Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-05-16
A Hero of New Mexico.
Ely CHARLES F. LCMMIS.

When look back over the strange
career of my brave old Spanish friend,
Colonel Manuel Chaves, whose weary
remnant of body was laid to lest two
years ago under the shadow of the noblest
mountain in Western New Mexico, the
exploits of many heroes, who were
handler to the frame maker, seem a trife
tame. Known and loved here, yet his
name seldom reached to the great outside
world Of newspapers and historians, and
to-day he fills the grave of an almost un-
recorded hero. Yet suppose there was
never a more remarkable life For over
fifty years he was almost constantly
warning against the Apaches, Comanches,
Navajos and Utes. Over 200 of his
relatives were killed by Indians. He
participated in more than 100 fights aud
carried a scar for nearly every one of
them. His BODY was such q network of
CHASTITY cicatrices that scarcely could you
lay your hand upon him anywhere with
ont touching scar For the last6fteen
years Of his life ne suffered untold agonies
, the result Of l.is awful wounds and the
years of exposure and hardship, but he
met this more merciless foe as calmly as
he had met the Apache, and when, at
seventy -four, the hickering soul went
out, it was calmly as a little child's.
Life on the New Mexican frontier in
his day was something which VIC can i'll
| realize There were no railroads then to
! make travel easy for even the timid and
weak; nor mails to bring far friend
near; nor telegraphs to flash warning CT
hope. The Lonely New Mexicans, shut
off from contact. and almost from the
East by vast and fearful wilderness
were surrounded by savage nature anl
still more savage man. 1t was one. Of the
/ btterest lands on the earth. land o
vast distances and scant product, of in
HHile lnlst ana niue WneFeWltn e
quench it, land Of hardship eternal an6
Of daily danger, where boys were sol
diers and mothers had to fight for the
babes. it was almost as if there hal
been no other world beyond those awfu
plains. Whatever was consumed wa
made at home, and found no other mar
ket There were not even firearms fo
defence against the relentless savages
save scant supply of the clumsy ok
Spanish escopetas, (hintlock muskets
scarcely better weapons than the bow
and arrows whose use the settlers learne'
from their foes Manuel was in hi
youth wonderfully expert archer, AM
Won countless ponies and blankets from
the Indians themselves in contests durin!
the short intervals OF peace. Later h
became the best rife shot New Mexic
has ever produced.
The little town OF Cebolleta. whe,
Manuel passed his bovhood, was never
peace II tue nrsr hall century of its el
istence 1t was out and alcne from tt
other Spanish settlements, and in Il
very heart Of the Navajo country; and
was fearful sufferer AZ tie hands Of t,
Indians.
l, was from Cebolleta that young Ma,
ucl started, when he was eighteen yeal
old, on his first expedition--though
had already seen enough of war at HON
and was accounted among the braves
, the brave With his e.des. bro,he
Jose. and fourteen other young men,
started for the Canyon dc Chusco, /;
.a!les 10 the westward. il the stronghold
Of the Iodians, on t.adlos espeaisio