Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-11-28
AN H0NORED
PIONEER DEAD
On Saturday Last General j.
M. Chaves Passed Peace
fully Away at Abiquiu.
OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD
A Native Of This County, BE
Served Spain, Mexico and the
United States in Military
and Civil Life.

On Saturday last, November %
there died at Abiquiu, Rio Arriba
county, one of the Oldest settlement:
by white men in the United States
General Jose Maria Chaves, at the
honored old age of 1Ot years, one
month and 21 days. This highly hon
ored and respected pioneer, wonder
full link between the past and present,
passed peacefully away and was con-
scious to the last moment. The last
rites of the Roman Catholic church
were performed for him bys the Rv.
Simon Alverghne, and the renal IS
were laid to rest in the chapel Of tne
patron saint of Abiquiu, the services
At the bedside when the end came
were his three sons, Patricio j., j. M.
c.. and Frank c. Chaves, his three
married daughters and several grand
children. His living descendants in
clude many grandchildren and several
great grandchildren.
General Chaves was astonishingly
hale and hearty and was wonderfully
clear of mind Several years ago he
suffered cataleptic attack during
which it was thought he was dead. A
coffin was ordered and invitations sent
out for his burial. His life was a Won
derful one as he was active and promi-
nent in civil and military life.
General Chaves was born in Santa
Clara, Santa Fe county, on September
23, 1901. Don Fernando y Chaves, his
ancestor, brought to New Mexico with
him the title of "Reconqueror.' His
original name was Duran. but as the
king of Spain had given him the keys of
conquest, figuratively speaking, he and
his two brothers adopted the additional
name of Chaves. Many are the distin-
guished men, both in political as we'll as
in military life, who have been members
of this family, but foremost among them
all was undoubtedly General Chaves.
When,4 years old, he moved with his
parents to Abiquiu near the same spot
where he died. Early in lie ne toon AN
interest in public affairs. He impress
ed his neighbors with his energy and in
telligence. At the time Abiquiu was
near the frontier from which the hostile
Indians swept over the territory, leaving
death and devastation in their tracks.
This inflicted much suffering upon the
pioneers of those days and retarded the
progress of the territory considerably,
The Utes, the Apaches, the Comanches,
the Navaios and other Indian tribes
would plunder and murder whenever
and wherever opportunity offered itself
to them. This warfare implanted cour-
age and boldness in the settlers, and
General Chayes was soon among the
leaders against the Indians.
At the age of ~ he was lieutenant in
the urban militia and was promoted later
to auxiliary captain commander OF
squadron in the army of Mexico. In
1878 he received the appointment OF
lieutenant in the Mexican army, was
advanced to inspector of arms in the
Rito Ojo Caliente and other points, and
later to lieutenant colonel. Soon after
New Mexico became a part of the United
States he was commissioned brigadier
general in the militia. He led several
successful campaigns against the Naya-
ioes in that capacity, being the COM
in five expeditions
against those Indians and subordinate
officer in six other Indian campaigns.
In civil life General Chaves was no
less distinguished. He served under
three governors of Spain, all the Mexi-
can governors and all of the governors
appointed by the United States thus far.
In early youth he was bailiff and later
o member of the governing council, un-
der the regime of Spain.