred and thirty soldiers, less the eighteen forming the guard, were paraded in front of the jail, and in sig

government wagon, with two mules attached. The driver and sheriff assisted them in, ranging them on a board, placed across the hinder end, which maintained its balance, as they were six-an even number-two on each extremity, and two in the middle. The gallows was so narrow that they touched. The ro

d around to disturb; a death-like stillness prevailed. The spectators on the roofs seemed scarcely t

words "mi padre, mi madre"-"my father, my mother"-were prominent. The one sentenced for treason showed a spirit of patriotism worthy of the cause for which he died-the liberty of his country; and instead of the cringing recantation of the others, his

iven, and their feet remained on the board till the ropes drew tight. The bodies swayed back and forth, an

its place on the roof of the jail. The soldiers were called away; the women and population in general collecting aro

hard knot-the owner, a government teamster standing by wa

at rope; I won't have anyt

he dead men's ghosts will be after you if you use t

halters was gone, slap down goes a dollar apiece. Money's scarce in these digg