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Show 458 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY SPANISH According to Major Zebulon M. Pike, in the year 1806, Lieutenant Melgares was sent from Chihuahua with a force of one hundred cavalry to join five hundred militiamen EXPEDITION TO BUFFALO in an expedition to the buffalo plains. PLAINS UNDER MeuGarEs In his book, reference to which will be made later on in this volume, Major Pike says that this expedition was the most important ever sent out of the province of New Mexico; and in fact the only one directed to the northeastward, except that mentioned by the Abbé Raynal, in his history of the Indies, to the Pawnees. Says Pike: *°° ‘“‘In the year 1806 our affairs with Spain began to wear a very serious aspect, and the troops of the two governments almost came to actual hostilities on the frontiers of Texas and the Orleans territory; at this time, when matters bore every appearance of coming to a crisis, I was fitting out for my expedition from St. Louis, when some of the Spanish emissaries in that country transmitted the information to Major Merior, and the Spanish council at that place, who immediately forwarded the information to Cap- tian Sebastian Rodriguez, the then commandant of Nacogdoches, who forwarded it to Colonel Cordero, by whom it was transmitted to the seat of government. This information was personally communicated to me, as an instance of the rapid means they possessed of conveying intelligence relative to the occurrences transacting on our frontiers. The expedition was then determined on; and had three objects in view; first, to descend the Red river, in order if they met our expedition to intercept and turn it back; or should Major Sparks and Mr. Freeman have missed the party from Nacog- doches, under the command of Captain Viana, to oblige them to return, and not penetrate further into the country, or make them prisoners of war. ‘“Secondly, to explore and examine all the internal parts of the country, from the frontiers of the province of New Mexico to the Missouri, between the La Plate and Kansas rivers. expect no gifts except sustenance; they shall also give up four thousand sheep, one hundred and fifty cattle, and sixty horses which they had stolen Pino, Pedro Bautista, ibid, also refers to a Lieutenant Lopez who defeated the Navajé at Chaca: ‘‘Debe hacerse tambien mencion del teniente D. Vicente Lopez, hijo de aquella provincia, y servidor de ella desde su tierna edad _ las armas en la mano y baston; pues en este tiempo, comandando una partida de vecinos armados, derroté estas mesas de Chac4 4 los enemigos. Este y los demas servicios se le pagaron tan mal, que el afio de 1808, hallandose en otra campana resulté suspenso por una intriga, segun opinion en toda la pro sin conocimiento del gobernador; el comandante general, despues de haberié oido, ofrecié hacerle justicia; ignoro si despues interesado esta justa satisfaccion.’’ 486 Pike, Major Z. M., Exploratory Travels, de mi ausencia ete., pp. 182-183, ha tenido @ note. RULE, 1700 TO 1822 459 ‘Thirdly, to visit the Ietans, Pawnee republic, Grand Pawnees, Pawnee Mahaws and Kansas. To the head chief of each of these nations, the commanding officer bore flags, a commission, grand medal, four mules; and with all of them he had to renew the chain of ancient amity, which was said to have existed between their father, his most catholic majesty, and his children, the red people. ‘‘The commanding officers also bore positive orders to oblige all parties or persons in the above specified countries, either to retire from them into the acknowledged territories of the United States, or to make prisoners of them, and conduct them into the province of New Mexico. ‘‘Lieut. Don Facundo Melgares, the officer selected from the five internal provinces to command this expedition, was an European and his uncle was at that time one of the royal judges of the king- dom of New Spain. He had distinguished himself in several long expeditions against the Apaches and other Indian nations, with whom the Spaniards were at war; added to these circumstances, he was a man of immense fortune, and generous in its disposal, almost to profusion; possessed a liberal education, a high sense of honour, and a disposition formed for military enterprize. ‘This officer marched from the province of Biscay, with one hundred dragoons of the regular service, and at Santa Fé, the place where the expedition was fitted out, he was joined by five hundred of the mounted militia of that province, and completely equipped with ammnuition, ete., for six months; each man leading with him The whole number of their (by order) two horses and one mule. They descended the Red beasts was two thousand and seventy-five. Met the grand bands River two hundred and thirty-three leagues. of the Ietans, held councils with them; then struck off to the northeast, and crossed the country to the Arkansas, where Lieutenant Melgares left two hundred and forty of his men, with the lame and tired horses, whilst he proceeded on with the rest to the Pawnee republic. Here he was met by the chiefs and warriors of the Grand Pawnees; held councils with the two nations, and presented them He did not with flags, medals, ete., which were designed for them. proceed on to the execution of his missions with the Pawnees,**’ Mahaws, and Kansas, as he represented to me, from the poverty of their horses, and the discontent of his own men; but as I conceive, from the suspicion and discontent which began to arise between the At the time of the expedition under mees well. i 487 a “wom ian nnedatinodeapacect and resided on the Platte and The village o - e They were divided into three distinct nations. rivers. Grand Pawnees was on the Platte, the Pawnee Loups on one of its branches. Their language was like that of the Sioux; they were tall and of eee figure; had high cheek bones, clearly indicating their Asiatic origin. — se government weal a hereditary down to his son. aristocracy, the father handing his chieftainship |