OCR Text |
Show 376 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY parture was hastened by the arrival of a messenger bearing the information that a party of hostiles, led by the chief Tu-pa-ti, had appeared before the pueblo and threatened to burn it unless the inhabitants abandoned it immediately. Otermin at once sent the sargento-mayor Granillo, with a force of twenty men, to protect the pueblo until he should arrive with the army. Otermin marched at once and made his camp at a point opposite the pueblo on the 24th or 25th of December. At this place other witnesses were examined by Otermin and his court and evidence was soon produced showing that it was the intention of the hostiles to drive out the Spaniards if possible. Matters took a very serious turn when a large number of the inhabitants of Isleta fled and joined the hostiles under Tu-pa-ti. After this occurrence, although Otermin and Fr. Ayeta were apparently in favor of remaining, still they were not zealous in their work and every day was taken up in the taking of testimony of a sort that would lend color to the justness of the retreat which he had made up his mind to order. On the first day of January, 1682, it was decided to march south to San Lorenzo. There was a number of Indians at Isleta still faithful and, not willing to remain to meet death at the hands of the hostiles, these accompanied the retreating army. Before leaving Otermin burned the pueblo, together with all the grain and supplies which could not be easily carried with the army. Otermin left Isleta on the morning of the 2nd day of January, and his retreat down the river consumed nearly six weeks, as he arrived at Estero Largo, a point near El Paso, on the 11th day of February. Here the governor made out his report to the viceroy and attached to it the testimony which had been taken by him and upon which he relied for justification in ordering the retreat.?® pears from Vetancurt, Cronica, p. 311: ‘‘El convento es de claustros altos y bajos, que el venerable Padre Fray Juan de Salas edificé.’? This was some time about 1628. In 1643 Fr. Salas was priest at Cuaray. Vetancurt says that the number of Indians who went south with Otermin from the pueblo of Isleta was 519. Escalante, Carta al Padre Morfi, par. 5, Says the number was 385 and that 115 had fled during the time that Otermin had gone north on his second entrada. 383 Bancroft, H. H., History of Arizona and New Mexico, pp. 190-191: ‘‘In this document he made known hig plans for settlemen t and y work in the El Paso region, asked for more stringent regulations to missionar keep the colony together and bring back fugitives of the past few years, and also for leave of absence to visit Parral for medical treatment.—Otermin, Consulta al Virey, If de Febrero, 1682. On the 25th of June the fiscal of the audiencia im Ruins of the Mission at Jemez, N. M. |