Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-01
OF PRICELESS VALUE
The Daily Journal of Governor Gen.
eral Don Diego de Vargas
Written in 1893,
ON HIS TRIUMpHAL MARCH
From Ell Paso del Norte to Santa Fe When
Restoring New Mexico to Spain, to Be
Published by DR.. Ooues.

The territorial library has long been
in possession of a Spanish manuscript
somewhat disconnected and partially
decayed, purporting to be a journal
narrative of a triumphal march of Gov
ernor General De Vargas from Ell Paso
up the Rio Grande valley to this city and
points beyond in the fall of 1893. 1t was
a stirring occasion in American history.
The Pueblo Indians had sometime pre-
viously lin 1850 arisen in rebellion
against their Spanish conquerors, and
by q mighty effort driven them with a
rush out of the present boundaries OF
the United States, and over into what is
now the State of Chihuahua. Then they
set up shops for themselves in a govern
mental way under a chief, named Pope,
but things did not work altogether
smoothly. Factionism split upthe Pueblo
nations, and the Shrewd Spanish general
in command south of the border was not
slow to size up the situation. After
various operations in 1892, he straight
way marched north from Ell Paso del
Norte now Ciudad Juarez) with all the
forces at his command.
This was about October l, 1893. The
opposition was Intellectual, and De Var
gas had a comparatively easy time of it.
He kept a journal Of his progress day
by day carefully written and duly at
tested by various documents and giving
full particulars of the march, covering
TIA pages in 81 folios. The paper is OF
the finest linen, and the water marks
thereon show that even in that early
day the Spanish paper mills were using
what is known among paper makers to-
day as the dandy roll" De Vargas
set himself up in business at Santa Fe
as a successful military governor, and
lived swimmingly for a time, but was
subsequently ordered back to Spain
where he was court martialed on
charges affecting his administration,
and he shortly faded out Of sight and
died at Albuquerque about 1903.
His journal, however, was preserved
after him in the archives of the military
district and passed into the hands OF the
Mexican government at the time of the
Mexican independence. When the Unit
ed States rescued New Mexico from the
republic, in August, 1916, the local
archives passed into the hands of the
new territorial government. Here the
De Vargas journal slept and slept its
musty sleep in temporary oblivion until
Professor Bandelier, a Swiss scholar now
in Bolivia, was given che work OF collat-
ing and classifying the ancient archives,
late in the sos. The professor examined
the De Vargas papers, but by some over
sight the manuscript afterWard became
separated.
However. by a fortunate chance DR..
Elliott Coues, an eminent scientist and
author, formerly of the Smithsonian In
%stitute, came out this way this summer
on a vacation. He was well posted in
American history and had heard of the
De Vargas journal. On his request Ter
%ritorial Librarian Segura readily gave
the doctor access to the archives, and
the savant was not long in overhauling
the De Vargas papers with other an
tique documents.
He noted part of the de Vargas jour
nal was missing, but in looking over
papers in another case he discovered to
his establishment and delight what
proved on careful examination to be
the parts missing from the main body of
the De Vargas papers: They were pages
Olc w lUuI llCluSlfc, duu D ~ .
The first restored part is in different
handwriting from the second part, be-
ing written by Alfonso Rael de Aguilar,
secretary of state and of war for the
local military administration. The sec
ond part was evidently written under
the eye of de Vargas, and is daily at
tested by his autograph, while the third
part has been wet and is in such a
crumbly, fragmentary condition that
from ten pages little can be made out.
Librarian Segura thinks that further
sections may be found in the way Of ad.
denda, covering portions at least of 1894
and some subsequent years.
The writing of the uniniured folios
was carefully done, and as the ink and
paper were of the very best, the work OF
translating will not be ~Over-burden.
some; in fact, with DR.. Coues it will be
rather a labor of love. The Spanish is
of course the old Castillian, as different
from the Spanish of the present day as
fifth century English is different from
the English Of the present day. The
journal has no special chronological OF
archaeological value, for the writer was
a soldier rather than savant. But DR..
Coues says the manuscript is of priceless
value from an historical and military
standpoint, for it will give all the de.
tails of the triumphal march of the con
quistador and let in much light on the
methods in vogue in those days of con
Quoting military operations. The dates
the writing continue from October l tC
December IL, 1888, and end with tho
generals arrival in Santa Fe. If ad'
ditional memoranda are found much
valuable information covering De Var
gas subsequent operations in this coun-
try may be secured.
DR.. Coues desires to take the manu-
script back east with him this fall fol
~revisal and complete translation where
he has extended library facilities. This,
however, can only be done through leg
~islative permission, and the doctor will
accordingly ask such permission wher
the legislature meets. In the meantime
while he remains in Santa Fe he viii
give the manuscript his special atten
tion. The doctor Is as able as any So
want in the United States to handle this
precious manuscript. He graduated
Hrom the Columbia University at Wash
ington in 1861, took his degree in medi
cine there a little later, and for some
time filled most acceptably the chair Of
anatomy in the medical department o.
the same university. He has been giver
the degrees of M. A., Phi. D., and
other distinguished titles by notec
institutions Of learning, and is a valued
member of AZ different scientific socie
ties both in this and the old countries
The doctor has written IS scientific
books, contributed owe 1000 articles te
the publications of various scientific
societies, and is II of the compflers and
editors of the Century Dictionary,
Among his writings are ID large VOL
including o history of the expedition Of
Lewis and Clark In 1804-6, and of y.
M. Pike In 1866. He is preparing O
series of publications relating to west.
erp American explOrers to run on IN,