Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-07-12

s1.s4E1sus
AssAlLED BY A LARGELY SUPERIOR FORCE,
he ordered the inhabitants Of Santa
Fe to retire to the Palace with
as much of their goods and chat
tells as they could conveniently save.
Then he requested the priests, Fray
Francisco Gomez de Ia Cadena guardian
Fray Andres Duran and Fray Francisco
Farfan, to close the paroquial church,
burning the Blessed Sacrament, and to
retire to the Palace also; all this was eX-
ecuted ere the rebels approached. Over
1000 persons of all ages and sexes were
gathered within the extensive quadrila-
teral, and its annexes on the evening
of the 18th of August The corrales were
filled with horses, and few cattle and
sheep. There were too many of the lat
ter to maintain them for any length OF
time, and not enough for adequate meat
supply in case the siege should last.
We have stated that the palace, with
its annexes, store-rooms, and enclosures,
occupied much larger area than to-day.
1t was not only the dwelling of the gov
ernor, the barracks of the garrison also
belonged to the same complex. 1t had
two round towers, one on the southeast,
the other on the southwest corner. The
walls OF the facade were provided with
merlons and embrasures. Now loopholes
were hastily opened in several places.
Musketeers were stationed on the para
pets and roofs, and the two small pieces
of bronze were so posted as to command,
from the foot of the round towers, the
streets and the plaza.
All these preparations had been effect
ed when, on the morning OF the 10Th OF
August, the Indians advanced upon
Santa Fe from the south. They were lit
tie else
THAN A HoWLING MOB,
and their first step was to begin sacking
the dwellings around the hermitage OF
San Miguel.
Otermin sent q troop to reconnoiter,
and they saw that the leader OF the horses
was an Indian from Galisteo, who had
been fiscal OF the convent, and whom the
governor had despatched two days pre-
vious to make overtures of peace to the
rebels. Now he paraded on horseback
at the head of the insurgents. wearing
q crimson sash, and armed with sword,
shield, musket, dagger and other Span
lsh weapons. After protracted parey
this man was induced to speak to the
governor himself. The interview, as
might be expected, had no result. The
Tano Indian declared that his people
| would listen to nothing short
| OF IMMEDIATE EVACUATION OF NEW MEXICO
or war. Don Antonio de Otermin naturally
| chose the latter alternative, and the TanO
returned to his people who received him
with the most boisterous demonstrations.
They shouted and yelled, blew the trum-
pets they had taken from the convent,
and rang the bells of the chapel of San
Miguel in token OF defiance.
The parleys had been entered into by
the Indians in order to get time. They
expected the Pueblos from the north to
arrive before Santa Fe every moment,
and therefore delayed the Spaniards as
much as they could.
oTERMIN WAS AWARE OF THIS,
but could not resort to offensive
movements ere he had exhausted all
possible means OF persuasion. So it was
ordained by the royal ordinances of 1878,
and by them he had to abide. But as
soon as parleying was over, he sent a
detachment against the rebels. That de-
tachment soon found itself in a critical
position, owing to the numbers of the
enemy and their sheltered position,
so that the governor had to 60 to its
assistance in person with the remainder
Of his men.
Tie whole day, the seen" 81 action
being the expanse on both sides
OF the San Miguel church and to the
south of it. The Indians were quite as
well armed as the whites and had plenty
Of ammunition for the day. They had
the advantage of numbers and of posi-
ton, the huts and houses afforded them
cover, and each Of these had to be car
ried. A series OF hand to hand encoun-
ters resulted, finally the buildings were set
on fire.
Shortly previous to sunset the Span
iards were masters OF the field, when the
northern Pueblos appeared in the rear of
the almost defenceless palace and pro-
ceeded to attack it. Hastily Otermln
moved back to the north side of the Santa
Fe river and succeeded
IN REFUSING THE AssAILANTs.
When night came on Tuesday,
the 18th of August, Santa Fe was
surrounded on all sides. The fields
in the south were in the hands of the
| Tanos, Pecos and QUERIES, THAT is, such
| of them as remained after their discom-
future OF the day, for many of them re-
turned to their homes at once). The
Tehaus, Picuries and Taos held the
heights of old Fort Marcy where they
camped, and the Tomas, they scattered
through the upper part of the Cienega,
and threatened the parrochial church,
together with the springs in its neighbor-
hood. Squads of Indians established
themselves in the Abandoned dwellings
of the town. Santa Fe was
IN THE HANDS OF THE REBELS,
the siege of the palace began.
That siege lasted until noon Of the 10th,
That is, until Tuesday OF the week follow
ing Not counting the 18th, since
the investment only began after night
fall, nor the goth, since the final sortie
was made at daybreak, we have six days
ana seven nights Tor Its dura-
ton. During that time, the
Indians made at least two determined at
tempts to carry the palace by storm. On
Friday, the 10th, they set fire to the Cha
pei OF San Miguel and to several houses
in the town, while rushing upon the walls
OF the royal houses. The artillery re-
pulsed them. On Saturday the parrochial
church and the convent were burnt down.
The situation was becoming more and
more critical for the besieged, for the