American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-09-08

INTERESTING FROM SANTA FE-STRENGTE
OF THE MEXICAN FORCES--HOSTILlTY
OF THE lNDIANS--THEIR PROPOSITION
TO THE MEXICAN AUTHORGTIEs-INBIA
! MURDERS. sc.
By the arrival of Mr.. N. Colburn at Indie,
pendence, in "a l2 days from Santa Fe, the
shortest passage on record, the ST. Louis Re-
publican has obtained some highly interesting
intelligence, the most important of which we
subioin:
Mr. Colburn left Santa Fe on the Sd of Au-
gust. There were only $50 Mexican soldiers
stationed at Santa Fe, but the authorities stat
ed that they had 1000 men ready to march at
moments warning to meet Gen. Kearney,
and 1000 were expected from the lower coun-
try. How far this expectation may be realiz-
ed, may be Judged of from the fact, that Mr.
Kennedy, who had inst arrived from Sonora,
reported that they had there only 800 soldiers,
200 at chihuahua, and 40 at Ell Passo.
When Mr.. G. left Santa Fe, nothing had
been heard of Gen. Kearney's movements for
fifteen days previous. 1t was not then known
that Gen. Wool was moving against Chhua-
hua. About 200 miles on his route home, he
met with eight Mexican Dragons who had
been watching the movements of the Amer-
can forces under Gen. Kearney. They said
they had not seen the troops, although they
had been in sight of Bent's Fort and to the ST.
marone. Mr.. Colburn reached the crossing of
the Arkansas in ten days, being the quickest
trip ever made to that point in wagons. He
found grass and water scarce. He there met
Capt. Worcester Of the U. States Artillery, r.
Caldwell and Chas. Bent, only ten days from
Independence, and sent by them to Gen. Hear
ney all the news of which he was in possession
From this party, he heard of the murder, on
the evening before, of MIR. w. L Swan, of
Northampton, Mass. He was returning, il is
stated from Fort Bent, in company with Mai
G.. Clark, and was shot from his horse, when
within seventy-fve yards of their camp, by In
dams.
On the 18th, he met Mr.. Turley's company
of three wagons, for Taos, and also 43 Gov
eminent wagons and ffly-four men. They
were lying by for repairs They had lost ff-
teen yoke Of oxen: many ofthe men were sick,
and they had only two rounds of ammunition.
No guard could be placed at night, and they
had nothing with which to protect themselves
when hunting their oxen The Indians were
attacking some Of the companies almost every
night. This detachment of wagons was then
sixteen days behind the Army, which Mr.. C.
learned was subssting on half ration of bread
and meat, with neither sugar nor coffee! He
expresses the opinion, that one hundred Mexi-
can soldiers could capture all the supplies Of
Government stores from the Cotton Wood to
! Bent's Fort, ifthey only knew their exposed sit
uaton. IL was also stated that the dragons had
only fifteen rounds of ammunition with them.
Mr. G. says the Indians were in Santa Fe, of
ferng their services to Gen. Armio, on condi-
ton that he should let them have the spols
which they might take from the Americans,
but that he had refused to accept the PROPOSE
ton. Ifhe had acceded to it, the army might,
possibly, have been defeated; or their supplies
cut off, which would have caused great dis
tress Major Clark had himself gave the men
all the powder they could spare, and left them
On the 18th he met twenty-five government
wagons, in charge of Mr. Campbell and Mr..
Coons, of ST. Louis. He learned from them
that their camp had been attacked on the night
previous, and that they had killed one Indian
and wounded another. That night his camp
was attacked at Coon Creek, and an attempt
made to run off his stock.
On the l6th he met sixty wagons, loaded
with merchandise, at Pawnee Fork, belonging
to Armiio Magofiin and others. At this point,
he overlook ten wagons on their return from
Bent's Fort.
On the 18th, at Cow Creek, met Messrs.
Barnes and Allen, with thrty-one government
wagons and forty-three men. His camp was
again attacked, and an attempt made to drive
off the animals-the guard fired on the Indians,
but they contrived to steal three of Maj or
Clark's mules, which caused some delay
About three o'clock in the morning, they heard
firing of musketry, which they afterwards
learned was from Mr.. Horner's company of
eighteen wagons at Owl Creek. Their camp
had been attacked by large body of Indians,
and they were almost without powder. Ma
or Clark gave them all he could spare.
! Mr.. Colburn represents trade as being ex-
tremely dull at Santa Fe. There was a heavy
storm of snow on the mountains on the 18th Of
June, and on the 10th of July he saw large
banks of snow. On the cath of June there
was tremendous hail storm on the St. Charles;
some of the stones measured nine inches, and
he saw one house which had holes cut through
the roofby it.
The corn crop was very poor. Mr.. &. ex-
presses the opinion, that the horses of the
mounted men must suffer severely during the
winter, as there was but little surplus grain in
the country, probably not exceeding 5000 bu-
shells Of wheat, and no corn.
The Navajo Indians were committing depre-
dations on the Mexicans They killed one
man and wounded another, on the 2nd ult.,
within l2 miles of Santa Fe, and were almost
daily running off their stock.
| Mr.. Alvares, American Consul at Santa Fe,
was in feeble health.
SALE OF THE PORTSMOUTH AND ROANOKE