Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1890-05-24

whole OF the 22d of January. Many of
the assailants were wounded. Late in
the afternoon the twelve loomeG up on
the heights in the southwest and a shot
from the howitzer followed by musketry
firing, told the beseged OF the danger ap-
proaching from that side. A part oftheir
warriors Immediately hsstended to the
quarters thus threatened.
The heights south and southwest Of
Acoma are scantily timbered. Zaldivar
had directed his men to cut suitable trees,
in order to bridge over the chasm separat-
ing them from Acoma. At sundown the
Spaniards withdrew from the attack upon
the main trail, the greater number of them
joining the twelve during the night.
Only a strong guard was left with the
horses at the foot of the rock. Either
the Indians discovered these movements
or else they guessed the designs OF their
enemies, for they determined upon con-
cealing anumber of their warriors in rocky
recesses near where the Spaniards were
expected to cross. At daYbreak of Jan
uary % Zaldivar sent squad OF picked
men to throw the beam across the cleft;
as soon as this was done, certain num-
Der crossed over on it and one of these
thoughtlessly pulled the beam after him,
thus cutting them off from the main body,
hardly was this done when the Indians
came forth from their hiding places and
assailed the vanguard from all sides.
Their position became desperate; instead
OF retreating, they were driven forward
by the foe, who pressed upon them mostly
from the rear. At this juncture an officer,
a favorite Of Onate, Gaspar Perez de Vii
lagran, leaped the chasm and seizing
the timber, pushed it back across it. The
main body with Zaldivar at its head, then
rushed over in time to extricate the i'm
periled troops. Thenceforth Acoma was
doomed.
But the Indians did not surrender they
continued to oppose desperate resist
ance. Step by step they had to be driven
back upon the pueblo, and by nightfall
were shut in within the walls of their
many-storied homes. The fire from the
little stone howitzer, uncertain and slow
as it was, had still made quite an impress
sion. Many walls were perforated, cor
ners damaged and shattered. Still this
rather strengthened their position. 1t
formed massive heaps against which ar
tillery was powerless. The walls OF q
Pueblo house crumbling, turn into a re-
doubt.
The action commenced again on the
oath Of January. Every summons to sur
render had been discarded by the be-
sieged, nothing was left but but to carry
house after house by storm. Many Of
the roof-tmbers caught fire and soon q
cloud of fire and smoke hovered over the
summit OF the Rock of AComa. 1t is the
well known tale Of a pueblo being
stormed, to-wt: Desperate but useless
resistance from housetops, partial flights
in the interior Of the dingy rooms, the
crashing of timbers, the roaring of flames,
wild snrieks Of women and childen,
whoops OF defiance replying to the Span.
ish war shorts OF Santiago" and the
commaTis of officers. Soon the interior
village was on fire. Many of the Acomas
leaped down the precipces. Two of these
escaped unhurt, but the majority were
dashed to pieces. In one room, mum.
Der CT women and children had been in
closed; every effort to save them was
made by order Of Zaldivar, but ere the
trap door could be opened the inmates
were dead Smoke had stihed them. By
noon all was over, few OF the old men
came to the Spanish commander to sue
for mercy.
Zaldivar had, in the many summons
which he fruitlessly made to the obstinate
tribe, insisted upon the surrender OF those
who had been the leaders in-the mas.
sacre of his brothers. detachmet. These
alone he intended to punish. Now these
ring-leaders were dead. All OF them had
peri-hed, and of the Navajo auxilaries
also but very few survived Still the loss
of life was not as great as might be ex-
pected. On the Spanish side, only one
man was killed, though nearly every one
had received more or less painful wounds
and bruises. This was due to the armor,
buckskin, cotton, and iron or steel, worn
by the Spaniards. The first days fight
was one for position only, and the loss
was almost exclusively on the Spanish
side. On the second day US we'll as on
the third, it was largely hand to hand
encounter in which the Spaniards had
the advantage OF weapons and protection
The greatest loss was inflicted upon the
Indians on the last day, during the
storming of the pueblo. In all, perhaps,
500 of the people of Aconla, men, women
and children, lost their lives. A certain
number eighty of girls, were made
captives and sent to Mexico afterward
where they were left in the care OF nuns.
Otherwise the tribe was not further chas,
tised. They were punished enough, fo,
most of heir stores had been destroyed
by the confagration, and their homes had
been left unnhabitable. Acoma had to
be rebuilt; though on the same site, and
the present pueblo therefore dates from
after the catastrophe of January, 1899.