Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-06-27
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF NEW MEXICO
Francisco. Sanchez Chamuscado and the
Franciscan Missionaries. Fray Fran
cisco Lopez, Fray Juan de San
ta Maria and Fray Agustin
Rodriguez, 1851.
Continued from Saturday June 20.

Continued from Saturday June 90
Upon application made to him by Father
Rodriguez (Which application was o
course endorsed by the provincial O.
the Franciscan order in New Mexico) the
Viceroy count of Coruna also contributed
toward the fitting out OF the party by Civ
ing his written permission to take alone
an escort. But the number of men com
posing that escort was limited to a maxi
mum OF twenty; servants and soldiers
included. This was very feeble support
for the courageous monks, still they CRATE.
fully accepted, trusting to the nature ol
their mission rather than to armed pro-
lection for their safety. With his two
companions and the document from the
chief magistrate of New Spain Father
Rodriguez returned to Santa Barbara in
the spring of 1881, thence to set out on
his adventurous enterprise.
1t is noteworthy that neitlfer OF the
members of the expedition had any dis.
tinct idea of what country they were
going to visit. 1t results from their sub
sequent actions, that they had no knowl-
edge of Coronalo's anterior achievements
and of the discovery Of New Mexico. Or
if they had any they certainly believed
that the "Nova Granada" visited by
Coronado and recorded on few rare
maps since the year 1913, was not the
region mentioned by the Conchos. 1t
seems that, in the minds Of the public,
the remarkable discoveries of Fray Mar
cos of Nizza in 1880, as well as the i'm.
portant explorations by Coronado had
become as good as obliterated. This is
not strange. l may refer, here, to an
expedition which preceded that oi
Father Marcos by one year, and of which
to-day hardly a documentary vestige is
left; the journey of Father de la Asun.
cion and Nadad to the Gila river in 1888
One must remember that prior to the
year 1856 (when Fray Juan Gonzalez de
Mendoza published the first detailed &C.
count of New Mexico in his history ot
China accounts of northern expeditions
had appeared in very few books. To my
knowledge, the Indian chronicles OF Go.
nara and Oviedo, and, possibly, the re-
publicas del mando of Fray Hieronymo
Roman were the only works containing
pafopannnc fO uyha Of of I'd
as New Mexico and Arizona; and these
references were meagre, at the same time
conveying most unfavorable impression
of the countries described. The original
sources upon the first expeditions were
accessible to the public, so that when the
government required (as was the case
soon after 1881 opinions upon the fea-
sbility, advantages and disadvantages Of
northern explorations, thuse VINO were
at the fountain-heads of information
showed, through the timid manner in
which they worded their reports, that lit
tie faith was placed by them in the value
of further discoveries IN that direction.
Hence it is not to be wondered at il
Fathers Rodriguez, Lopez and Santa
Maria expected confidently to discover a
new country, a country unseen and un-
named as yet by any oftheir countrymen,
and it is not surprising to find, in other
wise reliable works of the 18th century,
Fray Agustln Rodriguez mentioned as the
real discoverer of New Mexico.
On the 9th of June, 1881, the expedi-
ton set out. 1t consisted of the three
friars, of sixteen Indians on foot, and of
nine Spaniards. These were provided,
says the official report on the journey,
with "coats and trappings of mail, and
the horses with mailed armor." Eight
Of these Spaniards were common soldiers.
The ninth vas commander of the expedi-
ton, and his name was Francisco San
chez Chamuscado. So far the name Of
the man and his participation in the
memorable journey are all what we know
of him. Who he was, where he came
from, who were his parents, are questions
still open to investigation. But one thing
seems certain, namely: That Francisco
Sanchez Chamuscado was not only man
of determination and energy, but above
all man of much tact and kindly dis
positions. His short career in New Mex
leo proved that, while he did not lack
courage, he understood perfectly the In
dian character and knew how to soothe
the susceptibilities OF the aborigines as
we'll as to make allowances for their in
ferior degree OF intellectual culture in Or
der to avoid conflicts. The escort OF
armed men which accompanied the cour-
ageous monks appears very small. In
case of hostilities, the nine Spaniards
could alone he relied upon the Indians
were Of small value against their kindred.
But the aim and purpose of the journey
was one of peace. AS the sequel proved,
the monks only wished to reach the north
ern countries safely, relying upon the
nature of their mission for success among
the aborigines whom they expected to
meet there. For, once in the north, the
armed escort was not to remain, but to
return, and the missionaries were to stay
alone, abandoned to whatever protection
the fulfllment of their duties might az
ford.
Still an escort was indispensable in Or
der to insure the possibility of transit
to New Mexico. The heart OF Chihuahua
is not prepossessing to-day. Three CEN
turies ago that unprepossesslng country
was a complete desert. The Rio Florido
and the Conchos were the only water
courses of any importance, and these had
to be followed as far as possible. Nobody
had ever been further north of Santa Bar
bara than where Santa Rosalia stands
now, there may have been rumors Of the