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Show 234 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY THE rectionists, led by Pablo Montoya anda Taos Indian, known as Tomasito, entered the city, joined the resident members of the revolutionary movement and began the attack. The houses of the resident Americans were destroyed. The Indians, under the leadership of Tomasito, visited the house of Governor Bent, and firing through the door, wounded him in the chin and stomach; the door was next broken down and his body pierced with arrows. Amidst the fiendish yells of the Indians he was scalped.1”° His daughters give graphic such false doctrines and to remain quiet, attending to your domestic affairs, so that you may enjoy under the law, all the blessings of peace, and by rallying around the government, call attention to the improvements which you deem material to the advancement of the country and that by so doing you may enjoy all the prosperity which your best friend wishes you.’’ The persons killed at Taos were Louis Lee, acting sheriff of Taos, Cornelio Vigil, prefect, J. W. Leal, district attorney, Pablo Jaramillo, a brother of Mrs. Bent, and Narcisco Beaubien, a son of Don Carlos Beaubien, circuit judge, and Governor Bent. 170 Charles Bent was a native of Virginia, having been born in Charlestown, in 1797. His father was of English ancestry; his mother was part French. He was a very highly educated man Academy at West Point. tile pursuits and graduated from the United States Military He resigned from the army and engaged in mercan- at St. Louis, Missouri. In 1828 he left for the far west over the Santa Fé Trail, looking for a location for the establishment of business, and, with his brother William, built the post known on the Arkansas. as Bent’s Fort He went to Santa Fé in 1832, where the Bent brothers established a general merchandizing business. He was afterward a business partner of Colonel Céran St. Vrain and so continued until the date of his death. In 1829 Bent was the captain of the big caravan from Franklin, Missouri, to Santa Fé, which was escorted by Major Riley. Bent had six brothers. The firm of Bent and St. Vrain was one of the most important engaged in the fur trade. It ranked next to the American Fur Company. They also had a fort on the South Platte. Governor Bent was married to Maria Ignacia Jaramillo, 4 daughter of Don Francisco and Apolonia (Vigil) Jaramillo, who died at Ta0s, April 13, 1883. Mrs. Bent’s sister, Josefa Jaramillo, was the wife of Colonel Kit Carson. His remains are buried in the National cemetery at Santa Fé. Prince, L. Bradford, Address at ceremonies attending the unveiling of the painting of Governor Bent which hangs in the capitol at Santa Fé, said: ‘*The leaders in the north stirred up the Indians of the pueblo of Taos, and were only waiting for the proper time to strike a decisive blow. It was evident that the people were much excited, and their animosity was directed not only against the Americans among them, but also against those of their own people who had accepted office under the new government. During the day Governor Bent was advised to leave town for his own safety, but he had no thought of personal danger. All through the night of January 18th the village of Taos was in an uproar. Nearly all the Indians from the pueblo were in town and the saloons and public halls were filled with people. Demagogues were harang ing the populace and inflaming their passions. Whisky and wine were flow1Dg without stint and the excitement and tumult increased with the passing hours. Rader: the incendiary North and Tomasito persuasion Romero, of Pablo an Montoya, influential Pueblo and Indians were aroused to a condition of frenzy.’’ Mrs. Teresina Scheurich, daughter of Governor ‘The Bent, Santa Indian, gave Ana the of the Mexicans a statement : of WAR WITH MEXICO 235 accounts as to the details of the massacre. The portrait of Governor Bent in the capitol at Santa Fé was painted from one which hangs on the wall in the residence of his daughter at Taos, for which Governor Bent sat on his last visit to St. Louis, in 1844. The unveiling of the portrait occurred at Santa Fé, March 1, 1910, under the auspices of the Daughters of the American Revolution. the facts surrounding the murder of her father, to Governor Prince, as follows: ‘‘T was only five years old at the time, but I well remember every circumstance as if it was but yesterday. It was early in the morning and we were all in bed. We were awakened by the noise of many people, crowding into the placita. My father was at home from Santa Fé on a short visit and had refused a military escort. The night before he was warned of danger and urged to fly, but though there were several horses in the corrals, he declined. He had always treated everybody fairly and honestly and he felt that all were friends and he would not believe that they would turn against him. Hearing the noise he went to the door and tried to pacify the room, my mother, Mrs. Carson, and crowd yelling outside. Mrs. Boggs, who were In the adjoining with us, and we children, were trembling with fear, all except my brother Alfredo. He was only ten years old, but had been reared on the frontier, and he took down gun and going to my father’s side, said, ‘Papa, let us fight them.’ the shot- ‘‘While my father was parleying with the mob, Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Boggs, aided by an Indian woman who was a slave (peon), dug a hole through the adobe wall which separated our house from the next. They did it with only a poker and an old iron spoon; I have still the poker that they used. We children were first pushed through the hole and then the women crawled through after us. My mother kept calling to my father to come also, but for quite a while he would not. When he did try to escape he was already wounded and had been scalped alive. He crawled through the hole, holding his hand on the top of his bleeding head. But it was too late. Some of the men came after him through the hole and others came over the roof of the house and down into the yard. They broke down the doors and rushed upon my father. He was shot many times and fell dead at our feet. The pleading and tears of my mother and the sobbing of us children had no power to soften the hearts of the enraged Indians and Mexicans. ‘‘At first they were going to take the rest of us away as prisoners, but finally decided to leave us where we were. They ordered that no one should feed us, and then left us alone with our great sorrow. We were without food and had no covering but our night-clothing, all that day and the next night. The body of our father remained on the floor in a pool of blood. We were naturally frightened, as we did not know how soon the miscreants might return to do us violence. At about three o’clock the next morning, some of our Mexican friends stole up to the house and gave us food and clothing. That A few days later we were allowed day, also, they took my father to bury him. to go to their house. Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Boggs were sheltered by a friendly old Mexican, who took them to his home, disguising them as squaws, and set them to grinding corn on metates in his kitchen.’’ Colonel Kit the murder of Carson Bent. was in Boggs California was on the with General plains, Kearny en route at the with the time of United States mail, a contract to carry which had been given him by the government. It was believed that if Carson and Boggs had been at Taos, Bent would not have been murdered, as Carson had great influence with the Mexicans and Indians. They stood in great fear of him. |