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Show 410 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY NEW ly favored the separation and was one of the chief advocates of a bill to that effect then pending in the house. W. F. M. Arny, secretary of the territory, had been performing the duties of governor of New Mexico during the years 1865-1866, when General Robert B. Mitchell *°* was ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNOR appointed governor by President ROBERT B. MITCHELL Johnson. He had not been long in office before he became involved in a controversy with the legislative assembly, which passed resoluthere on the 31st of December, they celebrated the organization of the territory some of the escort were killed, but they succeeded in driving with some loss among them. When they reached Granite, now off the savages called Prescott, of Arizona. On the journey they had several encounters with the Indians and the governor decided to make that the capital and Colonel Chaves was permitted to return with his troops to New Mexico, making the return trip over a new route. The oth of convention which was held at Tucson continued from the 2d to the April, 1860. James A. Lucas was president. The places represented were Mesilla, Santa Rita del Cobre, Las Cruces, Dofia Ana, La Mesa, Santo Tomas, Picacho, Amoles, Tucson, Arivaca, Tubac, Sonoita, Gila City, and Calabazas. A territory was organized with the following counties: 1. Dofia Ana, all east of the Rio Grande; 2. Mesilla, from the river west to the Chiricahua mountains. 3. Ewell, from the mountains west of a line crossing the Little Desert, near the center; and 4. Castle Dome, all west of Ewell county. The Ewell for which the county was named was Captain R. 8. Ewell, U. S. A, afterward a major general in the Confederate army. 886 Robert Byington Mitchell was born in Richland county, Ohio, April 4, 1823, and died in Washington, D. C., January 26, 1882. He received his collegiate education at Washington College, Washington, Pennsylvania, and afterward studied law, practising his profession at Mansfield, Ohio, 1844 to 1846, when he enlisted with the Ohio volunteers for the Mexican War and served as first lieutenant of the 2d infantry from September 4, 1847, to July 26, 1848, on which date he was honorably mustered out. sumed the practice of law and in 1856 moved Linn county, in 1857. He was He returned to Ohio and reto Kansas, settling at Paris, an active participant in the free state cause and served the territory in many ways; first as a member of representatives, 1857 and 1858, later as a delegate to stitutional convention, being elected March 25, 1858. At des Cygnes massacre, May 19, 1858, Mitchell organized a them James Montgomery) of the territorial house the Leavenworth conthe time of the Marias posse of men (among to follow the notorious Hamilton and his party into Missouri; unfortunately these outlaws escaped the pursuing party. Mitchell was a member of the Free State convention at Topeka, April 28-29, 1858, and a candidate for congress in the democratic convention at Lawrence, October 25, 1859. He was appointed treasurer of Kansas territory February 11, 1859, serving until February, 1861, and was the first adjutant general of the state, holding that office from May 2 to June 30, 1861. He likewise served as president of the territorial relief convention, meeting at Lawrence November 14, 1860. On June 20, 1861, he was mustered into the U. 8. service as colonel of the 2d Kansas volunteer infantry; in 1862 this organization was merged into the 9th Kansas with Colonel Mitchell as commanding officer, March 15th, of the same year the name of the regiment was changed to 2d Kansas volunteers and MEXICO DURING THE CIVIL WAR 41] tions calling for his removal. He was charged with having absented himself during a session of that body, with the removal of certain officials appointed by Secretary Heath, and refusing to sanction a memorial passed in his absence. He took it upon himself to name a delegate in congress. The legislature determined to send all its enactments not approved by him to congress for confirmation, at the same time asking that the absolute veto power of the governor be abrogated, which was granted by an amendment to the organic act, passed in 1868. During his administration the Moreno mines were discovered, peonage was abolished, the governor issuing a proclamation on the subject. The supreme court of the territory rendered a decision declaring the Pueblo Indians to be citizens. The county of Grant was created, the first daily mail from the east was established, and the Navajé Indians were returned from Bosque Redondo to their old home in the northwest. Attorneys-general P. Clever, S. B. Elkins, and Merrill Ashurst.**7 were Charles The military tele- again on March 27th to 24 Kansas cavalry. April 8, 1862, Colonel Mitchell was promoted to brigadier-general and commanded the 9th division, 3d army corps, Army of the Ohio, in the battle of Perryville, and the cavalry corps of the Army of the Cumberland in the battle of Chickamauga. While colonel of the 2d Kansas he was severely wounded at the battle of Wilson’s Creek; he made the charge at the side of General Lyon, who was commanding, and they fell together, General Lyon to his death. On December 14, 1866 he was appointed governor of New Mexico, continuing in that office until 1869. He then returned to Kansas, and was at Paola, Miami county, for a time, being a delegate to the Liberal Republican convention held at Topeka in 1872, where he received the nomination of that body to congress. He shortly moved to Washington, D. C., where he died. 87 Charles P. Clever, was born in Cologne, Prussia, in 1827. He came to the United States in 1848 and settled at Santa Fé, New Mexico, in 1850. He was engaged in merchandising from 1855 to 1862, being a member of the firm of Seligman and Clever. In 1857 he held the position of United States marshal for the territory. At this time he began the study of the law; admitted to the bar in 1861, he at once entered upon the active practice of the profession. Ap- pointed adjutant general by Governor Connelly in 1861, he served as adjutant on the staff of Colonel Canby at the battle of Valverde. In 1867 was eandidate for delegate to congress, received the certificate, but in a contest, his opponent, Colonel J. Francisco Chaves, was given the seat. In 1864 was made commissioner to codify the laws. He was a man of great strength of character; had many friends and many enemies. He died in 1874. x Merrill Ashurst, who filled the office of the attorney general from 1852 to 1854, and again from 1867 to 1869, was born in Alabama; came to New Mexico 'n September, 1851, and began the practice of his profession at Santa Fé. He was a man of unusual ability, a convincing orator and very successful as a Prosecutor. He died in 1869, while serving his second term as attorney genera], Theodore Wheaton came to New Mexico with General Kearny, and belonged to the 1st Missouri volunteers under Colonel A. W. Doniphan. After the war |