A Campaign in New Mexico with Colonel Doniphan

Front matter

A CAMPAIGN IN NEW MEXICO. A CAMPAIGN IN NEW MEXICO WITH COLONEL DONIPHAN. BY FKANK S. EDWARDS, A YOLUKTEER. WITH A MAP OF THE ROUTE, AND A TABLE OF THE DISTANCES TRAVERSED. PHILADELPHIA: CAREY AND HART. 1847. Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by CAREY AND HART, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: T. E. AND P. G. COLLINS, PRINTERS. THE AUTHOR AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATES THIS WORK TO HIS MOTHER.

Preface

. The author cannot better introduce his work than by giving a copy of an article from the New York Evening Post, which its senior editor, William Cullen Bryant, Esquire, kindly allows him thus to use : "XENOPHON AND DONIPHAN. " These are the names of two military commanders who have made the most extraordinary marches known in the annals of the warfare of their times. Col. Xeno phon, as in modern phrase he has justly a right to be called, lived about one hundred years earlier than the Christian era. Born in Greece, and educated under So crates as a favorite pupil, he, at the age of nearly forty years, joined a regiment of Greeks, who had enlisted under Cyrus the younger for a campaign, as it was pre tended, against the Pisidians, but, in reality, against Per sia, as the Greeks soon discovered after their march had

PREFACE.

. begun. The object of Cyrus, as our readers well know, was to dethrone his brother, the King of Persia. After a long march through Asia Minor, Syria, and the sandy tract east of the Euphrates, the two brothers met at Cu naxa, not far from Babylon. Cyrus fell in the almost bloodless battle that ensued, his barbarian troops were discouraged and dispersed, and the Greeks were left alone in the centre of the Persian empire. The Greek officers were soon massacred by the treachery of the Per sians. Xenophon stepped forward, and soon became one of the most active leaders; and, under his judicious guid ance, the Greeks effected their retreat northward across the high lands of Armenia, and arrived at Trebisond, on the southeast coast of the Black Sea. "From thence they proceeded to Chrysopolis, opposite Constantinople.

Both Colonel Xenophon and the regiment, consisting of about five hundred men, were greatly distressed, having lost almost everything excepting their lives and their arms. The length of the entire march of the Greek force, as nearly as we can now estimate it, was three thousand four hundred and sixty-five English miles. It was accomplished in fifteen months, and a large part of it through an unknown, mountainous and hostile country and in an inclement season. The history of this march has survived the ravages of two thousand years ; and, as one of the best productions of a Greek scholar, is now used as a text-book in our schools.

PREFACE.

. IX " Turning now to the wonderful march of Colonel Doni phan, we find the first regiment of Missouri mounted volunteers mustered into the service of the United States at Fort Leavenworth, on the sixth of June last year, and, on the 22d of the same month, they commenced their march across the plains for Mexico. After a march of fifty-seven days' duration they entered Santa Fe. On the 16th of the present month," (June, 1847,) "we find this regiment at New Orleans, about to be discharged, as their enlistment for a year was nearly expired. In the mean time this body of men has fought three battles, viz., Bra cito, Sacramento and El Poso. That of Bracito was on Christmas day, and opened an entrance into El Paso del Norte. The Mexicans had twelve hundred and fifty men and one piece of artillery; the Americans four hundred and twenty-five infantry — the piece of cannon was cap tured, and the Mexican army entirely destroyed.

That of Sacramento was fought on the 28th of February. This battle — one of the most remarkable in the war — is fa miliar through the reports of Col. Doniphan and other field officers. The battle of El Poso was fought about the 13th May, by the advanced guard under Capt Reid — the Americans had twenty-five men and the Caman ches sixty-five. The Indians were routed, and left seventeen bodies on the field. Three hundred and fifty head of cattle, twenty-five Mexican prisoners, and a great deal of Mexican plunder were captured.

PREFACE.

. X " The battle of Sacramento lasted three hours and a half ; and the slaughter of the Mexican armv continued until night put an end to the chase. The men returned to the battle-field after dark, completely worn out and exhausted with fatigue. The Mexicans lost 300 men killed on the field, and a large number of wounded, perhaps 400 or 500, and 60 or 70 prisoners, together with a vast quan tity of provisions, several thousand dollars in money, 50,000 head of sheep, 1,500 head of cattle, 100 mules, 20 wagons, 25 or 30 carts, 25,000 lbs. ammunition, 11 pieces of cannon, mostly brass six pounders, 6 wall pieces, 100 stand of arms, 100 stand of colors, and many other things of less note. " This body of men conquered the states of New Mexico and Chihuahua, and traversed Durango and New Leon. In this march, they travelled more than six thousand miles, consuming twelve months.

During all this time not one word of information reached them from the government, nor any order whatsoever; they neither received any supplies of any kind nor one cent of pay. They lived exclusively on the country through which they passed ; and supplied themselves with powder and balls by cap turing them from the enemy. From Chihuahua to Ma tamoras, a distance of nine hundred miles, they marched in forty-five days, bringing with them seventeen pieces of heavy artillery as trophies. " It must be confessed, that in many very important

PREFACE.

. XI particulars, these two expeditions differ from each other. One was the march of a conqueror, the other was the retreat of an inferior force. One was made on horseback, and the other on foot and at an inclement season of the year. One was made at an early age of the world, when military science was undeveloped, the other was made with all the advantages of modern improvements. But our object is not so much to draw a comparison between these two expeditions as to notice the circumstances that these two men, whose names are in sound so similar, have each performed the most wonderful march in the annals of warfare. If Col. Doniphan will now imitate the example of Col. Xenophon, and give to the world as charming and as perfect a history of his expedition as the latter has done, mankind, two thousand years hence, will admire and honor him."

In the absence of such a charming and perfect work from Colonel Doniphan, a young volunteer lays this im perfect account of the expedition before the public. CONTENTS. Preface, -- vi

Chapter I

Texas and her boundary. Army of the West and the author's volunteering at St. Louis. A coup cVœil. The prairies. Indian woman and her child. A rain-storm. The son of the murdered Chavis. Swarm of annoying insects. Buffaloes and buffalo meat. Fish in the prairies. A volunteer buried. Sand-hills and their appearance owing to sunlight. Gusts of hot wind. Wolves. A volunteer in a fit likely to have been shot. Indian fear of cannon. Dead Indian chief in a tree. The dried body of an Indian walking. Prairie-dog towns and rattlesnakes, ........17

Chapter II

Rendezvous of the army near Bent's Fort, Soldiers put on short allowance. Slapjacks. Number of troops. A suspicious Mexican shown the camp and dismissed. Hunters. Antonio, his lasso and silver mounted saddle. The Rocky Mountains. A thunder storm. First Mexican settlement. Expected fight. Son of General Salazar taken. San Miguel del Vada. Pecos, an Aztec town, and its traditions and CONTENTS. immense bones. A Catholic mule. Santa Fe, its palace and its calaboose. Shops for the traders. Kendall's gun. Burying Mexican children. Inhabitants described. Jars. Tortillas and Atole. Donkeys. Mules and their title deeds. Mustangs and a particular cream colored stallion Mode of breaking the wild horse, - - 36

Chapter III

Ugly old women. Cigaritos. Game of monte. Grazing ground. Reconnoissance of General Kearney down the Rio Grande, and appointment of George Bent, Esquire, as Civil Governor. San Domingo and the Puebla Indians. Albuquerque. Armijo. The Priests. Valentia and its vineyards, and soldiers buying fruit of the Indians. Tomae and a religious celebration. A fandango. Return, and bilious fever. Bringing in of Apache chiefs. Making sugar from cornstalks. Wheat harvest. Houses of Indians entered by a ladder. Priestly mummery on the disappearance of the ears of growing corn. Colonel Doniphan goes South. A theatre started by the soldiers. Men picked out to join Colonel Doniphan. Waking in the snow. Author buying corn of a priest. Buying sheep of another who was to catch and deliver them. Lightning rod. The Missourian and his "buckram" tents and big wagons.

Join Colonel Doniphan. A slight sketch of him. The journey of death. Soap weed. The traders. A Scotchman taken, supposed to be a spy. Three unburied bodies. Sheep, and little flesh upon them, 58

Chapter IV

Christmas day. The enemy and a surprise, and the Battle of Bracito. Women in the battle. Alarms. Enter the City of El Paso. The traders do business. SeSor Ponce and supplies. Mexican wine and brandy, and the effect of the latter. The priest Ortis. The Scotch- CONTENTS. XV man proves to be a scoundrel. Scene of former treachery, and death of a treacherous governor. Apache Indians and their forays. James Kirker. Oxen and mule stolen. Lieutenant Hinton pursues and brings in a scalp and the stolen animals. Wheat mill made entirely of wood. Mexican cattle ; and buying some of a prisoner. Baked pumpkins. Colonel Doniphan and a stolen pig. Bizarre appearance of the troops. Force increased. Presidio del San Elecario, and a church with its dressed-up images. A fat priest and his extortions in a case of marriage, 82

Chapter V

A start for Chihuahua. Mail with letters from Santa Fe. Bent's murder, and the true cause of it. Doniphan and the traders. Lake of ducks. A seasonable rain. A warm spring. Carrizal. Wind storm. Another warm spring. Expectation, and an alarm. Grass catches fire and runs up the mountain. Rumor of Mexicans near. Another fire and danger. Enemy not far off. Major Owens takes charge of the wagons. A Mexican spy chased. Picket guard drives in advanced guard of the enemy. Army moves out in solid square. A reconnoitre. The enemy. Doniphan resolves on an attack. The battle of Sacramento ; and its results, .... 102

Chapter VI

Chihuahua. The bull ring. The Plaza. The Congress Hall. Cathedral. Funeral rites over Major Owens. Mexican naked pet dogs. Chapel of San Francisco. Monument to Hidalgo. Splashes of blood on the pavement. Negro story. Bread, cakes and butter. Architectural freak in building an aqueduct. Dexterity in spinning. Danger among gun powder. The mint. Mr. Potts and his threats. A council called. "Sarah and the children." Start for Parras. Orders CONTENTS. to join General Taylor. Difference between rich and poor. Lizards. Rancho and dead bodies. Santa Cruz. The liquor called Mezcal. Guajaquilla. San Berrado. A disappearing spring. Fort Pelayo surprised. Mapimi, and the inhabitants' alarm, and Mexican force near. Lights on the mountains. Traders alarmed. Rancho of El Poso and fight with the Lipans. Medicine-man's skull. Parras, and a thief. Brutal attack on a soldier, and Mexican wounded, 121

Chapter VII

Orders to proceed south. San Juan. General Wool, and was there such a man . Battle field of Buena Vista. Mexican shells. The buried Mexicans. Falsehood of Santa Anna. General Wool and a review. Compliments ; and plain speaking. Saltillo. The prettiest girl. Mexican women. A regular soldier's ignorance. Bishop's palace and Monterey. Walnut Springs. General Taylor. Doniphan's account to Taylor of the battle of Sacramento. Leave Walnut Springs. Horrible sight of the remains of the wagon-train surprised by Urrea. Dead Mexican, and how killed. John Smith, a Texian ranger. Brutality of the rangers ; and execution of a brave Mexican. Camargo anil its canvas houses. A man shot ; and revenge. Armadillos, and a story. Description of the soil and its productions. Steamboat seen once again. The Rio Grande and its windings. Burning of saddles, &c. Embarkation and home, 144

Appendix

. No. I. — Semi-official Report of the Battle of Bracito, - - 169 No. II. — Official Report of the Battle of Sacramento, - - 172 No. III. — Mexican Government Extra, showing the American Force, 178 No. IV. — Table of Distances traversed,

Chapter I

Texas and her boundary. Army of the West and the author's volunteering at St. Louis. A coup d'œil. The prairies. Indian woman and her child. A rain-storm. The son of the murdered Chavis. Swarm of annoying insects. Buffaloes and buffalo meat. Fish in the prairies. A volunteer buried. Sand-hills and their appearance owing to sunlight. Gusts of hot wind. Wolves. A volunteer in a fit likely to have been shot. Indian fear of cannon. Dead Indian chief in a tree. The dried body of an Indian walking. Prairie-dog towns and rattlesnakes. When the Texian revolutionary army, after their many victories under the command of General Sam Houston, halted on the banks of the Rio Grande, a council of officers was called, to determine what should be the boundary of the new republic. All the officers present, with the single exception of Houston, advised that the chain of mountains, lying about one hundred miles west of the Rio Grande, should be adopted as the western boundary line : thus embracing the rich and thickly-settled valley of the river ; but Houston overruled their decision, and insisted that the river itself should be the line, from its mouth on the Gulf of Mex ico, as far north as the 39° of latitude, from thence east wardly, taking the old boundary of the state of New Mexico as far as the Arkansas River, which it was to follow to the 100° of longitude, thence directly southward to Red River, and, after following the windings of which for some distance, to run along the western boundary of Louisiana to the Gulf.

The line proposed by the junior officers of the council would have embraced the whole of the states of New Mexico and Coahuila, as well as Texas — while that insisted on by Houston, and which was finally adopted, divided each of the former about the middle. The object of carrying the line so far north at the western corner of the Territory, was in order to include the rich valley of Taos, which contains, among other places, the city of Santa Fe, well known as the head quarters for the immense trade which is carried on, by means of caravans, between the northern parts of Mexico and the United States. This trade is principally managed by citi zens of Missouri, where all these trading expeditions are fitted out and dispatched. The Texian government had enough to occupy them in resisting the incursions of Mexico in the south, and, there fore, could not find time to subjugate the more northern part of their territory.

So that this part remained, until the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, in the possession and under the dominion of the Mexican government ; and although, when Texas was received as one of the United ARMY OF THE WEST. 19 States, it was accepted with the boundary which I have stated, yet, not until the numerous annoyances of the Mexi cans had forced our government to post, on the banks of the Rio Grande, the " Army of Occupation," was the important trade carried on between Missouri and Santa Fe considered worthy of protection, and, then, only in connection with the plan already determined upon for the opening campaign in Mexico. The governor of New Mexico, Manuel Armijo, had sub jected the American traders to numerous extortions ; for instance, collecting a duty of five hundred dollars on each wagon load of goods.

Now this, as the goods mostly sold by them were the coarser kinds, was a serious imposition. To remedy this state of things, and also to carry out a very important part of the plan of operations resolved upon by our government in its then warlike position against Mex ico, the President of the United States ordered General Kearney, an old and tried officer, whose achievements in Florida are known, to raise a sufficient number of volunteers, although not to exceed three thousand, which, being united with such regulars as might then be at the post on the Mis souri river called Fort Leavenworth, were to form an army to be called the "Army of the West." With this small body he was to cross the western prairies and take possession of New Mexico, making Santa Fe, which is the capital, the centre of his operations.

This expedition was not unfraught with danger: not only were the troops to cross nearly one thousand miles of unin habited prairie, subject to annoyance from hostile Indians, and run the chance of starvation should their supplies of food be, by any means, cut off, but they were ordered to hold the country, after they had conquered it, well assured that no reinforcements would be sent out. General Kearney was also empowered to proceed to California after subjugating the Mexicans. He, in obedience to these orders, called upon the Governor of Missouri for one thousand volunteers, to be raised from the different river counties of the state. One battalion, to consist of two companies, was to serve as light artillery and the rest as mounted riflemen. The Governor, in apportioning out this requisition, called on the county of St. Louis to furnish the separate battalion of artillery, dividing the rest of the draft among the several counties north of it.

Perhaps no place could be found which would so readily respond to such a call as St. Louis : for, it being the point where the Santa Fe traders procure their goods, it is a com mon thing to observe their arrival with numerous packages of specie, which they freely use in making their purchases. This naturally gives the idea of vast mines of gold and silver at Santa Fe ; and the young men of all classes were eager to go — indeed, it became a question who must be left; as, besides gold and silver and visions of flowery prairies, buffalo hunting and Indian skirmishing, General Kearney was well known to be a kind officer to his men, although a strict dis ciplinarian — and Richard H. Weightman, a gentleman of St. Louis, who had received his education at West Point, although he had never yet seen service, no sooner declared his inten- THE AUTHOR VOLUNTEERS. 21 tion to form a company, than his list was filled by some of the first young men in the city.

Happening to be at St. Louis, and my time hanging heavily on my hands from unusual inactivity, I obtained an introduction to Mr. Weightman, and was so much pleased with his frank open countenance and gentlemanly bearing that I speedily enrolled myself in his corps. The service was to be for one year or for a less pe riod if found expedient. Each soldier was to furnish him self with a good horse, saddle, clothing — in short, everything except arms. Although we were not absolutely required to uniform ourselves, it was recommended that a suitable uni form would be desirable, so we provided a neat dress, some what similar to the fatigue dress of the regulars. We also got our Spanish saddles all made of one pattern. The com mon but good article we procured could hardly, strictly, be called a saddle, as it consisted of nothing but the skeleton or tree of one, with the girth and stirrups attached.

The object of this simplicity was to render it as light and cool as pos sible to the horse; and, by putting a good Mackinaw blanket above as well as beneath, it made a comfortable seat — the blankets forming our beds at night. Our horses were good, being principally Illinois grass-fed animals, just suited to the service for which they were now wanted. Mine carried me more than two thousand miles in the Mexican country, and he was, at last, stolen from me at Saucillo, about eighty miles below Chihuahua, and I almost felt I could have cried when, after long search, "Old Tom" could not be found. An im portant part of our equipment was a stout leathern waist belt, supporting a good butcher-knife, to which many of us added a revolving pistol, a weapon we found very useful. And knowing that we should be obliged to go over long distances without finding water, we all provided ourselves with tin canteens holding half a gallon : — these, covered with a piece of blanket, kept wet to cool the water, are a very necessary article.

Numerous stories of Indian massacres and cases of starvation on the prairies were told to us by our friends, in the hope to deter us from going; and all this was increased by an old Canadian hunter named Antoine, one of our company. He was a genuine specimen of a Rocky Mountain hunter, and nothing seemed to please Antoine better than to get a knot of us "green-horns" around him, questioning about prairie life, and to give us the most discouraging answers. It was not done from a bad motive, but, seemingly, in a kind and considerate manner; and yet he did evidently delight to paint everything to the inexperienced in the worst possible view. However, Antoine had been a great traveller, and, so, was privileged. When we arrived at Fort Leavenworth, we were received into the service of the United States.

We were detained at the fort until the end of the month of June, by the non-arrival of our cannon, which were daily expected from Springfield. For some time previous and during our stay, every second or third day would witness the departure of long trains of government wagons, which, loaded with provisions, were dispatched with orders to push on as fast as possible to Bent's Fort, a trading post about five hundred miles on the road, there to await our arrival. A COUP d'oEIL. 23 Aster numerous delays, on the 30th of June, 1846, we started on our long journey ; and not very encouragingly, for we left our captain ill at the fort, and, therefore, went under the command of the first lieutenant. This cast a shadow on our spirits, as Weightman was a great favorite. The first day's journey was uninteresting, as we only marched eleven miles, and much of this was through the farm attached to the fort.

Our whole battery, embracing the pieces of the company commanded by Captain Fisher, consisted of eight long brass six pounders and two twelve pound howitzers; and to each of these, as well as to the caissons, were har nessed four fine dragoon horses. But many of these had never felt harness before, and, at first particularly, gave us much trouble; and, on the second day, when we came to and forded a beautiful stream, running through a narrow belt of timber, we found it almost impossible to get our teams to pull together, and it was, at last, found necessary to dismount the men and have them drag the cannon up the muddy bank. From where I stood, on the opposite side, my attention was drawn to one of the prettiest coups cVœil I ever saw. Below me, plunging and kicking, were the horses attached to the pieces, surrounded by the men, and, on the opposite side, seen through the trees and shrubbery, were the rest of our company in their bright and gay uniforms, grouped around their shining cannon, appearing along the winding path which led down the high steep bank of the stream.

The sun was almost totally excluded overhead, and the warmth of coloring thus given to the scene rendered it truly beautiful. When we emerged from this belt of trees, the first prairies met our view. The grass was as high as the backs of our horses, and grew so rank as to render it almost impossible to make our way through it, except just in the road. We found it sprinkled with flowers which, although neither so beautiful nor so abundant as I had anticipated, gave it a pleasing appearance which we missed in the prairies that we afterwards passed. Perhaps it is one of the most beautiful sights in nature to see a puff of wind sweep over these grassy plains, turning the glistening sides of the grass to the sun, and seeming to spread a stream of light along the surface of the wave-like expanse.

And a sight of these prairies would often cause Bryant's beautiful lines to rise to my lips, and I would picture to myself the magnificent plains peopled by the almost extinct red man — his leaving for a wider hunting ground — and fancy, with the poet and his murmuring bee — "The sound of that advancing multitude Which soon shall fill these deserts. From the ground Come up the laugh of children, the soft voice Of maidens and the sweet solemn hymn Of Sabbath worshippers." Here, by a mistake of our guide, we lost the California emigrants' path ; but, on crossing a high roll in the prairie, we found out our mistake, and, after much difficulty, got into the right road again. About forty miles from the Fort, the Kansas or Kaal river crosses the road, and, on reaching it, we found a regular ferry established by government and managed by two Indians.

This is one of the most beautiful rivers I ever beheld ; and THE PRAIRIES. 25 although but a quarter os a mile across, it is very deep in some places, but clear as crystal, sweeping rapidly along be tween high rocky banks, and, at last, emptying itself into the Missouri, a few miles above Independence. On its banks, near our camp, in a bark cabin, I saw a beautiful and noble-looking Indian woman — a beauty of that order which might command admiration rather than affection. Her fine black eye shone as she observed our admiring gaze; but she continued swinging her child, which, tied to a piece of bark, hung from the roof by a thong of deer's hide, with out deigning to return our notice of her. By the side of the cabin, on a freshly-barked tree, were drawn, with charcoal, several Indian hieroglyphics.

The whole scene, cabin, wo man and papoose staring at us with its large eyes, realized one of Cooper's life-like Indian sketches. We had hitherto been travelling what is known as the mi litary road, and only struck the great Santa Fe road on the fourth of July, at what is called Elm Grove. We now considered ourselves fairly on the great prairies. How discouraging the first sight of these immense plains is to one who has read the numerous glowing accounts of them ! how far short they fall of these descriptions, none can imagine who have not seen them ! — only covered with a short poor grass in some parts, and, in others, producing nothing but a dry bushy plant or wild sage; they may be travelled over for miles and miles, without your finding bush or tree to obstruct or break the view. In many places it is so perfectly level, that you appear, when passing over them, to be travelling in the hollow of a mighty bowl ; on all sides, the surface, although flat, appears to swell at the horizon, while you are apparently climbing up the side towards that edge which you never approach.

But, oh, the breath of the prairies ! When the breeze, which always rises at sundown, fans your cheek after a hot day's ride, you sink quietly to sleep, feeling that that soft delicious air is bringing health and strength to your weary body. How much I felt this can only be known to myself. — One of my reasons for going on this expedition was, to obtain the restoration of my health, which had been, for some time, very much impaired ; and when I bade adieu to St. Louis, I hardly expected to get across the prairies alive. But I had not been a week upon them before I felt that my whole being was changed, and ere I reached the settlements, I was one of the most robust of the whole company. At the Cotton-wood forks of the Neosho, where we en camped on the ninth, we were visited by a tremendous rain storm, which soon flooded the bottom in which we were encamped.

I can hardly imagine a more wo-begone looking set of men than we were the day we remained here. All the morning the rain poured down in torrents ; not a particle of anything could we cook, but sat, wrapped in our soaking blankets, in our little six feet square tents, which by no means kept out the rain, but rather sifted it and made it more pene trating, while around each tent we had thrown up a small embankment, which prevented the entrance of the water. About noon the sun shone ; and we, heroes, might be seen, crawling, one after the other, out of our canvas dwellings. At night, we lay down in our wet blankets on the muddy SON OF THE MURDERED CHAVIS. 27 ground, and, in spite of the exposure, there were no colds complained of in the morning. We, of the city, had been considerably sneered at by the country volunteers, who called us " The City Pets," prophecying that the effects of our previous indoor lives would now be seen, but I can affirm that we, who had previously led what would be called by many a delicate life, had fewer cases of sickness, and less shirking of duty, than occurred amongst those young farm ers whose whole lives had been spent in the open air, and of whom the other companies were formed.