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Show 484 AU'l'OHIOGRAPHY OF the priest in Taos to the priest in Santa Fe. A watch was immediately set upon the priest's house, and a Mexican was seen to enter. The guard approached the door to arrest the man a~ he issued, but he, being apprised of the action of the authorities, left the house by anotl1er door, and escaped. At nigJ~t there cam.e a violent rapping at my gate, and on gomg to open It I perceived my friend, Charles Towne, who, on being admitted, clasped me round the neck, and gave vent to uncontrolled emotion. Perceiving that something alarming had occurred, I invited him into the house, spread refreshments before him, and allowed him time to recover himself. He th.en informed me that he had escaped almost by a miracle from Taos, where all the American residents l1ad .been k~lled. He was a resident there, having marned a g1rl of New Mexico, and his wife's father ~ad apprised h~rn that he had better effect his escape, If possible, for I~ he was ~aught he would be inevitably massacred. His father-m-law provided him with a good horse, and he retreated into the woods where a [;t er consi'd m·able risk and anxiety, he provid' entially' eluded the assassins. . 01: receiving this alarming information, I lost no time m repairing to the head-quarters of General Price acco.mpanied by my informant, who related the abov~ particulars. General Price immediately adopted the most effective measures. He assembled his officers and instructed them. to ~et a close watch upon th~ house of eve1·y Mexican In the city, and to suffer no pers01: .to pass in or ou~ ; he ~lso ordered that every Am.encan should hold himself In readiness for service ~urmg ~he night. Before morning several of the most Influential Mexican citizens were placed under arrest. JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 485 In searching them, important conspiracies were brought to light. Correspondence, implicating the most considerable residents, was read, and a plot was detected of subjecting Santa :Fe to th~ ~arne St. Bartholomew massacre as had just been VISited upon Taos. !he city was placed under martial law, and ever~ Am.encan that could shoulder a musket was called Into unmediate service. All the ox-drivers, mule-drivers, merchants, clerks, and commissariat-men were form~d into rank and file, and placed in a condition for hol.dmg the city. Then, placing himself at the head of his army, four hundred strong, General Price marched toward Taos. On arriving at Canjarra, a small town about twenty miles from Santa Fe, we found th.e enemy, num berino- two thousand Mexicans and Indians, were prepared ~o give us battle. The enemy~s li:1es were first perceived by our advanced guard, .wluch Instan~ly fell back upon the main body. Our lme was form~d, and an advance made upon the enemy, the mountm?eer company, under Captain Saverine, being placed In charge of the baggage. As soon as battl~ ;vas begun, however, we left the baggage and ammutntiqn wagons to take care of themselves, and made a descent upon the foe. He fled precipitately before the charge of our lines, and we encamped upon the field of battle. The next day we advanced to La1:1boda, where the enemy made another stand, an~l aga1n fl_ed on our approach. We marched on. until we arnved at Tao.s, and the barbarities we Witnessed there exccede.d 1n brutality all my previous experience ·with the Ind1a?s. Bodies of our murdered fellow-countrymen were lymg about the streets, m'utilated and disfigured in ~very possible way, and the hogs and dogs were makmg a repast upon the 1·emains. Among the dead we rec- |