OCR Text |
Show 296 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY arrival of David Merriwether 271 in 1853, who held the office until 1857. Governor Merriwether was ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR no stranger to New Mexico. He DAVID MERRIWETHER had been an Indian trader prior to 1820, and in 1819 accompanied a party of Pawnees as far as the Spanish frontier on the north, where 221 David Merriwether was a Virginian by birth, but, with his father’s family, removed to Kentucky in 1805. He was appointed governor of New Mexico by Franklin Pierce in 1853 and entered upon the discharge of his duties in the month of August of that year. Filled with a desire for adventure, 80 common to Kentuckians of his time, he entered the employ of the American Fur Company in 1818 and in their employ spent three years in hunting and trap- ping upon the plains and waters of the far west. His life was a continued scene of adventure and hardship, in which practical school he finished his education and graduated for the pursuits of life. In the year 1819 he was sent with a party of Pawnees for the purpose of opening trade with order to exchange their furs and other goods for bullion mission to hunt and trap upon the streams of New Mexico. as far west as the Canadian Spanish troops, most of the Fork Indians when they killed, and were New attacked himself Mexico, i and to obtain perThey had advanced and by a party of a negro boy made prisoners. They were conducted to Santa Fé, about a hundred and twenty miles distant, and brought before Melgares, the governor of New Mexico, by whom he was accused of being a spy of the United States, and was thrown into prison. | He was repeatedly brought before the governor and closely questioned as to his motives in coming into the country, with the design, as it appeared, of entrapping him into some hostile admission, in the absence of any evidence against him. The only medium of communication was a priest who spoke French, which language Merriwether partly understood. He was confined in the prison adjoining the palace for about a month when he was released. When arrested he and his servants were both well armed and mounted upoa fine horses but their captors had stripped them of everything but the clothes upon their bodies. Merriwether sought an interview with the governor, and represented to him their condition; that to be driven into the mountains without any arms to kill game was certain death, and he had better kill them at once and shorten their own property their misery. was This appeal not restored to them, had some he gave effect; each one and although a mule, an old gun, and a few charges of powder and lead. They were not permitted to leavé the country by the same route they had entered it, but were sent by the way of Taos in charge of a corporal and two men. The escort accompanied them some little distance above that place when they suddenly left them and returned to Santa Fé. The weather was cold and the mountains covered with snow, and they found themselves turned adrift in an unknown country. They had many hundred miles of inhospitable plains and mountains to traverse and had tw? almost useless guns and a small supply of ammunition to kill game and defend themselves vg Slater, from hostile Indians. But there the situation was unfortunate; was no time to be lost in coh before taken prisoner, Merriwethet . appointed a place of rendezvous, where such of the Indians as might be . oe to make their escape were directed to go and await his coming. Mert i i Pe hia a that point, as well as he was able to do ie raed ha age of the country, being guided by the sun during © Sie “cal ars at night — killing game as they went at the risk of bring & hostiles upon them at the report of their guns. After traveling several Maxwell’s Mansion on the Cimarron |