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Show 218 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY THE friendship and admiration for the Americans, but giving expression to their detestation for the Mexicans and their inability to understand why the Americans were opposed to their carrying on the usual warfare against them. A treaty was finally signed on the 22d of November by Doniphan, Jackson, and Gilpin and fourteen Navaj6 chiefs. Doniphan returned by way of the pueblo of Zufi and joined his command at Valverde about the 12th of December.?”* Colonel Doniphan now ordered the march to Chihuahua. The advance of the army was under Major Gilpin who with his command moved down the left bank of COLONEL DONIPHAN MARCHES the Rio Grande. Lieutenant-Colonel TO CHIHUAHUA Congreve Jackson followed on the 16th, with another detachment.’ During the time when Doniphan was in the Navajé country, Colonel Price, commanding at Santa Fé, had dispatched Lieutenant156 For a full account of this treaty see Doniphan’s Connelley, p. 286. Expedition by W. E. Bancroft, H. H., History of Arizona and New Mexico, p. 421: ‘*In Sey tember, Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson with three companies had been sent to Cebolleta on the frontier; and from this point apparently before Kearny’s last orders were known, Captain John W. Reid, with thirty volunteers and a chief called Sandoval as guide, starting the 20th of October, had in twenty days made a somewhat remarkable entry far to the west and north into the heart of the Navajé country.’’ For a full account of this march by Reid, see The Military Occupation of New Mexico, 1846-1851; by R. E. Twitchell, pp. 98-99. 157 Ruxton, Geo. F., Adventures in Mexico, p. 177. Mr. Ruxton, an English- man, traveling through the country at the time the American army and the caravan of traders were camped at Valverde, says: ‘‘ Among the trees and open spaces were drawn up the wagons, formed into a corral or square, and close together, so that the whole made a most formidable fort, and, when filled with some hundred rifles, could defy the attacks of Indians or Mexicans. Scattered about were tents and shanties of logs and branches of every concelvable form, camp-fires, round which lounged wild-looking Missourians, some cooking at the some cleaning their rifles or firing at targets— blazes cut in the trees, with a bull’s eye made from wet powder on the white bark. From morn- ing till night the camp resounded with the popping rifles, firing at marks for prizes of tobacco, or at any living creature which presented itself. The oxen, horses, and mules were sent out at daylight to pasture on the grass of the prairie, and at sunset made their appearance, driven in by the Mexican herders, and were secured for the night in the corrals. My own animals roamed at will, but at every evening came to the river to drink, and made their way to my camp, where they would frequently stay round the fire all night. « «7 onel Doniphan, who commanded, had just returned from an expedition into the NAVAS country for the purpose of making a treaty with the chiefs of that nation, who have hitherto been bitter enemies of the New Mexicans. From 4p- pearances no one would have imagined this to be a military camp. were in line, but foree with regard there all uniformity to cleanliness. The The tents ceased. There were no regulations in camp was strewn with the bones and offal of the cattle slaughtered for its supply, and not the slightest attention WAR WITH MEXICO 219 Colonel Mitchell, with an escort of ninety-five men, selected from his regiment and from the battalion of Missouri volunteer artillery, under Major Clark, to open a communication with Genera] Wool, who was supposed to have already reached Chihuahua. The detachment left Santa Fé on the 1st of December and came up with Colonel Doniphan at Valverde on the 17th. On the following day they proceeded in company with him, and the remainder of the Ist Missouri, upon the route already taken by Gilpin and Jackson. Before leaving Valverde, Colonel Doniphan was informed that the Mexicans were collecting a force at Paso del Norte, to intercept his march, and an order was therefore sent to Major Clarke, of the artillery battalion at Santa Fé, to join him at the earliest moment with one hundred men and a battery of four six-pounders and two twelve-pounder howitzers. These howitzers had been constructed expressly for field service. A few miles south of Fray Cristobal, the road to Chihuahua, instead of following the windings of the Rio Grande, pursues a direct course over a dry plain, the Jornada del Muerto, completely destitute of water at that time. In its progress from the Missouri river the army had passed over some similar tracts but none so extensive, and though the command was poorly provided with food or clothing for this journey, ‘every privation and hardship was endured without & murmur. The army having crossed the desert followed down the valley of the Rio Grande to the neighborhood of the present town of Dona Ana where intelligence was received that THE BATTLE OF BRAZITO seven hundred Mexican troops and six pieces The of artillery had arrived at El Paso. column moved forward presenting a very picturesque appearance ; Was paid to keeping it clear from other accumulations of filth, washed and unshaven, and how they pleased. Were sitting in groups officers if they were ragged and They wandered playing interfered at cards, to stop it dirty, without and swearing about, (as ularities constantly took place. Sentries, Country, were voted unnecessary; and one three Navajé Indians ran off with a flock and killing the two volunteers in charge of uniforms listless and and I witnessed). The men, unand dressed sickly looking, cursing The even greatest as or at the irreg- or a guard, although in an enemy’s fine day, during the time I was there, of 800 sheep belonging to the camp, them, and reaching the mountains in Safety with their booty. Their mules and horses were straying over the rountry; in fact, the most total want of discipline was apparent in everything. These very men, however, were as full of fight as game-cocks, and shortly after defeated four times their number of Mexicans at Sacramento, near Chihuahua. |