The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-08-18
4 FAMILY OF FIGHTERS.
Heroic Exploits in Battle With the
Navajo Indiana
st. Louis bc-Democrat.

The history of New Mexico ha
been, more than that of any othe
portion of the United States, a his
tory of warfare and of suffering
Ninety years before the Pilgrim
touched Plymouth rock the Span
ish conquistadores had planted III,
heel of oppression upon the neck o
New Mexico, and her broad. brown
bosom had drunk the mingled
blood of Aztec son and Castiliar
invader. And for $50 years there
after she did not know a quie,
twelvc-month.
The most famous town in New
Mexico, so far as warlike exploits
are concerned, is Cebolleta. At the
time of its founding, in 1900, it was
far west of all the other Spanish
settlements, and was in the midst
of the Navajoes, who were then
justly dreaded. The little hamlet
was never free from their murder
Gus attacks, and one by one it's
brave defenders were laid away in
the little graveyard, sieved with
Navajo arrows. A stout stone wall,
ten feet high. inclosed the whole of
the tiny town, the houses being
built continuously along it's inside.
The only entrance was closed by q
narrow gate formed by planks two
feet thick, hewn from two NAM
moth pines, and fastened by pom
derous bar. Despite this fortifica-
tion-a remarkably strong one for
those days-the Indians persisted
in their attacks. In 1904 the town
was besieged by an immense force
of Navajoes, who, having found
their scattering assaults irritating
and not satisfactory, were now de-
termincd to do the job to a brown
turn. Besides their usual armament
of bows, arrows, shields and lances,
they had prepared and brought 1000
aboriginal hand-grcnades of pitch,
with which to fire the town The
siege was a long and desperate one.
The thirty men Of the town were
kept on the keen jump extinguish-
ing the dangerous tireballs and
checking the constant assaults of
their swarming foes, while the brave
women were equally busy bringing
water and food to the loopholes at
which their husbands were sta
toned, binding up their wounds,
and doing other necessary offices.
Indeed, one Of the most heroic
and important exploits of this siege
was performed by a woman, Dona
Antonia Romero, grandmother of
Don Roman A. Baca. The assault
had become terrific, and, to feed the
fainting men more quickly and
safely, she had taken an axe and
cut through the adobe partitions
from house to house. Then mount
ing to a house-top to see if all was
going well. she was Mortified to see
that brave Navajo had stealthily
climbed over the gate and was just
removing the ponderous bar, while
4 swarm of his companions waited
outside to rush in the instant the
heavy gate should swing open.
There was no time to call for help.
Quick as a fash the nervy woman
caught up a 50-pound metate (the
native stone hand-mill) which was
ying upon the roof, swung it about
Ter head, and brought it down with
errific force full upon the skull of
he Navajo, who was too busy to
lotice what was going on above
lim. His skull was crushed like
n eggshell, and again the town
vas saved. Dona Antonia's hus-
'and, Don Domingo Baca, was
worthy SO plucky spouse. In one
,ssau!t, at hand-to-hand combat,
lie was pierced by seven lanccs, and
lis abdomen was so torn that his
'owels fell out. He caught up a
'illow, lashed it around his belly,
nd continued loading and firing
or several hours, until the fury of
he attack was spent. He then re-
laced his dangling entrails and
ewed up the wound himself. He
we'd for many years. At one time
uring this siege the Indians made
breach in the wall at night, and
90 of them got into the placita
inner court). The breach was
topped, however, and the intruders
ERE killed from the surrounding
ouses. The colonists fortunately
ad sixty venerable Spanish flint
,cks, which saved them from the
numbers of the saw
ges. The Navajos finally gave up
le siege, which had been disastrous
, both sides, but never ceased their
esultory warfare. It was the fol-
,wing year that the discouraged and I
,treating colonists were brought
ack and strengthened by Captain
[iguel Antonio Chaves and his 50
panish soldiers. Despite its fear
IL besetments the little colony kept s
live and became famous through
ut the territory for it's heroic war
ors. They were the flower OF t
ew Mexico.