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Show ot A el dal Bed oe hate ¥ ean erate ae eile de ee eed a - 8 & 4% Le : a Pe nd eA Pee mee ee Ped ee ee. ee, ed TEXAS-SANTA FE EXPEDITION > a Pee ee thad teal Pee er et oe oe ee et ee Sa : il from the settlements to attack the caravans on the Santa It was at first reported that a descent upon Santa Fé templated, but even this gallant Texan did not believe strong enough for such an attempt, so it appears that object was an attack upon the Mexicans engaged in the were expected to cross the plains during the months of June. Upon the arrival of Snively and his command upon the =e Led Lf 7 * #* Den ed « rEg+ ys7 64s ae Ee THE they were joined by Warfield, with a few followers. TTT TTT LI <auren A af 5 what cause does not appear aS me nau ver ui user er for two days. Lots were cast to determine which four of the party should be the cruel executioners; and their wretched victim was taken off a few rods and shot down in cold blood. After his murder a considerable amount of gold was found about his person and in his trunk. The body of the unfortunate man, together with his wagon and baggage, was thrown into a neighboring ravine; and a few of the lost animals of the marauders having been found, their booty was packed upon them and borne away to the frontier of Missouri. Great exertions had been made to intercept this lawless band at the very beginning; but they escaped the vigilance of a detachment of United States dragoons that had followed them for over 4 hundred miles. The honest citizens of the border, however, were too much on the alert to permit them to return to the interior with impunity. However, five of the whole number, including three of the party that killed Chavez, made their escape, but the other ten were arrested and sent to St. Louis where they were tried, some for the murder of Chavez and others for robbery. In due course the sentence of the court which found them guilty was carried out and John McDaniel and his brother David were both hanged. The others were sentenced to a fine and imprisonment.*® Colonel Jacob Snively and his ‘‘gallant’’ band of Texan ‘‘avensers,’’ to the number, not of eight hundred, but about one hundred and eighty, now appear upon the scene, engaged in an enterprise Supposed at that time to be the particular occupation of hostile and murdering, of marauding savages. Snively organized his force “avengers’’ in the north of Texas, and in May, 1843, set om 58 Nalec? Niles’ ° . ° . Register, lxiv, pp. 195, 280, gives names of the other participator 85 Fé Trail. was conhis force his prime trade who May and Arkansas, Not long prior to this date Warfield, with about twenty men, had attacked the village of Mora, on the frontier, at that time killing five men and driving off a number of horses. They were afterward followed by a strong party of Mexicans, who succeeded in regaining not only their own live stock but all that belonged to the Texans as well. In consequence, the Texans burned their saddles and walked to Bent’s Fort on the Arkansas, where the party was disbanded, War- field and a few faithful followers passing over to Snively and his band. Snively now marched down the Santa Fé Trail beyond the sandhills south of covered. The the Arkansas, when a party of Mexicans was disTexans soon came upon them, and in a skirmish, eighteen Mexicans were killed and a number wounded, the Texans suffering no loss. This fight occurred on the 19th of June, 1843, the Mexicans being an advance party from General Armijo’s command, who, with five hundred men, had left Santa Fé on the Ist of The troops thus deMay to meet the caravans at the Arkansas. feated by Snively consisted of one hundred militiamen under the The entire command, with command of Captain Ventura Lobato. the exception of one or two who escaped to Armijo, surrendered to General Armijo was encamped at Cold Springs, one hunSnively. As soon as Armijo received notice dred and forty miles beyond. of the defeat of Lobato, he broke camp most precipitately and retreated to Santa Fé. A gentleman of the caravan which passed shortly afterward testifies that spurs, lariats, and other kinds of equipage, were found scattered in every direction about Armijo’s camp, left by his troops in the hurly-burly of the retreat.”° °° Bancroft, H. H., History of Arizona and New Mevico, in a note on page es ™ » Says that Bustamante’s statement cuchillas despues de rendidas las armas’’ that Snively ‘‘4 todos is probably unfounded. los pasé a Some other |