A Campaign in New Mexico - Chapters III-IV



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CHAPTER III.
Ugly old women. Cigaritos. Game of monte. Grazing ground. Reconnaissance 
of General Kearney down the Rio Grande, and appointment of George Bent, 
Esquire, as Civil Governor. San Domingo and 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.

EVERY morning saw collected along the Southern side of the Plaza an 
assemblage of ugly old women, trying to sell three or four eggs, a couple 
of quarts of goats' milk, pinones, watermelons, or molasses made from corn 
stalks. When trade was dull they were actively employed upon the head of a 
youngster. These ancient dames also sold the dry shuck or covering of the 
ear of the Indian corn, cut into oblong pieces of three inches in length 
and one inch in width. These are for making the eternal cigarito. When 
neatly tied in bundles, these skins are called hojas. Every Mexican, male 
or female, carries, at the girdle, a pouch which contains a bundle of 
hojas and a small bottle of powdered tobacco (which is sparingly sprinkled 
in the shuck), and flint, steel and tinder. As tobacco is very scarce with 
them, they are not over free to offer a cigarito; but when they do, they 
always first kindle it with the assistance of the mouth. This, from their 
general use of garlic, does not improve the flavor of the cigarito. In the 
more southern provinces, the corn skin is altogether repudiated, and the 
paper cigarito substituted, the sale of which is a government monopoly. I 
did not observe a single Mexican make any other use of tobacco; and yet 
you rarely see either man or woman without a cigarito. Children quite 
small will go teasing their mothers with "Da me una cigarita, maman." and, 
on obtaining it, they sit down quietly and smoke with the most ludicrous 
gravity.

The universality of the cigarito is only equaled by that of their eternal 
game of monte, played with cards. The suits whereof are clubs, swords, 
suns, and cups, all delineated in their own proper colors and figures. 
Each suit numbers ten cards, namely, (like the American,) from ace to 
seven, and then knave, horse standing in the place of queen, and king. The 
mysteries of the game can only be learnt by losing at it. The coolness 
with which the Mexicans lose or win at this game is remarkable, their 
countenances never changing. Men and women of all degrees may be seen 
sitting at the green cloth covered table. It is said that the

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priests also indulge at it, but I never saw one playing. Sitting on the 
curbstones in the street, may be continually seen fellows without shoes, 
and almost naked, who,having scraped together a few coppers, are dealing 
monte, with a greasy pack of cards, for the benefit of half a dozen poor 
wretches as ragged as themselves. One day, in Chihuahua, I gave a little 
fellow, about six years of age, a quartilla, a small copper coin worth 
three cents. The child went up to its mother, and holding up the coin, 
lisped out "monte." His gaming propensities seemed to have come upon him 
as early as his Da me una Cigarita, maman. 

Although Gregg, in his work on The Commerce of the Prairies, speaks of the 
valley of Santa Fe as a fine grazing spot, we found it just the contrary, 
there not being any grass within twenty miles; and we were obliged to send 
our horses as far as Galisteo to find a sufficiency. After a time, we sent 
them to Bent's Farm, above Taos, where there is always grazing to be had 
all the year round. The only objection is the distance, being over a 
hundred miles.

On the second of September, General Kearney, having first appointed George 
Bent, Esquire, civil governor of New Mexico, started on a reconnaissance 
down the Rio Grande, with five hundred of Colonel Doniphan's regiment, one 
hundred and fifty artillery, (the writer being among them,) and one 
hundred regulars, leaving the remainder of the troops to garrison Santa Fe.

Our first encampment was at the village of San Domingo, which is inhabited 
by the Puebla Indians, and supplies Santa Fe with the small amount of 
fruit which it consumes. It

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has a very pretty appearance, every house being surrounded by small fruit 
trees. We were received here in Indian style. The inhabitants were dressed 
in their gayest trappings; all mounted and armed. They dashed down towards 
us at full speed, and only when almost touching us, wheeled to right and 
left along our front, all the while discharging their few guns and 
pistols; and after separating into two parties, and going through a mimic 
battle, they formed around our officers, and escorted them into the Place. 
These were the largest and finest Indians I saw, and were dressed in showy 
costume. I observed one particularly. It was a coat, or rather shirt of 
bright blue and red cloth, half of each color; the division running down 
the chest and back -- the coat, as well as the buckskin legging being 
trimmed with blue and white beads very handsomely. Although they evidently 
liked to be noticed, yet they did not move a muscle of their painted 
faces, as we handled their dresses. They behaved hospitably; and were 
evidently satisfied with the change that had taken place in the government.

The next place worth mentioning is Albuquerque, a town of some size. It 
has a fine church (although made of mud). The residence of ex-governor 
Armijo is here. His wife was in the town, at his residence, which has 
since been used as barracks for a detachment of our troops.

The priest's house, which I saw the inside of while on another visit to 
Albuquerque, is the best adobe dwelling I observed in the country. The 
priests are high in position, and always rich; but in morals and character 
they are, with few exceptions, even below their followers. It is not unu-

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sual for them to have three or four wives, all living in the house with 
them, who, as well as the other people, manifest the most servile 
attention to them. It really used to make my blood boil, to see these poor 
wretches come into the room where I might happen to be in conversation 
with the padre, and after kneeling down and kissing the hem of his 
garment, stand on one side, hat in hand, awaiting the moment when he might 
condescend to speak to them; while the rascal was trying, with all his 
skill, to cheat me in the bargain I was making with him; not scrupling to 
tell the most abominable falsehoods, if they became necessary to aid his 
plan. Even in the street, the people will frequently kneel and kiss his 
robe, as he passes them, while he manifests, outwardly, no knowledge of 
the salute, passing on as if he had attracted no notice.

Until we reached Tomae, which was to be the extent of our journey, we 
passed no place worth mentioning except Valentia, which is a large and 
handsome town, supported by its extensive vineyards, which add to the 
appearance of the place, being interspersed with melon patches and fruit 
trees. The vines are neither staked nor trellised, but grow to the height 
of perhaps four feet, perfectly straight, and when at that height spread 
out broad and bushy. The grapes are very fine, and of the Muscatel kind.

At this town, many of the soldiers being almost destitute of money -- none 
of the troops having received any pay -- stripped their coats of their 
military buttons, and passed them for the value of twelve and a half cents 
each -- buying fruit with them.

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The most industrious part of the population is Indian; and many aim to our 
camp with fruit. The Indians are well made, but seldom over five feet in 
height. They are dressed in tunics of the same material as the Mexican 
blanket, and wear what is called the Navajo poncho; so named from being 
made by the Navajo Indians. It is of very fine texture, with both sides 
alike, and the pattern always in broad black and white stripes.

The women are singular objects; not over four feet in stature, with little 
round faces, of a rich light copper color. Their dress consists of a tunic 
of blue or white, made quite full, with a girdle at the waist, and being 
made very low at the neck, without sleeves, only descend to the knees; 
while the leg, from the knee downwards, is wrapped closely in several 
finely dressed goatskins, which end in a neat moccasin -- all this giving 
them a singular yet pretty appearance. The hair is cut short all round the 
head, and kept nicely trimmed. Drawn together by the upper two corners, 
and around their neck, they wear what is called a "tilma." It is a 
beautiful robe, about three feet square, woven of black mules' hair, with 
a showy edging of red. One of these little women, with a basket of grapes 
or peaches placed upon her head, which apparently pressed her broad good-
humored face into a yet more good-humored expression, and accompanied by 
three or four naked children, made a picturesque object.

We arrived at Tomae on the eve of a great religious fete. The celebration 
of which commenced over night, by the firing of guns, and the ringing of 
bells, and this was contin-

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ued all through the following day. I would warn a lover of campanology 
against Mexican bell ringing, for nine out of ten of their bells are 
cracked, and the study is to make the greatest possible noise. During the 
morning, mass was celebrated; and the figure of the Virgin Mary was 
carried along the streets in procession -- in which walked General Kearney 
and his officers with lighted candles in their hands. The day closed with 
very tolerable fireworks, which, however, were got up on the same 
principle as the bell ringing, viz., to make the utmost noise.

There were also several fandangos in town. The word fandango is only used 
when you wish to express a ball among the peasantry; and much fun is to be 
found at them. The largest rooms are of course selected. At one end, 
carpets are spread, and all the women squat themselves on them, the men 
occupying the remainder of the room. The most common dance is the cuna, 
which resembles our Spanish dance. After all the couples are placed, the 
women begin a song, as dreary and monotonous as a dead march. The song 
keeps time with two squeaking fiddles. After each dance, your partner is 
allowed to find her way to her seat alone, where she again squats herself 
down, unless you have invited her to take a glass of brandy or wine -- a 
stall for the sale of which is always kept in an adjoining room -- and 
where, also, is generally kept a monte table.

At a ball, baille of the higher class, the singing would, of course, be 
vulgar, but generally there are the squatting, fiddling, inviting and 
monte table.

On our return from Tomae, all the troops were quartered

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in the houses formerly occupied by the soldiers of Armijo. It would have 
been better for us if we had remained in camp, for the accommodations were 
not spacious, and bilious fever began to carry off the men. The stock of 
medicines was reduced so low as to become alarming. In order to show the 
limited size of our quarters, the room that I and eight others were in was 
only about fourteen feet by eight. Here we cooked, ate and slept; and had, 
as it may well be presumed, close stowage at night. It was lighted by a 
window hole about fifteen inches square. Most of my company, however, had 
their health. We seem to have been an exception to the general sickliness. 
A gentleman recently from Santa Fe tells me there are now over three 
hundred graves of American soldiers in the burying-ground under the walls 
of Fort Marcy. This fort is on the top of a very high hill, commanding the 
town and surrounding country. It was built by the troops who remained in 
Santa Fe during the winter, and the cold work was frequently put a stop to 
by the snow.

During the latter part of September, a detachment of fifty men from the 
artillery companies, under the command of Captain Fisher, was sent towards 
the North, in order to bring in some of the chiefs of the Apache tribe of 
Indians, with a view to force them into a treaty, as they had been 
committing depredations on the Mexicans. After three days' scrambling over 
steep mountains, up and down which our horses had to be led, and after 
passing through numerous villages, we met several of the chiefs upon the 
road. They at once consented to return with us. These men were very

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commanding in their appearance, of a remarkably large size, and having a 
wild look. I was amused with an old chief who appeared to be the oracle. 
As we had invited these Indians to come with us, of course we had to feed 
them. We gave them some flour and bacon. They boiled the bacon and then 
stirred the flour into the same water. The former of these rather puzzled 
them, particularly the rind, which resisted their knives. As they did not 
understand it, they appealed to the old chief, who gravely declared, after 
much examination, that it was bone with which the American pigs were 
encased -- all my assurances to the contrary notwithstanding. The old 
chief's two sons were with him, and one of them was the possessor of a 
beautiful elk-horn bow, which I coveted very much. We amused ourselves by 
getting them to shoot at pieces of tobacco. These pieces were about the 
size of a sixpence and were placed at one end of a fallen tree, while they 
would sit upon the other end, and, after removing the iron points of their 
arrows, they would; shoot, and seldom miss striking the prize.

Our journey had ended just by the village of San lldefonso ????, and we 
encamped in the plaza of that village. Here, I witnessed the fabrication 
of sugar from corn stalks. The alcalde owns the mill and boiling house, 
and the using of these is paid in syrup. The owner of the corn stalks 
assembles his neighbors, and, proceeding to the mill, places the stalks, 
cut into short pieces, in a large wooden trough; and each man, arming 
himself with a heavy mallet, soon breaks the stalks into small fragments. 
Boiling water is poured upon them, and then the mass is put into a hollow

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tree set upright in a trough; into this a plug is loosely fitted, across 
which a long pole fixed at one end is laid, and all the young people 
getting upon this lever, the juice is soon pressed out and poured into 
earthen pots built into the top of a large furnace kept burning night and 
day; women continually stirring the liquor, until it is thick, when it is 
run into small clay moulds (unless it should be wanted for molasses). The 
workmen are repaid by an invitation to the house of the owner of the 
sugar, where they are regaled with molasses and tortillas. In this way 
these people help each other through the busiest seasons. They were, also, 
getting in their wheat while we were there. After being reaped and bound 
into sheaves, it is spread over a clay threshing floor, in the open air, 
and surrounded by high poles. Upon it are men with rude Pitchforks, made 
of limbs of small trees. They throw the straw into the air as oxen, driven 
round the enclosure, trample out the grain. The poles keep in the large 
straw and let the light part blow away. The straw, by this means, is 
broken up very fine, but being of no use to them, is not regarded. The 
wheat, after being collected, is carefully washed by the women and 
children, and then spread upon cloths to dry. The agricultural implements 
are very rude. Their ploughs are made of wood, without a particle of iron, 
and very often in one piece, which is in the shape of a three pointed 
star, with one of the points short, and to one of the longer ends is 
attached, by means of a raw-hide-rope, oxen yoked by binding a long stick 
to their horns; the other long end serves for a handle, while the

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short one turns up the ground. A rude heavy hoe and a common spade are 
precious things.

On our return, we passed through a large town, inhabited by the Puebla 
Indians, called Tezuque. Here I first saw the singular custom which these 
Indians have of making the entrance to their houses by a ladder placed 
against the second story window, there being no opening to the lower 
story. This makes each house an easily defended place, for the raising the 
ladder leaves no easy ingress. The village looked pretty-numerous bowers 
of green branches being erected outside the place to protect the women and 
children from the sun, while making the earthen jars I have previously 
mentioned. The Indians we brought in very willingly aim to terms. They saw 
they had men of a different character from Mexicans to deal with. As to 
the latter, although perhaps armed with carbine and sabre, twenty would 
frequently fly before a couple of Indians. But here were only fifty of us 
marching to subdue, if necessary, their village of, probably, two thousand 
inhabitants. Our Indians moved on -- those who had wives taking them with 
them upon their mules, while others, who had not, going on foot and 
outwalking our best horses, and, no doubt, all thinking to receive 
handsome presents. These people are powerful and brave, but treacherous. A 
year or two before we had arrived in Santa Fe, they were invited into the 
city by Governor Armijo, and signed a treaty and received presents. On 
departing, they took the opportunity to stop in the outskirts murder 
several herdsmen, and drive off a large quantity of cattle.

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Before proceeding on the southern trip to Tomae, I witnessed one of the 
ridiculous mummeries frequently practiced by the priest . Our men, while 
at the grazing camp at Galisteo, were kept two days accidentally without 
their regular supplies of food; and, therefore, were obliged to forage 
upon the corn-fields around, especially as the inhabitants had previously 
refused to sell any to us; and it had also been our constant habit to boil 
a pot of maize each night just before going to sleep, and, sitting round 
the fire, to eat and talk. The surrounding corn-fields began to look 
rather unproductive, much to the astonishment of the natives; so, to 
remedy this, the figure of the Virgin Mary was carried around the fields, 
in solemn procession -- solemn, perhaps, to the poor Mexicans, but by no 
means so to us. The figure, which was very fantastically dressed, was 
carried by a woman in the same manner as she would have carried a child, 
and over them was held an old red umbrella, the only one in the village, 
and reserved for great occasions like the present. At the head of the 
procession walked the priest, book in hand, sprinkling holy water on all 
sides, followed by two musicians with squeaking fiddles, and also by two 
men firing off continually a couple of old rusty fowling pieces, to the 
great admiration of the young folks. After them came the figure; and the 
procession was closed by all the rest of the inhabitants. At every twenty 
or thirty steps they would all kneel down and pray audibly. We smoothed 
our faces as we best could, not wishing to be supposed to know anything 
about the maize just then.

During the early part of the month of October (1846),

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Colonel Price's regiment from Missouri arrived at Santa Fe; and General 
Kearney having left for California with all the regulars, Colonel Doniphan 
immediately withdrew his regiment from the place and left Colonel Price in 
command, marching southward, with a view, first, to bring the Navajo 
Indians to terms, and then proceed, as he supposed, to report himself to 
General Wool, who was expected to be near or in possession of the city of 
Chihuahua.

Soon after Colonel Price's arrival, the Mormons, numbering five hundred, 
with several women and children, arrived, on their way to California; and 
on the 12th of September an express -- on its way to Washington -- brought 
intelligence of Colonel Fremont's success in that country. This 
intelligence induced General Kearney to send back nearly half of his men, 
some of whom were posted at Albuquerque, while the remainder were sent to 
Fort Leavenworth, with the horses of the whole force -- they having 
previously been mounted upon mules. We were sorry to part with General 
Kearney. He had gained the good wishes of every man; and I believe that 
the Taos insurrection and the murder of Governor Bent and others would not 
have taken place if he had remained.

During the month of November a dramatic society was started by several 
members of our battalion, patronized by all the officers, and upon 
mentioning the want of a suitable room to Governor Bent, he immediately 
gave us the use of the large fandango room in the palace, which we soon 
converted into a handsome theatre. A good wardrobe and suitable scenery 
were procured with great difficulty, but in

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the middle of the month we opened with Pizarro and Bombastes Furioso. From 
this time until the first of December, when most of the performers went 
South, we played to crowded houses. Our greatest difficulty was on the 
score of female performers, being obliged to take these from the ranks; 
but, luckily, three of the society made very good looking women when 
dressed in character. The Mexican ladies would persist in smoking during 
the whole performance, and they generally laughed where they ought to have 
cried, and au contraire, but, on the whole, were much pleased. Towards the 
latter end of November an order was published by command of Colonel Price 
that ten men from each company of his own regiment, as well as from the 
artillery companies, should be selected by their respective captains, 
"with regard to their mental as well as their physical capabilities," to 
be well mounted and to form an escort of one hundred men to accompany 
Lieut. Colonel D. D. Mitchell in an effort to open a communication with 
General Wool, who was supposed, as I have before remarked, to be in or 
near Chihuahua. The writer had the honor to be appointed Assistant to the 
Quartermaster of this escort, or, as it is termed, Quartermaster Sergeant. 
At first, Captain Weightman was named as the officer selected to command 
our little force, and this made every man eager to go, being sure of good 
treatment. However, Captain Hudson, who was not a favorite, was appointed, 
and we started with only ninety-five men, in consequence.

On the 1st of December (1846) I bade farewell to Santa Fe, and I trust I 
may never again see its dirty, unpaved

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streets. In a few days we arrived at Albuquerque. Here we crossed the Rio 
Grande, which was only waist deep. The weather had been very cold before 
we left Santa Fe; but still most of us slept outside of our tents. One 
morning, on waking, I raised my head, which caused a quantity of snow that 
had fallen during the night to get into my neck, giving me a sudden cold 
bath. On looking about, I could only see the rounded forms of my 
companions lying under the snow. After passing the Rio Grande, we 
travelled down its opposite bank, which was thickly settled both by 
Indians and Mexicans.

While on our journeys southward we had to buy corn wood and fodder every 
night. This duty, generally, fell to my lot, and although we had an 
interpreter, I soon managed to pick up enough Spanish to purchase without 
his assistance: At one of the Indian towns called Iseleta, I found a 
regular monastery; and making inquiries where I could buy corn, a jolly 
looking old monk in a cowl and rope told me he would be too happy to 
accommodate me. After partaking of a bottle of good wine with him, he took 
me to an upper room in one of the corners of the church, and showed me a 
large quantity of Indian corn piled up, being the tithes from the poor 
inhabitants. After purchasing a sufficiency, which was measured in sacks, 
two of which are supposed to hold, when the corn is shelled out, a fanega, 
equal to two bushels and a quarter, I found the padre was trying hard to 
cheat me, both in measure and count; so, taking an opportunity to 
accidentally put out the light, I told the ten men who were with me to 
fill up their sacks, which were larger than the measuring sack, and also 
not to forget their pockets. When the light returned, every man had his 
full sack on his shoulder ready to carry off. The old fellow, evidently, 
noticed the fullness of the sacks, but knew it was not worth while to say 
anything -- so, after all, he did not make much out of me.

The Mexican measures are less than ours; for instance, their leagues are 
only about two and a half miles; a yard is thirty inches; the pint and the 
quart are proportionably undersized. South of Chihuahua things are sold by 
the arroba of 25 pounds weight: thus, if you want to buy 100 pounds of 
flour you ask for four arrobas. Their Fanega, which is used to measure 
grain, contains, in New Mexico, 2 1/2 bushels, and further south 2 1/4, 
which is divided into 12 measures called Almos. The Fanega measure is in 
the shape of the box of a wheelbarrow, that is, oblong, but with one end 
at an angle, and open at the top and branded by the government at all the 
joints.

At Sabinal I had again to deal with a priest; and upon presenting myself 
at his house, I found him a little dried up young man, and from the first, 
did not like the look of his countenance. He was in his small store, in 
which he sold "odd notions," and among them native whisky. After 
bargaining with him for a quantity of corn, which he charged for at the 
rate of about two dollars and a half the bushel, I observed in his court 
yard two black sheep, which he told me he was fattening up for his own 
eating, but I soon bought them at a dollar a piece. The only difficulty 
was in catching them. I was, from laughter, soon incapable of assisting in 
this. The priest, who had his long silk gown on, whisked it

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under his arm, and running at the sheep, attempted several times to catch 
them; but one would bolt between his legs, knocking him down, while the 
other jumped over his head. But he was not discouraged, particularly as I 
made it a part of the bargain that they were to be delivered. At last, on 
one of them jumping over the priest, he caught it by the hind legs and 
came to me triumphant. I never saw a more ridiculous figure than his 
reverence with the sheep struggling on his back. In the evening, while 
measuring the corn, a dispute about it arose between us, he trying to 
cheat me. At last he told me that I lied! on which, I caught him by the 
neckcloth, drew out my butcher's knife, told him that, in my opinion, he 
was a rascal, and that if he dared to repeat such words, I should use my 
cold steel. This brought him to his senses at once, the people, who had 
just before been kissing his hands and garments, stared at me as if I were 
a wild beast, although I could see that some were secretly well pleased at 
the strong hints I gave the Padre. Upon leaving the house, I read him a 
short sermon on the impropriety of insulting Americans, and this had such 
an effect on him, that he presented me with a glass of excellent brandy as 
a peace-offering, which I generously accepted.

On the day before we arrived at the ruins of Valverde, where we were again 
to cross the river, a trifling occurrence took place. My duty consisted 
partly in seeing that the wagon-train, which was frequently five or six 
miles behind, got safely into camp. In order to protect the train, I had a 
wagon-guard of twelve men; and among them, was a tall, lanky Missourian, 
standing nearly seven feet high, and of an almost inconceivable thinness, 
whose sobriquet was Lightning Rod. The last of our wagons having been 
detained this day, some distance behind the others, I remained with it, 
having among them my long friend. After travelling with it until about 
five o'clock in the afternoon, I observed a smoke ascending from a wood, 
about two miles off the road, to the left; and I sent Lightning Rod to see 
if it was our camp. I observed that he did not enter the timbered part, 
and only gave a look into it from a short convenient distance. When he 
returned he told me, in rather a troubled tones that it was not our 
encampment, and that he could not imagine what it was, as he saw immense 
herds of cattle and numerous tents more than twenty feet in length. This 
of course convinced me that it was not our camp, but also excited much 
speculation among us, as to whose it could be, and the size of the tents 
especially puzzled us. I continued along the road for three or four miles, 
when a Mexican, whom I met, assured me that it was our company. More and 
more surprised, I turned back, when, upon approaching the camp so 
wonderfully described by Lightning-rod, I found it to be the one I was in 
search of -- his suspicious fear having multiplied five beef cattle into a 
herd, and our four wagons into numerous tents twenty feet in length. It 
was some time before he heard the last of that adventure.

After again crossing the Rio Grande at Valverde, once a fine place, but 
now destroyed by the Navajos, where the water was hardly as deep as we had 
found it at Albuquerque, we aim upon Colonel Doniphan, encamped on the 
river bank, with only about eighty men. He had dis-

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patched Major Gilpin ahead with one battalion of about four hundred. He, 
himself, was only waiting to collect the remainder of his command, which 
was scattered through the mountains, on an expedition against some Navajo 
Indians, who had murdered two of his men while tending a quantity of 
sheep. However, the Colonel at once made up his mind to accompany us with 
what men he now had, amounting to about fifty; and the next morning we 
started, expecting to be joined by straggling parties as we proceeded. My 
readers may like to have a slight sketch of Colonel Doniphan. In age, 
about forty; and in stature, six feet two inches; of large frame; and with 
a very intelligent face. His great charm lies in his easy and kind manner. 
On the march he could not be distinguished from the other soldiers, either 
by dress, or from his conversation. He ranked high as a lawyer in 
Missouri. The colonel is in the habit of interlarding his language with 
strong expressions which many eastern men would call something very like 
swearing.

At Fray Christobal we encamped one day to cook for the two following, as, 
during this time, we were to be away from water -- being about to cross 
the large bend which the river here takes. This dry stretch of road is 
called La Jornada del Muerto, or The (day's) Journey of Death. Although 
the word Jornada only means a day's journey, yet, from this day forward, 
our men called every long dry extent of road a Jornada. In passing through 
the country, if you ask a peasant how far it is from one place to another, 
he will tell you so many jornadas (pronounced hornarthars), meaning, that 
to encamp at water each night, it will take so many days

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to travel it. But, as they always estimate road by the time it takes a 
pack-mule to go over it, you must allow accordingly. This long piece of 
road, La Jornada del Muerto, obtained its name from the circumstance of a 
Mexican having attempted to cross it in a day, and from his not being 
provided with water or food, having perished on the road. It is usually 
called ninety, but, by the road we followed, it is really not more than 
sixty miles in length. Near to the middle of it is a large hollow in the 
ground, which, if rain has fallen lately, usually contains water. A 
Spaniard who had just come through informed us that this was dry.

About noon on the following day, we entered upon this dreary journey; and 
after travelling fifteen miles, sent all of our live stock six miles off 
the road for water, to where there was a small spring. I took my horse, 
old Tom, to it, but was sorry, afterwards, I did so, as the long distance, 
twelve miles there and back, had wearied more than the water had refreshed 
him.

We again moved on, and marched until twelve o'clock at night; and pushed 
forward after daybreak.

One thing we particularly observed: that here the grass was finer and 
better than we had ever seen elsewhere, which, from the want of water and 
scarcity of rain, was a singularity.

We first met, on this part of the road, with the species of palm called by 
us Soap-weed, from the fact that the Mexicans use its root as a substitute 
for soap, for which it answers very well. Indeed, it is considered 
superior to it for

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the washing of woolens. I believe it is rightly named the Lechuguilla. 
This singular shrub, which is, to be also met with on the prairies, but 
where it never grows to any considerable size, consists of a trunk very 
pithy, surmounted by a fine head of stiff leaves, each of which is about 
two feet and a half in length, and armed at the eyed ???? with a long 
thorn. The leaves project from the stalk on all sides, and set as close as 
possible, and are of a dark-green color. The flower is white and very 
pretty. As each year's foliage decays, it drops down against the trunk of 
a light-brown color. These dry leaves, when fire is applied, flash up like 
gunpowder, and burn with a bright light. Our night marches could be marked 
by their flames, which, as the nights were cold (although the days were 
comfortable) were cheering.

I have been thus particular in describing this plant for several reasons: 
one is, its many uses of the leaves, the natives make their hats; also, 
when dressed like hemp, it is formed into ropes and sacks, looking like 
the material known as Manilla-hemp, though coarser. These plants have a 
singularly provoking quality; being from two to eight feet in height, they 
will assume to the eye, in the twilight, the most deceptive forms. To the 
sentinel, they will appear as forms of men; and many an unconscious soap-
weed has run the chance of a sentry's shot, from not answering to the 
challenge of "Who goes there? " If your mule or horse has strayed from 
camp, and you start to hunt for him in the gray of the morning, you are 
sure to be led first in one direction and then in another, by one of these 
shrubs, which, from a short distance, has taken the form of your animal. 
Time after time you may have been thus deceived -- yet never seeming to 
learn experience from a soap-weed.

Some of our men, thinking to avoid the usual suffering for water on this 
trip, got rather tipsy just before entering the jornada, calculating that, 
with a canteen full of whisky, they could keep in that state all the way 
across. Some did so, but others having used their canteens too freely, 
exhausted their stock the first night, and suffered terribly from thirst.

The second night, about eleven o'clock, we again struck the Rio del Norte, 
having left the old road and moved to the right to reach it. Here we found 
the traders, who had left Santa Fe in September, encamped with their 
wagons, being too much alarmed to continue their journey. The night before 
we arrived, one of them had hitched up his teams to start back to Santa 
Fe, some friendly Mexicans having brought intelligence from El Paso, that 
the priest there, named Ortis, was raising a party of men to come and rob 
them. Our arrival put an end to their alarm. Encamped here and a few miles 
below were about three hundred wagons belonging to the traders; and to one 
who has never seen these travelling merchants on their journey, the whole 
is interesting. Their wagons, called Conestoga or Pennsylvanian, are of 
the largest kind, covered with three or four cotton covers or sheets drawn 
close at each end so as to exclude moisture, and these are supported by 
high hoops, and, as those at the ends of the wagon are much higher than 
those in the middle, it has a very singular appearance. The height to the 
top

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of these end-hoops is usually from eighteen to twenty feet. They are each 
drawn by ten mules or six yoke of oxen, and contain about forty hundred 
weight of goods each. Seen from a distance, while moving on their way -- 
one following another, with their long strings of mules, always harnessed, 
with the smallest in the lead, and gradually increasing in size to those 
at the pole or tong, upon the left one of which the driver sits with his 
long whip in one hand, and single rein in the other, with the sun shining 
on the white covers, -- they present a very interesting sight.

On the twenty-third of December we encamped just below the new and rich 
town of Dona Ana, where we found Major Gilpin and his battalion who had 
preceded us. He gave as his opinion that we should have trouble in 
entering El Paso, but being a sanguine officer, we knew not how far to be 
guided by it.

That night, our picket-guard took a Scotchman, who was lurking around the 
camp. He was ragged and footsore; and said he had escaped from the 
Calaboose in El Paso, and was starving. Food was given to him, but it was 
remarked that he did not very well support the character of starvation -- 
not paying much attention to our humble fare. From subsequent events, I 
have no doubt he was a spy from the Mexicans.

The next day (the twenty-fourth), we encamped in a wood which we named 
Dead Man's Grove, from the circumstance of our finding, among the bushes 
near to our camp, three unburied bodies; and from their dresses, two must 
have been Americans and the third a Spaniard. Who they were

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or how they came there has remained a mystery -- the probability is that 
they were murdered by Mexican scouts.

This evening, I killed fifteen sheep for our company, which had been 
procured on our route above. Although apparently healthy and three years 
old, they, when dressed, weighed only seventeen pounds on an average; 
some, it is true, twenty-five pounds, but others not more than twelve. I 
could not have believed the want of substance, if I had not weighed them 
myself. (A New York sheep will weigh over forty pounds.) Our mess, this 
night, illuminated the carcass which had been served out to them by 
enclosing a lighted candle in it, and its thinness made a capital lantern; 
some suggested that such fine mutton should have been reserved for the 
following day, to help out a Christmas dinner -- little knowing the sort 
of celebration which was in store!



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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. 
Senor Ponce and supplies. Mexican wine and brandy, and the effect of the 
latter. The priest Ortis. The Scotchman proves to be a scoundrel. Scene of 
former treachery, and death of a treacherous governor. Apache Indians and 
their forays. James Erker. Oxen and mule stolen, and 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 S. Elecario, and a church with its 
dressed-up images. A fat priest and his extortions in a case of marriage. 

Sunday, Christmas Day. We moved on; and as my place was behind with the 
wagons, I generally got into the camp some time after the others. However, 
this afternoon, I had preceded my wagons about a mile, accompanied by two 
of the wagon-guard. On rounding a turn of the road, I observed our little 
army encamping some distance ahead; and also, a mile further on, I had, 
for some time, noticed an immense cloud of dust which, until this moment, 
I had supposed to have been caused by our own men. A moment after and 
there were evidently great hurry and bustle in

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camp. Men at a distance were throwing down the wood they were bringing in, 
and hurrying to their arms. A man upon a white mule aim dashing back at 
full speed, telling me to hasten up the wagons, for the enemy were upon 
us, and continued his headlong career, never stopping until he got safely 
to the rear guard six miles behind. Never was a body of men taken more by 
surprise. When the dust was first observed, there were not one hundred and 
fifty men in camp, the rest being scattered after wood and water. But all 
seemed to have found out the cause of the rising dust at the same moment, 
and aim in, in double quick time, to get their arms. I immediately 
galloped up to the surgeon and requested orders. He told me to draw up the 
wagons into a close circle, or, as we called it, to corraal them.

I quickly did so, sending to hurry on the ox-teams, which were several 
miles behind. By the time I had got twenty wagons in form, a man aim 
furiously for cartridges. The wagons of Colonel Doniphan's men, which 
contained their ammunition, were not yet up; but, knowing that in one of 
mine there were two boxes of rifle and carbine ammunition, I immediately 
jumped upon it and commenced throwing off the tents and things which 
covered the cases. As this wagon stood in what may be considered the front 
of the half circle I had formed, I could not help stealing a glance now 
and then towards the camp, where I observed our men drawn up on foot, in 
single line, across the road; and the Mexicans appearing in a line 
parallel to them. Just at the top of a slight rise in the ground, the 
latter drew up in good order, with their cavalry on our left and a small 
howitzer in the

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centre -- their left flank and body being composed of infantry -- and gay 
enough they looked, their cavalry in bright scarlet coats with bell 
buttons, and snow-white belts, carrying polished sabres and carbines and 
long lances, with red and green pennons, while their heads were protected 
by brass helmets with large black plumes. The Mexicans halted -- and from 
their ranks came a lieutenant, in handsome uniform, waving a black flag, 
having a skull and crossbones worked upon it. Our interpreter advanced to 
meet him. The lieutenant informed him that the Mexican General wished his 
General to come and have a parley with him. He answered him to the effect 
that "he wished he might get him." Thereupon the Mexican, turning back, 
exclaimed, "Then prepare for a charge: we give and take no quarter!" When 
he reached his lines, they immediately opened their fire upon us -- 
steadily advancing. A few minutes afterwards they fired another volley. I 
was still on the wagon. These two volleys of the Mexicans, though mostly 
fired too high to injure our troops, nevertheless rained their balls with 
their sharp whist! sound, too thick among us at the wagons to be pleasant; 
and one of them, I afterwards found, had passed through a fold in my shirt 
just below the left arm.

Our men, all this time, had not fired a shot.

Just in the rear of our line, and, therefore, between it and the corraal, 
were about fifteen of our horsemen, who had come up just at the moment, 
not one of the others having had time to saddle-up. Again the Mexicans 
poured in a heavy fire, at pistol shot, wounding several men. Just as the 
smoke of this discharge lifted, two powerful volleys were poured in by our 
men from their rifles, while, at the same moment, the Mexican dragoons 
charged gallantly down on our left flank; but, being turned by the heavy 
shower of balls, swerved to their right, and, coming round the end of our 
line, they dashed down on the circle of wagons. Here, I had received 
orders to take charge; and found myself the commander of from fifteen to 
twenty men, I directed them to keep out of sight until the redcoats were 
within ten yards of us -- then, we each stepped out and gave them our 
fire. This caused them again to swerve, and to disappear over a rising 
ground, whither they were hotly pursued by our little band of fifteen 
horsemen.

During this time, a part of our men, who were in front of the Mexican 
cannon, ran up, and forcibly secured and dragged it down to our ranks. 
This was a daring act, almost ridiculous from its fearlessness. The idea 
of about thirty soldiers taking it into their heads, for they had no 
orders to break line, to make such a charge on the enemy's artillery! Some 
of our men got as many as half a dozen shots at Mexicans; but most of the 
latter had such pressing business somewhere else, that it was difficult, 
after two volleys, to get a fair sight at them.

Just as the Mexicans were about to fire their first round, our right wing 
received orders to kneel, which they did; and so remained until they, 
themselves, fired. They all rose at once to do so. The Mexicans said, 
afterwards, they could not understand such a people, for, not only did 
they sustain three volleys without returning one, which, of itself, was

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very puzzling, but, when one row was mowed down, up sprang another out of 
the grass. Most of the wounded were brought to the wagons, where we had 
made preparations to receive them, by spreading tents and other covering 
over the ground.

A fine-looking Mexican boy was brought in badly wounded. He was about 
fifteen or sixteen years of age, and said he had been forced to fight 
against us, although his heart was for us; and his mother and brother had 
advised him to join us as soon as possible, and this he had intended to 
do. Poor lad! That night, in his agony, he crawled a little away from the 
tent he had been laid in, and expired. We all felt interested in him, and 
many had visited him. Most of his talk was of his mother and sisters, and 
his friends, the Americans. We knew he could not recover, and yet we had 
not the heart to tell him so.

One of the wounded brought in, was a fine-looking sergeant of the Mexican 
dragoons. I believe he was the man who had headed the charge. The poor 
fellow had three balls through his belly, from side to side, and two 
horrible sabre cuts upon his head. He could not make out why he was 
brought in so carefully, and a place made for him to lie down on. I 
assured him he should be well treated; but his looks showed his 
incredulity. l never shall forget the tremulous grasp of the hand he gave 
me, when I received him under my charge. I brought the doctor to him, who, 
after examining him, told me there was no hope, but that if he was alive 
in the morning he would dress his wounds. Yet this man recovered, and was 
released before we left El Paso.

A little German amongst us, called after one of Dumas' three 
mousquetaires, Grimaud, attracted our attention. At the second volley, a 
ball entered the front of his cap, and raked the top of his skull, and, 
though only cutting the scalp, caused a great effusion of blood, which ran 
down his face. For a moment he thought himself mortally wounded; but, 
still, catching up his carbine, he fired away, crying out "Well! I'll have 
a crack before I die, any how." Grimaud was a favorite, and his 
frightfully bloody face and reckless action must be long remembered by 
many of us.

I did all I could to make the wounded prisoners comfortable and easy, 
having stationed for them a protective guard. Just after the contest had 
ended, a tall, barefooted Missourian aim stalking to the wagons, crying 
out, "Where are those yellow-skinned devils? They came upon me so quickly, 
that I had to go at them barefoot; and while I was away, some rascal 
hooked my shoes. So, if there's a pair among the prisoners I'll have them."

Our number in this engagement was not over five hundred, while the 
Mexicans had twelve hundred men. We had but seven wounded -- none killed. 
How we aim off so well I cannot make out, for the bullets rained about the 
troops. The Mexican loss in killed and wounded was about two hundred men.

Among the spoils,(*) were several kegs of wine of the best quality, which 
were passed from hand to hand until they were empty; and also some very 
nice and fine bread. There 

(* See the semi-official Report of the battle in the Appendix, No. 1.)

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was plenty of ammunition, and also several cases of surgical instruments. 
The field was strewed with bodies of men and horses, lances, swords, 
bugles, trumpets, carbines and other war emblems.

It was rumored that there were two Mexican women in the action, serving at 
the cannon, and that a rifle ball striking one of them in the forehead, 
the other bore her off the field. I do not doubt it. The women have much 
more courage and even sense than the men.

I afterwards heard that when the remainder of the Mexican troops reached 
El Paso, which they did very expeditiously, they reported that they had 
been defeated entirely by our infantry; and that our cavalry had not come 
up, but was rapidly approaching. It was some time before I could 
understand this matter, for we had no reserve -- all our men being in the 
action. But the key of the affair was equal to something of Sister Anne's 
in Blue Beard; -- we had two thousand sheep in the rear of our baggage 
train, and the dust raised by them had been taken for the signs of 
horsemen approaching. The dragoons, who had charged us so gallantly, met 
with the worst usage; for our little squadron of horse having chased them 
into the mountains, a band of Navajo Indians, who had been watching the 
struggle from their concealment, set upon them and killed almost all for 
the sake of their bright uniform and arms.

And thus ended the first battle fought by the army of the West; and called 
BRACITO from the bend of the river, near where we fought, which bears this 
name.(*)

(* On maps of this country, many names will be found where, in truth, 
there is not a house. This is because the places are regular camping 
grounds for caravans.)

Page 89

Before we left the battle-ground, we dug a large hole and buried those who 
had fallen on the field and those who had died during the night; but I 
have understood since that wolves scratched up the bodies, and that the 
remnants of uniforms were now scattered over the ground.

We fully expected to have another skirmish before entering the city of El 
Paso, and were, therefore, on the alert. On the evening of the 26th of 
December we encamped at a salt pond, a short distance frons the place; and 
twice that night were aroused by alarms, and stood for some time ready in 
ranks -- but nothing occurred.

The next day, while on the march, we were met by several citizens of El 
Paso, bearing a white flag, who, at once, surrendered the place to Colonel 
Doniphan, and, towards evening, we entered this beautiful city. The 
inhabitants had mostl fled; but they all returned before we left. Those 
who had remained aim creeping cautiously out of their houses, with baskets 
of fruit, which they kindly forced the soldiers to accept. By the time I 
reached the Plaza, I had both holsters and pockets filled.

This place (which receives its name, not, as has been frequently stated, 
from a pass of the river between the mountains, but from the circumstance 
of refugees from Santa Fe, in 1680, having here crossed the river and 
founded a town) is now upwards of six miles in length and from half a mile 
to a mile wide. It is surrounded by extensive vineyards.

Page 90

The mode of cultivating the grape is the same as I have mentioned to be 
practiced at Valentia.

The valley here is the best calculated for the cultivation of the vine of 
any part of Mexico, the soil not being too rich, and, although there may 
be now and then a sharp frost, no snow has fallen there for years. At the 
time we arrived, December, of course there was no foliage to be seen; but 
I can well imagine how beautiful must be this valley when all the vines 
and fruit trees are in leaf and bloom.

The city and gardens are watered by numerous sakos or ditches supplied by 
the river which is dammed up just above. By means of these, the husbandmen 
are able to dispense with the aid of rain, which is scarce at all times in 
New Mexico. Each field is provided with a small running ditch; and, by 
cutting the bank, the water soon floods the ground. Each farmer has a day 
allowed him to use the water in this way, but cannot touch it at other 
times without the permission of the special alcalde of sakos, or, as we 
should term him, perhaps, commissioner of the water-works. This officer 
has the powers of a judge in all things relating to his department. Every 
person is required to keep his sako in repair; and should any damage occur 
to his neighbor's property by inattention, the delinquent has to make good 
the damage. One poor fellow told me that, in consequence of the frost, the 
side of his sako had given way during the night, and had injured a 
quantity of wine in his neighbor's house, for which he had been ordered to 
pay fifty dollars -- a large sum for him, but his opponent was a rich man 
and a friend of the alcalde's.

Page 91

The traders opened their goods at this place; and, as confidence was soon 
restored, they did a good business, especially by taking corn, wood, hay, 
cattle, etc. , in payment, for these they could again dispose of to the 
troops. A readiness to sell in this way brought customers from all parts.

As to the wood I purchased, there was a Mexican who used to bring it to 
me. I knew he aim at least thirty miles with it. On my asking him how long 
he was in coming, he said, one day and a night-rather a tedious journey, 
to sell only from four to five loads of wood, at from $1.75 to $2 per 
load; especially as each cart required two men and four yoke of cattle. He 
could not make much profit.

We were indebted to Senior Ponce, an old Mexican gentleman, and the 
richest man in the valley of El Paso, for assistance in getting corn and 
other necessaries for the soldiers. He supplied us, as far as possible, 
from his own store-houses, and, where these failed, he bought for us.

He stated his income to be about ten thousand dollars a year, which is 
immense for this part of the country. It arises, principally, from sales 
of his wine and brandy, both of which are made very largely here. The wine 
is of a dark-port color, of good quality, and cheap. The brandy has the 
appearance of gin, but with a pleasing flavor of its own. It was found, 
however, to contain a large quantity of copper, from the vessels in which 
it is made, and wherein it is allowed to stand. This was not discovered 
until it had affected the health of several of our men. The wine was 
harmless, being the pure juice of the grape.

As we were still in expectation of being attacked, our men

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were quartered with regard to defence. Colonel Doniphan's regiment were in 
two large buildings near the plaza; and our company was in the barracks, 
to which was attached the calaboose or city jail, so that we were, in 
reality, in the yard of the latter. This was not very pleasant, but as 
this building, which was very large, stood on a small eminence in the rear 
of the church, and could easily be defended by a few resolute men, it was, 
in spite of the prison, a post of honor.

In part of the building was the public school room, well filled with desks 
and other academical apparatus, but now deserted. I used the room for 
storing hay and fodder, which created rather a longer holiday than usual. 
We found schools in most of the towns, as we went from here south.

Colonel Doniphan dispatched a messenger to hasten a company of artillery, 
which had been previously ordered from Santa Fe; and he determined to 
await its arrival. Rumors kept reaching us of anticipated resistance at 
Carrizal -- a fortified place some distance on this side of Chihuahua. At 
last, we found that regular carriers were sent from here to that place; 
and circumstances led us to suspect Ortis, the priest, of being the agent 
of the correspondence. A small scouting party was sent, one night, to try 
to catch him in the act; and there is no doubt he would have been so 
caught, had it not been for the bad management of the officer in charge, 
who, instead of waiting to seige the messenger after he might have started 
and try to find dispatches upon him, only surrounded the house, went up 
and politely knocked at the door, in front of which a horse was standing, 
ready saddled and bridled. Of course, no paper were found, but the priest 
and two gentle-

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men were brought up to our colonel's quarters, Ortis was upbraided with 
treachery; but he remarked that he did not call the delivering his country 
from a foreign enemy, by any means whatever, treachery. He said he was the 
enemy of all Americans, and never could be otherwise; and that he should 
use every endeavor to free his country from them, but that it would be by 
fair combat, and that he should not attempt to incite an insurrection, 
knowing that to be worse than useless. Colonel Doniphan told him that he 
admired his sentiments, it would take care he should have no opportunity 
to carry them into effect, by keeping a strict watch over him; and that, 
as he had seen how Mexicans could fight on ground of their own selection 
meaning Bracito, where Ortis was -- he would take him with him as he swept 
southward, in order that he might observe the Mexican attacked and made to 
fight on ground of his, Doniphan's selection. This the colonel did, taking 
him down to Chihuahua.

The full rascality of the Scotchman whom we had taken the night before the 
battle, was now made apparent. In the calaboose we found six Americans who 
had been confined there for some months. They formed a party whom this 
fellow had engaged to guide to California; but, instead of this, he took 
them to El Paso, and there denounced them as Texians. They were thrown 
into prison, after having been robbed of all they possessed; however, a 
court of officers acquitted the fellow, and one day I met him going out of 
town with a parcel upon his back, containing a flask of whisky, a few 
tortillas and a piece of goat-milk cheese.

Page 94

He was trudging on, he said, to Santa Fe. He had that day been acquitted, 
and was naturally in some haste to leave our neighborhood, knowing the 
excitement against him. Never had I felt so strong a desire to commit 
violence. I advised him to avoid all soldiers, who would shoot him like a 
dog as he deserved; and I assured him I would do so, if I again met him. 
His life was not worth a minute's purchase if any of our men were to see 
him.

The yard in which we were here quartered, had some years before been the 
scene of a massacre. The governor induced twenty of the chiefs of the 
Apache Indians to enter it, when they were murdered by soldiers who had 
been concealed in the buildings. The governor paid the penalty of his 
treacherous conduct: as he gave the order, "Maten a los carahos!" (kill 
the scoundrels!), a chief sprang forward, and stabbing him, cried out 
"Entonces moriras tu primero, Carajo!" (then you shall die first, Carajo!) 
These Indian warriors died bravely, after killing several Mexicans. This 
tribe is the most powerful of all the Mexican Indians. It inhabits the 
range of mountains called the Sierra des Mimbres, which separates the 
State of Sonora from those of El Paso and Chihuahua -- and on each side of 
this range is its extensive foraging ground; -- the country further south 
being under the control of the Camanches. I do not think the Apache 
Indians' are naturally brave; but having been long unopposed, they have 
become bold; so much so as to visit large cities amicably, and otherwise 
in small parties. The fact is, they so heartily despise the Mexicans that 
they say they would kill them all, were it not that they

Page 95

serve as herdsmen to them -- meaning this, that they themselves neither 
hunt nor plant, and being of roving habits, they do not overburden 
themselves with cattle, preferring to descend from their mountain 
fastnesses and help themselves out of the first Mexican herd they come 
across -- first killing the herdsmen, if possible. The latter have an 
instinctive dread of these Indians. The word Apache is enough to make a 
Mexican herdsman tremble, although he goes armed with a sabre, carbine and 
lance, and is always mounted. One thing which has principally served to 
make this tribe powerful, is the fact of one state frequently arming it 
against another.

Some tribes of these Indians live entirely on mule and horse flesh, while 
others eat the prairie wolf, but there is no doubt they prefer fat cows 
and steers, frequently running off several thousand head at a time. If a 
quarrel arises on the foray about the ownership of an animal, they kill 
the creature, leaving it where it falls, and, of course, the dispute with 
it. Their track can be traced by this frequent mark of a quarrel.

The government of Chihuahua at one time set a price on every Apache scalp; 
it was, I believe, one hundred dollars for a man, fifty dollars for a 
squaw, and twenty-five dollars for a papoose. This plan was afterwards 
abandoned; and an Irishman, named James Kirker, was hired, at a high 
salary, to attempt the extermination of the tribe. This was rather an 
extensive operation, as they numbered about fifteen thousand. However, he, 
with a band of Americans and Mexicans, soon made the Apaches fear him. The 
Mexicans

Page 96

look upon him as almost superhuman; but I have heard, from credible 
authority, that his bravery is rather lukewarm, and that his victories 
have always been achieved through cunning. He has never risked a fight, 
unless when his own party has greatly outnumbered the Indians, or when he 
could catch them asleep -- and even then he himself prudently keeps in the 
back ground. He joined us the morning after the fight of Bracito, having 
given up hunting the Indians, in consequence of the government having 
forgotten to pay him. He was very useful to us, serving as guide and 
interpreter, during all the time we remained in the country.

One night, while on our march, three Apache Indians came down and carried 
off several yoke of oxen and a fine mule, the property of a trader. 
Lieutenant Jack Hinton took a few men, and followed them for two days, got 
back the cattle and mule, and killed one of the Indians -- bringing in his 
scalp. At Chihuahua, I found in the Office of the Secretary of State, a 
mass of letters from prefects of small towns complaining of incursions of 
these savages -- indeed, there was one shelved-side of a room entirely 
devoted to filed papers on this subject.

Our provisions ran short during our stay at the city of El Paso; and we 
were obliged to supply ourselves by purchasing from the Mexicans. Wheat I 
found to be rather scarce. All I could procure, I had ground at a small 
mill in the city. This was a curiosity. What will our mechanics say to a 
flouring mill built entirely without iron? All the wheels and other parts 
were of wood (of course excepting the mill stones, which are made from the 
ironstone boulders found

Page 97 

in all parts of the country). The flour ground by this mill was very 
coarse, and the bran not separated, but it was much better than we had 
been subsisting upon in Santa Fe. There we had been supplied with wheat, 
first coarsely ground, and then the finest part of the flour sifted out, 
which, I suppose, the Mexicans used; at any rate, we did not see any of 
it, and so leaving to us what would be called, in New York, very poor 
"shorts." I purchased, at different times, some fifteen cattle for 
slaughter. 

On averaging their weight, I found it to be only about two hundred and 
thirty pounds each, when dressed. Although all the Mexican cattle are 
naturally small, they are beautifully formed, and have the appearance of 
good weight when on the hoof, but, on cutting them up, they fall off 
wonderfully. The beef is of excellent quality, except when the animal has 
been over-driven, and then it becomes speedily poor.

Some of the cattle I bought under rather singular circumstances. One day, 
the Jailor of the prison aim and asked me, whether I did not wish to 
purchase beef-cattle? and on my answering him in the affirmative, he told 
me that there was a caballero in the calaboose, who wished to sell me 
some. It, of course, struck me as rather a queer place to find a man rich 
enough to own, and able to sell, cattle. On entering the yard of the 
prison, I was introduced to a very good-looking, gentlemanly man, who 
informed me that he was a large cattle owner. After a little bargaining, I 
bought several beeves of him. On asking the jailor who he was, I was 
informed that he was one of the richest men in the state, but, being 
strongly opposed in polities to the ruling authori-

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ties, his killing one of his own peons or servants had been taken 
advantage of to imprison him. "This small peccadillo," added the jailor, 
"would, under any other circumstances, never have been noticed, and, as he 
is very rich, he'll soon get out." One day, while receiving some maize at 
Don Ponce's country seat, a peon or servant handed me a hot piece of baked 
pumpkin to taste, which I found delicious, and far superior in flavor to 
those at home; and I excited much amusement among the peons, who were 
seated, men, women and children, in the corraal or yard, eating their noon-
day meal, by my unaristocratic relish for what is here grown only for the 
pigs and servants.

Colonel Doniphan was a favorite, but truth leads me to mention a 
circumstance which somewhat shocked my notions of military discipline. A 
poor Spaniard aim to the colonel, and complained that a soldier, standing 
by, had stolen his pig. The commander turned to the man, and asked him 
whether this was true? The soldier replied "Yes;" adding, also, "and pray, 
Colonel, what are you going to do about it?" This blunt mode of response, 
mixed with question, rather puzzled Colonel Doniphan, who, after some 
hesitation, said: "Well! I don't know, unless I come and help you to eat 
it." I am sadly afraid the complaining party got no redress. I felt it to 
be a bad example. So far as our dress was concerned, Falstaff, at this 
time, would have been ashamed of us. Our hundred men who had last joined 
were, of course, a little better clad than the rest, but most of the men 
were in the same clothes in

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which they had left Missouri six months before -- and these had seen 
pretty severe service in the Navajo country. The best clad were those who 
had been lucky enough to procure buckskin dresses among the Indians. A 
parade was now a ludicrous sight. In a whole company, no two pair of 
pantaloons were of the same hue; and there being few who owned a jacket, 
the red flannel or checked shirt made up the "uniform." Shoes were a 
luxury, and hats a very doubtful article. If our habiliments were thus, at 
this time, what were they further south? If General Taylor could boast of 
two R's, "Rough and Ready;" we felt that we were fully entitled to three, 
Rough, Ready and Ragged. We had received no pay as yet; and the sutler 
charging ad libitum.

On the first day of February, 1847, Major Clark and Captain Weightman 
arrived, bringing with them one hundred and thirty men, four six-pounders, 
and two twelve-pound howitzers -- thus increasing our force to a thousand 
men. On their arrival, our company was sent to the Presidio del San 
Elecario, a large fort, standing at the lowest end of the city, where we 
encamped. This fort has, evidently, been once very strong; and covers more 
than eight acres of ground. It encloses, within its walls, a pretty 
church, through which I wandered alone one morning. The Mexicans are 
jealous of their churches, and do not willingly allow a heretic to enter 
alone. I lifted up the veils which concealed the different figures in the 
niches around the walls; and, gazing on their gaudily dressed and painted 
saintships, I felt that any little

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girl at home would have been ashamed of such a badly dressed set of dolls.

Leaving the church, I came to the door of the priest's house; and hearing 
voices, made free to go in. The padre was sitting under the porch, inside 
of the yard, arguing strenuously with a Spanish merchant. The priest was a 
good specimen of his species. His exact weight I will not dare to guess, 
but it was not much less than three hundred pounds. His shaven crown, 
sandaled feet, dark robe, large wooden rosary and hempen girdle perfected 
a monk's portrait. He rose, and would not reseat himself until a servant 
had brought me a stool. We conversed a little in French together, but a 
woman having carried a substantial breakfast, well set off with plate, 
into his room, he very soon politely dismissed us both, expressing a wish 
to see us at some other time. I should have been more impressed with his 
politeness, if it had embraced an invitation to breakfast.

I walked with the merchant to the Alcalde's office, and found there a 
respectable-looking couple waiting my companion's return. These people had 
an only daughter attached to a young neighbor, who had gone, a few days 
before, to this priest, to obtain permission to marry her. As all the 
parties were poor, the bridegroom had sold off his three cows to pay the 
marriage fee; the amount of which not being fixed, the priest has the 
right to charge whatever he pleases. In this case, he had pocketed the 
avails of the cows; and then told the bridegroom that he must have much 
more before he could officiate. The poor lover had stated this to the 
bride's parents, and they sold off their stock,

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and paid the priest enough to make about one hundred dollars. His monkship 
coolly pocketed this also; and then informed the party he had not got near 
enough yet. In this state of affairs they had applied to the Alcalde for 
advice, and the merchant, being in the room at the time, had offered to go 
and remonstrate with the priest, who, however, remained inexorable. After 
much discussion before the Alcalde, amidst mingled laughter and tears, the 
bride and bridegroom (who had meanwhile come in), started off home with 
the old people to get up a fandango, which was to stand in the place of a 
marriage ceremony -- having made up their minds to dispense with the 
services of the extortionate padre. This little incident may account for 
the general licentiousness in Mexico, Does not a priest of God thus become 
a minister of the devil?