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Show HISTORY made by Governor Calhoun and himself at Jemez, Colonel Sumner led an expedition with his dragoons into the Navajo country, pene- trating as far as eight or ten miles into the Canyon de Chelly, but he was compelled to retire without accomplishing anything. Fort Defiance, in the heart of the Navajé country, was built about this time. Its location was one of the MILITARY POSTS ESTABLISHED most eligible in the Navajo region, being at the mouth of Canyoncito Bonito, a favorite spot with the Indians and near fertile valleys and good water. Colonel Sumner also built Fort Union, in Mora county, where he established headquarters of the department .’ *11 Speech of R. H. Weightman, Congressional Globe, 1852-53, p. 103 et sed: 212 Fort Defiance was @ very important post; it was built by Major _ and was garrisoned with three companies, one of light artillery and two ° infantry. The quarters of the officers and men were built around a large parade, some three hundred by two hundred yards. Some of the buildings weré of adobe and others of pine logs. The officers’ quarters were upon the nort side and fronted upon the parade. Besides a battery of six-pounders, there were also six mountain howitzers. Fort Union, built by Colonel Sumner, was a hundred and ten miles from syueyoreyy ‘ofruntry 10JSONY UOG Wy *xnoprq ory story 6G pue “6 wourojos Fo sIsjYSIe1q The treaty made with the Navajés by Colonel Washington, in 1849, having been broken by the Indians, and also another treaty of} tions of the secretary of war, who favored the purchase of all the property in New Mexico, held in private ownership, and abandoning the country to the wild tribes. “SLOq[easoIdg however, GLIGCSTOH aM OL “mosuyo¢* "T sourvep ‘ofrm1iy [VQ OYSLID R. H. Weightman,?"" 8 Fv Major PIPFIL UBULLIa TT ‘UBULDI[OG pareUatEg confined to Mexicans alone.’’ who was delegate in congress, successfully defended the people of New Mexico, and by convincing argument succeeded in securing the indefinite postponement of any consideration of the recommenda- me sible to maintain a civil government in New Mexico without the aid of the army, making it virtually a military government, costly and burdensome, without helping the natives, who would only become the more worthless as more government money was expended in the country. ‘‘ Withdraw all the troops and the civil officers,’’ was his advice, ‘‘and let the people elect their own civil officers and conduct their government in their own way under the general supervision of our government. It would probably assume a similar form to the one found here in 1846; viz: a civil government, but under the entire control of the governor. This change would be highly gratifying to the people. There would be a pronunciamento every month or two, but these would be of no consequence, as they are very harmless when BIURY MEXICAN [fel], af NEW poltod OF SeTteqg g) "qBeR1g iS FACTS “PIPFIT uBn ye? uod LEADING Sap 288 |