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Show e e ee | at oe ee ae “! ee ee ee ee Ra ES Bon ~# w | ok btn J a 2a Seer ee ne eet ee irate Bae Paar La arya? per eee eS rT 94 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY OLD The year following the arrival of La Lande , an American trapper and hunter arrived in Santa Fé. His name was James Purcell. a native of Bardstown, Kentucky. In his narrative, Major Pike (who calls Purcell, Pursley) declares that Pursley was the first American who ever crossed the plains to New Mexico. As we have seen, Major Pike knew of La Lande being in Santa Fé, but in all probability he did not consider him an ‘‘ American.’’ ) er te ee roe ler be his town. oo Some Spaniards to the village. came out to meet him and He proba all of 1804. He told Pike in March bly reached Santa , 1807, that he had a vhree years. The goods found ready market quickly accomplished the and La Lande purpose of his missi an rly on home, between which and country and many hundreds him i of was magnified by the Spaniard La ove ; at ae a The ete assistance by offering him land, doubtless preferring to & renéwal cf the ce er than return with reports which would inevitably lead of female admirer % turned Srprise. the s Last, and perhaps most effectual, the influence whe ile ion ta Lane Ga eo doubtful his obligation adventurer. to his employer, use, and decided to make Santa Fé his home He shufiled appropriated , of St. Clair count oi —. his name appearing on the list of the militia Fé was t 0 recovery for Morrison 90. One of Major Pike’s supposed errands to Santa Hides the P ; ar 1 ° Goivmitihens. PICT Tauren 4340 Historicas, pike ann the American officer thought, as a spy from the Spanish L not collect the amount due, Escudero, in his Noticias says I William Mortiosy no”, 8, Wealthy and left many descendants. was @ native of Pennsylvania » Maintainedle very Successful man. He died i . M., been despatched by: eo the ensuing oe nto the mountaing their sign which or Platte, their pe © The India bands of the Pa rg. a large ff He ane Narrative: Ye and came founded , the ie arm fi 37 ee to Kaskaskia 0f B ryan t and ve, a life me ee northwest, on the Missouri, Pursley had SEDIOyer’ on a hunting and trading tour, with some : st Kiowas, with a small quantity of merchandize. In ws were driven by the pursuing Sioux from the plains viich give rise to the Platte, Arkansas, ete., and it was 8awW Im such amazing abundance on the headwaters of the 8 of nearly two thousand souls, with ten thousand eople, a People, among were approximate to New Mexico, deter ir body into Santa Fe, icably, and enter into or (Allencaster) the ds; but Pursley thought proper to remain whom a fortuitous event had thrown him, i # SANTA FE TRAIL 95 In 1802, Purcell with two companions left St, Louis for the purpose of trapping in the country of the Osages. After a successful season and when on the eve of his departure down the Arkansas river for New Orleans, he was robbed of his furs by the Kansas Indians. He recovered his property, however, later to lose it all in the Missouri river near the mouth of the Kansas. After the loss of his furs, Purcell met a trader on his way up the Missouri to the Mandan Indians and joined the expedition. Having arrived at their point of destination Purcell was sent to the valley of the Platte to trade with the Indians in that locality. The spring of 1805 found Purcell and his Indian companions near the source of the South Platte river, from which place the Indians, knowing that they were near the Spanish settlements, sent Purcell to Santa Fé to secure permission to come in and trade. He arrived in June, 1805, and did not return with his Indian companions. He remained in Santa Fé for many years, pursuing his trade of carpenter. He was held under very strict surveillance, was not permitted to write, and very narrowly escaped being shot for having broken the local law by manufacturing some gunpowder for his own use.® circumstance which he assured me he had at one time entirely despaired of. He arrived at Santa Fé, June, 1805, and had been following his trade of carpenter ever since, at which he made a great deal of money, except when He was a man of working for the officers, who paid him little or nothing. strong natural numerous sense, interesting and Jealousy of the Spanish making a few pounds of undaunted anecdotes government. of intrepidity of his adventures powder, He which he was and entertained with once the Indians, nearly innocently did, with me and of the being hanged as he for accus- was tomed to do in Kentucky, but which is a capital crime in these provinces. He still retained his gun, which he had with him during his whole tour, and spoke confidently that if he had two hours start, not all the province could take him. He was forbidden to write but was assured he should have a pass-port whenever demanded; he was obliged, however, to give security that he would not leave the country without the permission of the government. I brought letters out for him. ‘He assured me that he had found gold on the head of the Platte and had carried some of the virgin mineral in his shot pouch for months, but that being in doubt whether he should ever again behold the civilized world, and closing his mind to all the ideal value which mankind has spent on that metal, he threw his sample away; that he had imprudently mentioned it to the Spaniards, who had frequently solicited him to go and show a detachment of cavalry the place, but conceiving it to be in our territory he had refused, and was fearful that the circumstance might create a great obstacle to his leaving the country. ’? re The Missouri Intelligencer of April 64 ve ea hag written by oe aaa 10, 1824, contains an article latelyly returned from Santa relative Fé and heteen years a citizen of New Mexico. ‘‘In says: Chittenden, i. M., History of the American Fur Trade, p. 493, by a prominent trader a project Louis St. at organized being was there 1806 |