Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-03
TRAGIC SCENES ON THE FRONTIER.

TRAG &c SCENES ON THE FRONTIER
Letter r0~ known and respectable gentleman TO the Editors
New Mexico, FEBRUARY 10, 1852.
eake pen in hand to give you, Messrs. Editors,
30 me news Of this fardistant Territory conquered
and annexed to the bright constellation of the North
American continent forming the United States.
But fear me that what | am about TO relate is OF
character to please the fancy Of neither the old
nor the young of your readers, being mere COM
piaton of facts relative bloody deeds committed al
most daily in midst and threatening the safety OF all
matter how well armed and courageous they may be,
or what escorts they may have. And am proud and
happy to be able to add my humble testimony-and do
with the utmost respecto that portion Of the Pres
dents Message and Of the Secretary Of Wars Report
which, referring to this Territory pronounces the militia
ry force within its limits entirely inadequate and INSULT
cient for its protection.
Had the recommendation Of Chief Magistrate,
tanned in his message Of 1850 been listened and
piled with had it been entertained with that Difference
which his patriotic gave him right expect the
troops then raised might have already taken the field and
saved lives and property than the Of support
ing times the number asked for What are
for but to carry out that paragraph Of the Cons
tuition which guarantees to oil the citizens Of this repub
lie the protection Of person and property" Are
still in the infant state in the swsddng Clothes and fear
that compile thousand Of mounted men may SUBJ
vert institutions, sack and bun the Capitol for
feu dc joie = roast for bonnie bouchn dozen Of
the obkoxous honorabes and like the Prntoran guards
murder the President to elect Of their avorites Or
the expenses beyond our resources? Well, / will
state the facts; let others make the estimate.
After the depredations committed list fall by the
Araches and the Navajoes at the
tons with which you doubtless frmliar and which
resulted in their carrying off about hundred and Sc
venty head Of stock belonging to the army and to the
Boundary Commission, or, which is all he same to the
Treasury Of the United Statesthe Apache Indians have
since caused many tear of sympathy AMI regret flow
their orepeated murders of our citizens and sodiery
and have drawn upon their heads many abtter and
Of vengeance OF their continued robbery and plumber
The following is the summary of the atrocities COM
mitted within the two past months
In the month of December last they stole from under
the Of Fort Conrad forty mules the troops
and, although hotly pursued by our dmgoons escaped
with their booty, owing to the broken condition of the
ofeconomy dragon horses Shortly
after this exploit they off with about the same
Der of animals, sent to neghborng pnery for timber
by the quartermaser of Fort Fillmore and not far dis
tant from that place.
Within few days of the above robbery they attacked
and killed Mr. Brent, the lamentel and distinguished
member of the Legislature from Santa Fe and his
Emboldened by their successful operations they
ed La Joya, q Mexican town in the valley Of the Rio
Grande and after regular battle they succeeded in
rying off all the stock they wanted besides killing several
New Mexcans With the inhabitants of Polvadera a
town not remote from La Joya they behaved in like
ner their success being greater than at the former
place.
About one week later small band of Apaches sur
prised three citizens from the village of Limitar res
dence of ex-General Armijo) and murdered them On
the 2Sd of January last they entered the suburbs of FL
Paso and killed four men
The mail from San antonio, due on the 18th of last
month has reached ts desnstoh and Capt Skill
the contractor received letter from citizen Of
Guadalupe stating that his way up, the Eagle
Pass he saw remnants of spring wagon destroyed by
fire. with provisions strewed it, The Captain en-
terans doubt of the destruction of his mail party by
the Apache Indians.
man, by name Constanca, from Dona Anna on his
way to the Coppermnes with an oxtrain Of goods had
within the last fortnight at Cooks Spring all his oxen
stampeded and carried off and finally, through fright
left them the train with all its contents.
An escort Of ten dragons and United States wag
on, returning to Fort Conrad on the Tornado del
Muerto" attacked by forty Apaohes some Of our
fought like heroes, but the Apaches being strong in
number, kedfour dragons, wounded several and took
the wagon with the mules.
While write these llnes 10 you distinguished Cap
tain Of Dragons, passing by scout brings the nfor
nation that Major R-n, commanding Fort Webster at
the Coppermines had had fight with the Apaches and
killed several In two days the Indians returned carried
off one hundred head Of stock and killed two non-com-
missoned officers.
learn that Major Emory, chief astronomer and sur
veyor Of the boundary between the United States and
Mexico, has applied, win shortly apply, for additional
troops, to be detailed escort duty the Boundary
Commission the present number being entirely inadequate
protect the surveying parties scattered far and wde
and, told, between the mouth of the ella and
the Eagle Pass, on the Rio Grande
am, very respectfully, your Obedient servant, R.
The Mount Holly IN. j. Mirror thus notices the
changes in the good fortune Of Prince MURAT:
" There very many in county who remember
Prince LUcIES MURAT, the sporting, goodnatured soul
who formerly dwet at Of the Joseph Bona
parties estate at Bordentown living knew hardly
hsw-wild and reckless-today flush with money, to
morrow not a shot in the locker.