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Show 110 viii. bilagAana ninAad^A' An Uneasy Peace An uncommon state of peace came to the Navajo frontier in 1852. The Navajos were proving that, when treated fairly, they could live at peace with their neighbors. There were some minor cases of raiding, but it was the New Mexicans, not the Navajos, who thus broke the truce. Navajos brought these raids to the attention of Calhoun and his successor, John Greiner. Both men worked hard to control such actions. They asked that the Navajos bring any complaints against New Mexicans to them. To keep the Indians friendly, they gave out sheep, seeds, and tools. William Carr Lane became governor and superintendent of Indian affairs in July 1852. He too gave the Navajos gifts to encourage them to stay at peace. When Sandoval spread rumors of a campaign against the tribe, Lane sent one of his Indian agents to calm the Navajos' fears. There were still problems, however. The renewal of trade meant that the Navajos were once more fair game for dishonest traders. New Mexicans pressed against the eastern frontier of Navajoland. The army could not completely halt the New Mexican raiding, and Navajo leaders still could not control the actions of all their tribesmen. The only Indian agent for the Navajos lived at Jemez, too far away to truly know Navajo conditions and problems. And Indian agents could not get enough money to carry out their plans. For one or all of these reasons, the fragile peace almost broke down in early 1853. That spring, Navajos made several raids. The most serious came on May 3, when a small band killed Ramon Martin and took two boys captive near Vallecitos, New Mexico. The Navajos were seeking revenge for the theft of a horse and mule. Governor Lane exploded in rage over this act and sent an agent to Navajo country to demand the captives and murderers. Navajo leaders willingly gave up the boys but made it clear that they lacked the power to turn over the raiders. During the summer, leaders such as Aguila Negra and Armijo made every effort to please the Americans. They returned stock which had been taken in raids. But Governor Lane still demanded the surrender of the five Navajos wanted for the Martin murder. He set rewards for their capture and a deadline for their surrender. Colonel Sumner prepared his troops and sent a patrol from Fort Defiance to investigate. |