Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 185?-1859, 1858-07-24
FOR THE GAZETTE.


Mr. Enron Finding that | have been cen
sured by many for my attempt to settle Red
River, and also that a belief has gone abroad
that the Indians came and ordered me away
before they committed the outrage, | have
thought II my duty in justice to myself, to
give thc facts as they occurred, and leave cy-
cry one to form his opinion therefrom
The place where commenced my settle
mcnt is only about sixty miles from Mr. Hat
chs rancho, and probably serenity or seventy
five from Fort Union and the country The dn
est part Of New Mexico either for grazing Or
agricultural purposes, and is at all times Gov
cred with stock, more particularly in tho win
ter scasonait being tho cnly place where stock
can be safely pasturcd in an i1clcment season.
the climate being much mAdir than on Our
high table lands, Now, all this stock is with
out protection, and it is customary ior all par.
ties Of indians who pass 10 help themselves to
what they want, They ask for it and if it is
not given, they help themselves with no spar
Ing hand, and before any notice could be Civ.
en- or assistance afforded, the marauders would
be gone beyond our reach A settlement on
Red River once firmly established would rem
edy this, and the Indians well know it. They
say, bring your stock butmakc no settlements
The next reason for undertaking it. was
that the climate Is delightful aad tho soil SO
rich that to see is to desire, and our old set.
Elements are now so crowded with poor peo.
pie, that it would bc a God send to them to
have such o country opened for settlomeut.-
This country has been surveyed and sectoned,
and inducements held out to our citizens to
go there, and the country described by the
Surveyors in glowing terms, and yet the half
has not been told.
These inducements led me to make the at-
tempt, and had not been disturbed until the
present time, there would have been strong
settlement around me. was there nearly
three months before my rancho was destroyed,
and commenced planting corn in January.
The Camanches heard Of it from the traders,
and Immediately held grand council and de-
termined on killing any Americans whomight
be there, burning the houses, and driving off
the stock. This was talked Of publicly before
the traders, few Of whom told me what the
Indians Intended doing, and thought should
have ample time to reach them before it took
| place, They also told me that they had in
formed Mr.. Barnham, who was in charge Of
the rancho, Of his danger, but that he would
not believe them The spies sent there by
, the Camanches, had arrived before the tra-
ders, and had conducted themselves in such a
manner as to inspire him with all confidence,
andtheir orders were to stay with him until
the village arrived IN the immediate neighbor
hood, The excuse given by them for wishing
! to stay was, that they had started to fight
the Apaches, but their horses had given opI
and they wished to recruit them few days
As soon as | learned the danger, sent the
report to Col. Loring of what was intended
andi although he was very anxious to assist
me, he could not do so as he was under mar
ching orders for Utah. Knowing that no time
was to be lost, took q man with me, anl
started hoping to reach them before they
commenced operations, but was day too
/ late. Before reached there, | saw the trai
Of the servants coming home and the smoke
arising from the burning property but as
saw 10 tract resembling Mr. Banrhm's,
/, knew he was either killed or was defending
/. himself in the house, and determined t,
satisfy myself as to his fate, and if he was still
alive to make an effort to save him.
!. Wepushcd on, but when we arrived in from
Of the door we found the poor fellow lying
! dead before the door, stripped naked, all Gu
to pieces with Knives one Of his cheek bone
mashed in, his scalp torn off and bis bod,
trown in the dirt. While we were looking a
5 this horrid sight, we saw an Indian on bill
! two or three miles distances, and as there wa