PATTIE AND THE TRAPPERS.

407

the Gila down to the Colorado, and made their way to California.52 The narrative is devoted mainly to personal adventures and encounters with bears and Indians, having more fascination than real value. Of the few trapping parties which may have preceded those with which Pattie was connected, and the many that followed them, very little is known; but there were few of the later years in which the Arizona streams were not trapped to some extent. Pauline Weaver was a famous pioneer who traversed the country as early as 1832, as did Kit Carson perhaps still earlier. In 1829-32 the parties of Ewing Young and David Jackson crossed Arizona to California, as did a party of New Mexicans under José Antonio Vaca; and many of the early trapping and trading pioneers mentioned in the annals of California had visited this country sooner or later, though the regular route for trading parties and immigrants from Wolfskill's trip of 1831 was by a route north of the Colorado.53 Down to about 1836 the Apaches are said to have been friendly to the Americans; but about that time the famous chief Juan José was treacherously killed with many of his people by one Johnson, and the Apaches immediately attacked and killed Charles Kemp's party of 22 trappers on the Gila, as well as other parties farther east in New Mexico.54

52 Pattie's Personal Narrative; see also this vol., p. 337-8, and Hist. Cal., iii. 162-72.

53 See Hist. Cal., iii. 172-5, and chap. xiv.

Benj. D. Wilson, Observations, MS., 2-18, gives the most complete account, having been encamped on the Gila at the time. His party was also . attacked, and several men were killed, Wilson being captured and barely escaping with his life. James Johnson did not get the reward from the Mexicans that he had hoped for, and came to Cal., where he died in great poverty. His accomplice was a man named Glisson. Gregg, Com. Prairies, i. 295-8, also mentions this affair. An exploration of the Colorado mouth by Lieut. Hardy in 1825-8 is mentioned in Bartlett's Pers. Narr., ii. 170-1; and in Victor's River of the West, 153, we are told that in 1834 a trapping party of 200 men of the Rocky Mt Fur Co. crossed from Bill Williams Fork to the Moqui towns, where several trappers plundered the gardens and shot 15 or 20 peaceful Moquis who objected to such treatment.

CHAPTER XVII.

AMERICAN OCCUPATION OF NEW MEXICO.

1846-1847.

THE MEXICAN WAR-KEARNY'S ARMY OF THE WEST-THE MARCH-MISSION OF COOKE AND MAGOFFIN-PLANS FOR BLOODLESS CONQUEST-ARMIJO'S PREPARATIONS AND FLIGHT-FROM BENT'S FORT TO LAS VEGASSANTA FE OCCUPIED-KEARNY'S PROCLAMATION-TOUR IN THE SOUTH -DONIPHAN IN COMMAND-TURBULENT VOLUNTEERS-PRICE AND THE MORMONS-NAVAJO TREATY-CHIHUAHUA CAMPAIGN-CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND KEARNY CODE-PLOTS OF ORTIZ AND ARCHULETA-GROUNDS OF COMPLAINT REVOLT OF 1847-MURDER OF GOVERNOR BENT-DISASTERS AT TAOS, ARROYO HONDO, AND MORA-PRICE'S COMPAIGN-FIGHTS AT CAÑADA, EMBUDO, AND TAOS--FURTHER TROUBLES WITH INSURGENTS AND INDIANS-EXECUTIONS.

IN 1846 the United States began a war against Mexico for the acquisition of territory. This war and its causes are treated fully in other parts of this series devoted to the history of Mexico, of Texas, and of California. New Mexico and Arizona, except in the mere fact of being parts of the territory to be acquired, figured very slightly, if at all, in the preliminaries of the proposed conquest. There was, it is true, a claim that Texas extended south and west to the Rio Grande, by which shallow pretence the government of the northern republic managed to afford some comfort to the national conscience, on the plea that the defence of this 'disputed' tract by Mexico was the first act of war. It should be remarked, however, that the field of the first hostilities--of the Mexican invasion!-was not on the New Mexican frontier, but farther south-east.1

1I have the Confidential Circular of May 13th, with the Buchanan, containing the declaration that war exists.'

autograph of James 'The truth is, that

War, or its 'existence,' having been declared, an army of the west was organized at Fort Leavenworth in June. Its commander was Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, its mission the occupation of the broad territory stretching from New Mexico to California, and also if practicable coöperation with other branches of the army in operations farther south. The advance division of this force consisted of 300 regulars of the first United States dragoons under Major Edwin V. Sumner, a regiment of mounted volunteers called out by Governor Edwards of Missouri for this campaign, and commanded by Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan, and five additional companies of volunteers, including one of infantry and two of light artillery, or a total of nearly 1,700 men. The second, or reserve division, comprised another regiment of Missouri volunteers under Colonel Sterling Price, a battalion of four companies under Lieutenant-colonel Willock, and the Mormon Battalion, in all about 1,800 men. The advance, or army of conquest, left Fort Leavenworth late in June; the long supply train of over 1,000 mules was soon augmented by the 400 wagons of the annual Santa Fé caravan; and all the companies, except the artillery, were encamped at the beginning of August near Bent's Fort on the Arkansas, after a tedious but uneventful march of some 650 miles across the plains. An advance guard of four comwe had endured so many insults and grievous wrongs from Mexico, with such unexampled patience, that at the last she must have mistaken our forbearance for pusillanimity. Encouraged, probably by this misapprehension, her army has at length crossed the Del Norte-has invaded the territory of our country and has shed American blood upon the American soil. Larkin's Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iv. 121. Prince, Historical Sketches of New Mexico,— 290–327, devotes two chapters to the American Occupation' and 'Revolt of 1847. His treatment of the subject is excellent, and in almost every respect satisfactory; but I can hardly agree with his preliminary statement, suffice it to say that the origin of the hostilities'-that is, of the Mexican war as shown by the context was found in the dispute as to the ownership of the territory between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River.' This is also affirmed on p. 240.

Hughes Doniphan's Expedition; containing an account of the Conquest of New Mexico; General Kearney's overland expedition to California: Doniphan's campaign against the Navajos; his unparalleled march upon Chihuahua and Du rango; and the operations of General Price at Santa Fe. With a sketch of the life of Col Doniphan. Illustrated with plans of battle-fields, a map, and fine

panies had made an unsuccessful attempt to overtake a party of traders believed to have in their possession arms and ammunition for the enemy.

From Bent's Fort, Lieutenant Decourcy was sent with twenty men to Taos to learn the disposition of the people, rejoining the army later with some prisoners and a report that resistance might be expected at

engravings. By John T. Hughes, A. B., of the First regiment of Missouri cav alry. Cincinnati, 1850, 12mo. I have also ed. of Cin., 1849, 8vo; and there are ed. of Cin., 1848, and apparently 1847. This work is a standard authority on the campaign, written in a clear and pleasing style, and with an accuracy that has not, I believe, been questioned, though the author, like others of his time and class, takes an ultra-American view of most questions, and has no doubt of the entire righteousness of the war against perfidious Mexicans.

There were apparently 5 companies of the 1st U. S. dragoons. I have found no record of the company organization, but the officers were captains Edwin V. Sumner (act. major), Philip St George Cooke, Thomas Swords (asst. Q. M.), Benj. D. Moore, John H. K. Burgwin, Henry S. Turner (adj. gen.), Abraham R. Johnston, and Philip R. Thompson (some of whom were probably lieutenants at the start); and lieut. Patrick Noble, Thomas C. Hammond, Rufus Ingalls, John W. Davidson, Joseph McElvain, C. J. L. Wilson, and Oliver P. H. Taylor. I take this imperfect list from the U. S. Official Register, 1845-7, and from occasional mention in the different narratives.

Officers of the 1st Mo. volunteers, Col Alex. W. Doniphan (a lawyer who had enlisted as a private, elected colonel June 18th); lieut.-colonel, C. F. Ruff; major, Wm Gilpin (both of whom were elected from the ranks); captains of the 8 companies (856 men rank and file) each enlisted in a county of Mo., Waldo, Walton, Moss, Reid, Stephenson, Parsons, Jackson, and Rodgers; sutler, C. A. Perry; adjutant, G. M. Butler; surgeon, Geo. Penn; asst surgeons, T. M. Morton and I. Vaughn.

A battalion of light artillery, under Major Clark, consisted of two companies from St Louis, under captains Weightman and Fischer, about 250 men. A battalion of infantry had 145 men in two companies, commanded by captains Angney and Murphy. There was also a troop of volunteer cavalry from St Louis; the Laclede Rangers, 107 strong, under Capt. Hudson, attached to the dragoons. Also lieutenants Wm H. Emory, W. H. Warner, J. W. Abert, and W. B. Peck of the U. S. topographical engineers, Warner commanding the artillery on the march to Sta Fé.

The 2d regiment of Mo. volunteers was mustered into the service at Ft Leavenworth, about the 1st of August. Its officers were Sterling Price colonel, D. D. Mitchell lieut.-colonel, Edmondson major. It numbered about 1,000 men. There was also a separate battalion under Lieut.-col Willock, 300 men in four companies, captains Smith, Robinson, Morin, and Hendley; and a small artillery detachment under officers of the regular army.

The Mormon Battalion consisted of about 500 Mormons, who entered the service as a means of reaching California, where, according to the terms of their enlistment, they were to be discharged. It was organized at Council Bluffs in June, by Capt. James Allen of the 1st dragoons, who was to command the battalion as lieut.-colonel, but died before departure. Lieut. A. J. Smith commanded on the march to Sta Fé, and Lieut. -colonel P. St Geo. Cooke on that to Cal. The captains of the 5 companies were Jefferson Hunt, Jesse D. Hunter, James Brown, Nelson Higgins, and Daniel C. Davis; Adju tant Geo. P. Dykes, and later P. C. Merrill; surgeon Geo. B. Sanderson. For a full history of the Mormon Battalion, sce Hist. Cul., v., chap. xviii., this series; also Tyler's Mormon Battalion.

PLANS OF THE UNITED STATES.

411

every point. Similar reports had previously been received from Major Howard and the mountaineer Fitzpatrick. From Bent's Fort, also, Captain Cooke, with twelve picked men, was sent in advance, nominally as a kind of ambassador to treat with Governor Armijo for the peaceful submission of eastern New Mexico, but really to escort James Magoffin, the veritable ambassador, intrusted with a secret mission at Santa Fé. To send an army of 1,700 men, mainly composed of undisciplined volunteers, on a march of a thousand miles over a desert occupied by hostile savages, to conquer, by force of arms, so populous an interior province, and one so well defended, at least by nature, as New Mexico, was on its face a very hazardous enterprise. It was a radically different matter from the proposed occupation by naval forces of a coast province like California. In the annals of the latter country we have seen, however, what agencies were relied on by the government, acting through Consul Larkin as a confidential agent, to insure a bloodless victory, though the success of the plan was seriously impaired by the blundering and criminal disobedience of another and subordinate agent. These complications of the farthest west are now well known. in every particular.* That the policy respecting New Mexico was similar in its general features, there can be no doubt, though most details have never come to light. During the past years, the Santa Fé traders, both American and Mexican, had done much to make the condition and disposition of each people well known to the other, to convince the New Mexicans

My mission... was in fact a pacific one. The general had just issued a proclamation of annexation of all the territory cast of the Rio Grande; the government thus adopting the old claim of Texas' (the procl. of July 31st, as given in Cutts' Conq., 42, the only one I have found, contains no such proposition), and thus manifestly, in a statesman's view, a bloodless process would lead to its confirmation in the treaty of peace; and the population would be saved from the bitterness of passing sub juum. The difficulty of a half-measure remains; it cuts the isolated province in two! There must be an influential Micawber in the cabinet. At a plaintive compliment, that I went to plant the olive, which he would reap a laurel, the general endeavored to gloss the barren field of toil to which his subordinates, at least, were devoted.' Cooke's Cong., 7. *See Hist. Cal., v., this series.