Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-03-25

briefly alluded, Colonel Chaves distin.
guished himself by the same cool bravery,
the same dauntless will and the same
matchless skill as marksman.
WHEN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION
broke out Col. Chaves took command of
the I'd regiment New Mexico volunteers,
and did most brilliant service in this out
of-the-way corner of the union. To no
other man was due so much credit for the
decisive union victory at Glorieta, which
drove out the invaders, as to Col Chaves.
whose brilliant and reckless dash cap
tured the rebel artillery and destroyed
their whole wagon train. The eyes and
hearts of the east were on greater battle
fields nearer home, and to this day few
realize how much was meant by that
little" fight, which drove Sibley and his
guerrillas back to Texas, and saved New
Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and
California to the union
When Col. Chaves returned to his lone
ly home at Ojuelos it was only to find that
the Indians had despoiled him of every
thing-his horses and cattle,
HIS 10000 SHEEP, CROPS AND ALL
and left him penniless, blow from
which he never fully rallied his affairs,
though his industry never left him in
want.
After New Mexico's share in the war of
the rebellion was over, there was still
more than two decades Of frequent Indian
outbreaks within her broad borders, in
most of which Col. Chaves was promi-
nent figure. On one occasion his lamb
ing camp at Salada was dumped"
by large force of raiding Apaches.
The few shepherds were too badly
frightened to fight much, and all would
have
BEEN KILLED BUT FOR THE GOODNESS
Of Don Manuel. Posting each man be-
hind tree, with promise that he him
self would shoot the first who dared run
and they dreaded his matchless aim
even more than they did the Indians
he took his 10 year old boy by the hand
(this boy is Hon. Amado Chaves, at pres
ent superintendent of public instruction
of New Mexico, and ran up the hill a
few rods as feint. The Indians, seeing
his fight, dashed straight into the camp
without their accustomed preliminary
maneuvers to see of what stuff their ene-
mics might be made. AS one grabbed up
Col. Chaves' priceless Navajo blanket
from beside the fire he fell sprawling
with an ounce bullet through his brain.
Another snatched the blanket, and Col.
Chaves called to one of his companions
to shoot. But when he saw the poor fell
lows hand trembling so that he could
scarce hold his gun, the colonel shouted,
"wAIr! DON'T nooT"
He hurriedly rammed another charge
into his old muzzleloader, and although
by that time the Indians had got so far
that he felt himself safe, the unerring
bullet caught him as he ran and tore his
neck nearly in twain. By this time the
shepherds had recovered their senses,
and gave the Indians such gallant resist
ance that the latter soon withdrew, car
rying away some valuable horses, but
no scalps.
All, what a riale-shot the withered,
wiry old man was, even when l knew
him, in his old age New Mckee has
never had
ANOTHER SUCH MARKsMAN
as he was in his prime; and his six-foot
muzzle-loading rifle Of enormous caliber
was never excelled by the finest modern
arms that tried conclusion with it. In
all his long llfe-in nearly fifty years Of
which not six months at time were ever
without warfare-he never was known to
miss but one shot. And never did he
have to shoot twice at a bear or deer, and
seldom more than once at human foes.
Little wonder that such marksman,
as cool IN mortal danger as in sport, a born
commander and noble man, was the
terror of the savages, and was loved and
is mourned by those he helped to defend.