Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-05-09
DIEGO DE- VARGAS.
How the Spaniards Returned The Re-
conquest Of New Mexico In
1892 and 1898.

conquest Of New Mexico In
1902 and 1903.
lContinued from Saturday, May 2, 1891
Matters grew rapidly worse, however,
as soon as the Spanish body reached San
ia Fe on the 10th of December. The
town proper was mass of debris among
which the blackened walls CT the chapel
of San Miguel and those of the former
Parish church alone were conspicuous.
Above these ruins lowered the two and
three storied houses of the new pueblo,
erected on tile site of the former palace
and Of the plaza. That pueblo was, as
already stated, a strong edifce; compact,
forming two connected hollow rectangles,
and surrounded by wall with ravelins
and towers also with bastion. The
SOLEMN ENTRANCE OF VARGAS
into the largest Of these plazas was
marked, on the part of the Tanos, with
sullen indifference and some tokens of
hostility. 1t was clear that they meant
harm. Vargas would have been perfect
ly justified if he had simply quartered his
people in the houses, but he preferred to
establish his entire camp outside, near
where to-day stand the church and ceme-
terry OF the Rosario. All be asked of the
Tanos was, restoration of the chapel of
San Miguel for purposes of worship.
This they refused to do, giving for rea-
son the inclemency Of the weather.
THE GOVERNOR OF PECos, JUAN YE,
disclosed to Vargas the plans of the rebels.
They wished the Spaniards to divide,
one portion Of them taking lodgings in
the pueblo at Santa Fe, whereas the re-
mainder should camp outside. Once this
done, general massacre was to occur in
both places, the Tanos falling upon the
settlers in the houses and the northern
pueblos surprising the camp. For this
reason
VARGAS KEPT HIS WHOLE FORCE
together on the outskirts of the pueblo.
The leaders of this plot were the same
prominent Indians with whom Vargas
had had the most friendly intercourse in
the year previous, Luis Tupatu, OF Picu-
ris; Francisco Pacheco, of Taos, (after-
ward 80 sadly notorious) Mulato
Naranjo, of Santa Clara, and Antonio
Bolsas, we'll educated Indian from
Galisteo, who could read and write, and
who now welded almost unbounded in
tluence over the Tanos. 1t does not seem
that the western pueblos were implicated,
and this is easily explained through the
fact of the proximity of the Cias and their
friends by whom
THEY WERE HELD IN CHECK
to a certain extent. Still while these
western tribes (Santo Domingo, Cochiti,
Jsmez and the Acomas) remained so-to-
say in expectation of the things to come
off at Santa Fe, they continued their
and their attitude tow ard
the villages. friendly to the Spanish cause
became daily more threatening, An at
tack upon Cia and Santa Ana was
expected. AS to the Zunis,
they remained n.committal, and the
Moquis were at too great distance to
take an active part. Should
THE SURPRISE OF THE SPANISH CANT
and temporary settlement fail, then the
.ebels intended to resort to a Guerilla
warfare that was almost sure to succeed;
provided Santa Fe could hold it's own.
Their operations were to be directed
mainly against the Spanish stock. De-
,riving the whites gradually of their
,orses, killing as many of the people as
possible in detail until, weakened in num-
,ers, unable to make raids into the
country for purposes of foraging, huddled
ogether at Santa Fe without provisions,
hey would be reduced to condition
worse than that OF Otermin's force
AT THE CLOSE OF THE SIEGE,
his was expected to be the ultimate re-
,ult of that second alternative Of the con-
pirators. Neither were the Indians very
,areful in concealing their evil designs.
,paniards who had resided in New Mex
co previous to the rebellion and who
we're familiar with the Tehua idiom
poken by the Tanos, overheard many
nay whole conversations, on
he topic, in which the Indians disclosed
heir plans as well, as the ends they con-
identity expected to reach. The Pecos also
Iept Vargas we'll informed, offering at the
Jame time their assistances.
In order to further
THEIR DESIGNS UPON THE WHITES
he Indians resorted to still another and
more dangerous artifce. While the Ia
,os at Santa Fe assumed an attitude that
was growing more arrogant and defiant
,very day, the northern Pueblos feigned
me of sincere friendship. Their principal
men came to see Vargas frequently, as
,uring him of their loyalty. At last they
suggested to him that they being anxious
low to receive religious instruction, he
should have the priests distributed among
he different Pueblos, assiguingto to each of
hem small
escort" OF SOLDIERS.
This suggestion, through which the rebels
Intended to achieve nothing else but
Of the Spanish forces rem
lering their destruction more convenient,
would have been probably accepted by
Vargas, had not the warnings Of the Pecos
md the representations of the Father
Custodian, Fray Salvador de San Antonio,
based upon these warnings, dissuaded
him from it in time.
WINTER WAS AT HAND,
md the Spaniards, canped in the open
.ir, were suffering greatly. Supplies were