THE WAR WITH MEXICO
Of the events causing the transfer of title
of the present Arizona from Mexico to the United States the territory
saw but little. By proclamation, May 30, 1846, President Polk announced
the existence of a "state of war" with Mexico, and in carrying out the
plans for the invasion of New Mexico, Chihuahua and California,
the Army of the West was organized, and its command given to Stephen W.
Kearny. This army, as it moved westward from Bent's Fort on the
Arkansas, numbered about fifteen hundred men, and included a
regiment of Missouri cavalry, Colonel Doniphan; three squadrons of
dragoons, Major Sumner; two batteries of artillery, Major Clark; and
two companies of infantry, Captain Angney.
It was, of course, the desire of the administration at Washington
to occupy this western territory with as little bloodshed as
possible, and to that end arts of diplomacy were invoked as well as the
force of arms; so accompanied by Capt. Philip St. George Cooke, with an
escort of soldiers, went James Magoffin on a "secret mission" to
Governor Manuel Armijo at Santa Fe.
Magoffin was a man of great tact and good fellowship who for years
had been in the Santa Fe trade and was well liked in New Mexico. Just
what influence Magoffin brought to bear on the governor was never
revealed, but it was conspicuously successful. Only a few days
before, Armijo had issued a florid proclamation calling upon the people
to rally in repulsing the American invaders. After his conference with
Magoffin, although his people offered him substantial support, when the
Americans reached Apache Canyon, which could have been defended by the
Mexicans with half their resources, Armijo had fled to Chihuahua.
Magoffin had more difficulty in winning over Archuleta, the second in
command, yet by appealing to his ambition and cupidity succeeded
in overcoming his active opposition. As a result, when Kearny came
up with his army, the Mexican forces had faded away.
On August 18th, without any opposition whatever, the Americans
entered the city of Santa Fe, where they were cordially received by
Lieutenant-Governor Virgil. Accompanied by a salute of thirteen
guns, the American flag was raised over the palacio of the Spanish
governor.
Without any delay, Kearny commenced work on the military post, Fort
Marcy, and on September 22nd announced his plan of civil
government. Charles Bent, an American, who was married to an estimable
Mexican lady, was appointed governor, with Donaciano Virgil, a
native New Mexican, secretary. For United States attorney, Francis
P. Blair, Jr., afterwards famous as a statesman and soldier, was chosen.
Four days after the new officers had been sworn in, Kearny, now a
brigadier-general, with two hundred dragoons, commenced his march
to California. He left behind him Colonel Doniphan, who afterwards
captured Chihuahua. Col. Sterling Price, now on his way with the Mormon
Battalion, was to stay with the army at Santa Fe.
Before Doniphan started south to commence his campaign in Chihuahua, he
went to Bear Springs in the Navajo country, where he had a
conference with the leading chiefs of that tribe. The Navajos
were, then as now, the strongest Indian nation of the Southwest, and
although never showing the wanton, blood-thirsty characteristics
of the Apaches, for several years had been the traditional enemies of
the Pueblan Indians and the Mexicans alike. They had stolen their
flocks and herds, and had even at times carried away Pueblan women.
In greeting Doniphan and his associates the Navajo chiefs displayed
every cordiality, expressing their friendship and admiration for
the Americans, but were equally outspoken regarding their
detestation of the Mexicans, and could not understand why Doniphan
should object to their raiding them. However, finally, fourteen of the
chiefs signed a treaty agreeing to be peaceable, which treaty, it may
be added, as was characteristic of the Navajo, they soon broke.
In January, a little over three months after Kearny had left, a revolt,
headed by Don Thomas Ortiz and Diego Archuleta, who had failed to
receive the honors and emoluments vaguely suggested to him by
Magoffin, was plotted against the Americans. The plan was discovered,
however, before it reached its consummation, and the leaders, like
Armijo, fled precipitously into Mexico. Almost immediately afterwards a
second revolt was planned and executed, many Pueblo Indians joining the
disaffected Mexicans. Governor Bent, who was visiting in Taos, and
other American officials were murdered in a most barbarous manner.
A vigorous campaign against the rebels was immediately begun by Colonel
Price, in the course of which several small but desperate engagements
were fought. The insurgents were finally decisively beaten and the
leaders executed.
In the meanwhile, on October 6, 1846, ten days out of Santa Fe, General
Kearny met Kit Carson, with fifteen men, carrying important dispatches
for Washington. From him General Kearny first learned the momentous
news of the subjugation of California by Commodores Stockton and Sloat
and Captain Fremont. After undertaking the forwarding of Carson's
papers on to Washington, Kearny induced the guide to accompany him to
California.
In addition to his dragoons Kearny had with him a train of pack mules
and two mountain howitzers, but no wagons.
On resuming his march, Kearny, now about two hundred and thirty miles
below Santa Fe, went westward to the copper mines on the Gila River,
and from thence followed down the course of the river.
Soon after he entered what is now Arizona he encountered a band of
Mimbres Apaches headed by Mangas Colorado, an Indian of gigantic
stature, who later was almost continuously on the warpath against the
whites. Although the Apaches made no attempt to rob or harass the
Americans, the impression they made was not favorable. Later, when
meeting a band of "Giland" Apaches, one of the chiefs suggested to
Kearny that if he would raid the Mexican settlements of Sonora, in
return for loot they would gladly give them plenty of
reinforcements.
Upon being stopped by the precipitous walls of the box canyon of the
Gila River, the Aravaipa Trail was taken to the San Pedro Valley, from
whence the army returned to the Gila along a well-beaten Indian trail,
probably the same one followed by Fray Marcos three hundred years
before. From there on, in a general way, they followed the river to the
Pima country, where the Indians received them most hospitably,
offering melons, grains and provisions for sale.
In the journal of Capt. A. R. Johnston, who accompanied the expedition,
he says:
"The Indians exhibit no sentiments of taciturnity; but, on the
contrary, give vent to their thoughts and feelings without reason,
laughing and chatting together; and a parcel of young girls, with
long hair streaming to their waists, and no other covering than a clean
white cotton blanket folded around their middle and extending to their
knees, were as merry as any group of like age and sex to be met with in
our own country."
The Colorado River was crossed by the expedition on November
24th, and on December 6th they encountered a superior force of Mexicans
at San Pascual, well towards the Pacific. After a sharp engagement they
drove them from the field in disorder. However, the army of the
Californians re-formed the next day, and although the attack they made
on the Americans was unsuccessful, they cut off their further advance.
As Kearny's men were wholly without supplies, the situation was
desperate. To get word to the Americans, whom they believed to be in
San Diego, that night Kit Carson, Lieutenant Beale and a friendly
Indian crawled through the enemy's lines, and although sick with hunger
and thirst, and their feet lacerated with cactus needles, they finally
reached San Diego, where they found Commodore Stockton, who promptly
sent back reinforcements with provisions. A day later the Americans
entered San Diego in triumph.
The Mormon Battalion, one of the divisions of Kearny's army which
crossed Arizona on its way to California, was, both in its inception
and history, nothing less than remarkable. Its members, belonging
to a religious sect that had been persecuted and driven from their
homes in Illinois and Missouri, offered their services to do battle for
and defend the very nation that had failed to give them protection.
However, their actions were inspired probably by personal advantage as
well as loyalty to the country. At the time of the
beginning of the Mexican war, seeing that it would be impossible for
them to return to their own homes, their leaders had decided to
emigrate to some place in the Far West in the hope of finding a land
where they could dwell without molestation. Doubtless it was the
opportunity that it would give the soldiers to become acquainted with
the possibilities of the West as a field for colonization that made the
organization possible.
The agreement between the Mormon leaders and the administration was
that the recruits should enlist for a period of twelve months, with the
understanding that they were to march to California, receive pay
and allowances during the time, and at the end of the year be
discharged and allowed to keep their arms and accouterments.
Five companies were finally mustered into the service, and a motley
organization it must have been. It included the feeble as well as the
strong, mere boys and the old and infirm; it was undisciplined and
ill clad, and to cap the climax, they were to carry their women with
them.
Nevertheless, on July 20,1846, they started west from Council Bluffs,
Iowa, where they were mustered, and after great hardships, on
October 9th, the first division of the battalion arrived at Santa Fe.
Here they were put in command of Lieutenant-Colonel Cooke, who
immediately tried to make some sort of a military organization out of
the raw material.
Realizing that it would be utterly impossible for the battalion in its
present form to make the journey across the deserts of Arizona and
California, those unfit for service were weeded out, reducing the
number from five hundred to three hundred and fifty. Of the women, only
five wives of officers were allowed to proceed with the journey, and
they were obliged to furnish their own transportation.
'
Still, with all the care of preparation that Colonel Cooke could
make, the start west, which commenced October 19th, was
inauspicious enough. The troops had sixty days9 rations of flour,
sugar, salt and coffee; salt pork for thirty days and soap for twenty.
These supplies were to be carried in wagons, and as there had never a
wagon, up to that time, crossed the territory, and roads other than
Indians trails or paths over which the old Spanish caretas used to
travel between Tucson and Sonora were absolutely unknown, some of the
difficulties which faced the commander can be seen.
On account of the wagons some of the rougher mountainous country over
which Kearny's dragoons journeyed was impassable for Cooke, who
therefore led his troops in a general southwesterly direction into the
state of Sonora to a point about fifteen miles north of the old Spanish
presidio of Fronteras, and from there to the San Pedro River, where
they turned north along its course.
Here the soldiers saw large bands of wild horses, cattle and antelope.
The cattle and horses were from the Mexican ranchos which had been
abandoned on account of Indian troubles.
There were Spanish bulls among them who seemed to object decidedly to
the presence of the Americans in their domain. Time after time these
animals charged the forces, and it was anything but a humorous matter
to the men attacked, several of whom were severely wounded.
Naturally, shortage in beef rations was immediately remedied.
December 14th Colonel Cooke came upon four Mexican soldiers. A sergeant
who was in command said they had been sent by Captain Comaduron,
comandante of Tucson, with the request that the Americans should not
pass through the town. The colonel returned word to the commander
that if the garrison was very weak he would probably not molest it, and
added that the soldiers tell the people that the Americans were their
friends and would be glad to trade with them.
Continuing on their way, a day or so later, a second delegation from
Tucson rode into camp and announced that they had been authorized by
the comandante to make some sort of an armistice. After a discussion,
Cooke told them he would be satisfied with the delivery of a few arms
as a token of surrender and a parole. Sixteen miles from Tucson, Cooke
was met by a third envoy, a mounted soldier, who simply delivered a
note refusing the ferms offered and rode away. At this skirmishers were
thrown out and the column made ready for an engagement, but before they
had proceeded far two Mexicans were met who advised them that the
soldiers as well as most of the inhabitants of the town had fled.
After camping on the desert over night, the Americans entered the town,
where they found about a hundred people, perhaps a fifth of its
population.
Following the example of Kearny, Colonel Cooke assured the people that;
they would be treated with kindness, and left a diplomatic letter for
Don Manuel Gandara, the governor of Sonora, insinuating that
authorities at Washington were really better friends to him than the
central government at Mexico.
The Mormons, of course, were much interested in the old barracks and
the surrounding walls, but still more curious to learn what provisions
could be had. Their eager search was rewarded by finding a
quantity of wheat stored in the barracks.
A three days' journey from Tucson brought the battalion to the edge of
the Pima country, where these friendly Indians visited the camp,
bringing letters from General Kearny and from his quartermaster
which told of eleven broken down mules and two bales of goods left for
him with the Pimas. Five of the mules had died, but the rest, with the
bales, were promptly delivered to Colonel Cooke.
Writing of the Indians, the colonel says: "The Pimas are large and fine
looking, seem well fed, ride good horses, and are variously clothed,
though many have only the center cloth; the men and women have
extraordinary luxuriance and length of hair. With clean white blankets
and streaming hair, they presented quite a fine figure. But
innocence and cheerfulness are their most distinctive
characteristics. I am told the Mexican officers offered them every
persuasion and promise of plunder to excite hostility toward us. A few
bushels of sweet corn were bought and issued as rations."
A few days later an attempt was made to transport some of their
provisions by water down the Gila on an improvised barge, but on
account of sand bars it was found impracticable.
On January 9th the battalion reached the Colorado; four days were
consumed in crossing the river where they used the same improvised raft
they had used on the Gila.
The balance of the long march was made without any noteworthy
incidents, and the old San Diego mission was reached on January 27,
1847.
Although their long march proved of no special benefit in winning the
Mexican war, nevertheless the Mormon battalion had accomplished a most
important work for the Southwest and the nation.
Illy provided with equipment and clothing, and subsisting largely on
game they killed, they had, through mountains and deserts, blazed a
practical wagon road from the end of the Santa Fe trail to the Pacific,
the knowledge of which proved of inestimable value to overland
travelers, and suggested later a transcontinental railroad route
that, owing to lack of steep grades, could be built at minimum expense.
The Story of Arizona By William Henry Robinson Published by The
Berryhill Co., 1919