Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-14
DiscovERER OF SANTA FE TRAIL
Remarkable Journey Made by French
Soldier Of Fortune in Service Of Spain.

Remarkable Journey Made by French
Soldier Of Fortune in Service Of Spain.
Somewhere on the route Of the re-
juvenated Santa Fe Trail a statue or
a tablet should be erected to the men,
ory of Frenchman, Pedro Vial, the
first white man known to have made
the journey from Santa Fe to st.
Louis. His name and the record of his
achievement, lost to history for many
years, have been preserved by the
finding of a Spanish translation Of his
journey in the archives of Seville,
Spain, several years ago.
| Vial made the journey In the service
Of Spain. For several years he had
been a soldier of fortune and trader
among the Indians near the Spanish
settlements In New Mexico. In 1892
Fernando de Ia Concha, the governor.
decided to make an effort to open
trade relations with the Spanish set
Elements on the Mississippi river. Vial,
because Of his knowledge Of the Indi-
ans and territory now comprising the
Panhandle Of Texas, was commission
ed to make the attempt, Two young
Spaniards from Pecos, Josef Vicente
vil,anueva and Vicente Espinosa, &C.
companied him, rH
In the early spring Of 1872 Vial be-
gan to make his arrangements. Knowl-
edge Of the country between Sante Fe
and st, Louis was extremely meager
The records of Coronado and his off,
GERS who journeyed In the same re-
gion In 1640, offered little that was
definite Indian tales and reports
brought In by hardy adventurers gave
Vial only a general knowledge Of the
conditions he would meet.
Governor de la concha estimated
that the journey should be made in a
month. Vial was actually 129 days
reaching his destination, but after
ward said he could have reach St.
Louis in Is days had not hostile Indi-
ans and unforeseen mishaps delayed
him. nn 's-
According to orders from De la Con.
cha and bearing letters to "the COM
mandant Of the fort Of San Luis, in the
Jurisdiction Of Los Witnesses" Vial
left Santa Fe May 81, 1892. The first
day took him to Pecos, where his wo
companions Joined him. From this
point De la Concha's directions were
only Of general nature. The main in
junction placed on Vial was that he
reach st. Louis II within his power.
His orders, which will show the great
lack of information regarding the
country, read:
From Pecos he shall direct his
march to the eastward to the villages
of the Magages. From that point he
shall proceed east-northeast, which Is
the place where the Missouri river runs
In the district nearest Los Witnesses.
BY means of the compass which he
carries and the explanations which i
have made to him thereof, 1t will be
very easy not to make any mistake In
the above cited directions.
From Pecos to the villages Of the
Magages 1t Is natural that he will
meet no other tribes than those Of our
allies, the Co. manches on whose aid
and knowledge he can count with all
safety" ..
May % the three explorers spent ar
ranging their packs. The next morn
ing they began their march, striking
east, and slightly toward the south, to
reach the Pecos river. They camped
on the river the night Of May "a. Th'
next day was lost fulfilling social obli.
cations which Vial describes in his
journal under the date Of May 25. He
says:
I'VE left in the morning about ar
marcher about one league constantly
in the same easterly direction. We
met seven Comanches with their wives
among whom was a Spanish interpre-
ter on his way from San Antonio de
Bexar. They made us return to the
Pero (vial uses that spelling exclu-
sively) river in JOY at having met me,
for 1t was long time sinces they had
seen me- Consequently we lost the
march of that day."
The next night they camped on what
is now called Gallinas Creek. Vial de-
cided to leave the banks Of the Pecos
and go east t-northeast conforming to
his instructions. He mentions that he
wanted to stop at creek which flows
into the Colorado (Canadian) river"
He probably was somewhere between
the present villages OF Casuas and Co
lonias when he left the Pecos river.
Vial undoubtedly knew his territory
fairly we'll up to this point Now h
began to find unknown landmarks,
some Of which he had heard about
from the Indians. May 20 he found the
Colorado river" as he calls It. For
seven days they travelled steadily to
the east along the river. Vial mentions
the fact that they have been walking
over level plains each day. June 6. Vial
became i'll, which necessitated halt
until June 18. AS they had reached
the Canadian somewhere in the pres
ent Pablo Montoya grant, the camp
while Vial was Ill probably was ir
western Texas.
After Walls recovery they continued
down the river until June %, wheh
they turned northeast to find that ma
peste river, which we call In French
the Arkansas river" The first three
days on his march three new rivers
were discovered, probably Beaver
Creek, the Cimarron river and the Salt
Fork Of the Arkansas. The first was
named San Juan. Vial shrewdly notes
that it flows into the Colorado river.
Beaver Creek eventually becomes the
North Canadian near El Reno, Okla,
and feeds the Canadian. The next riv-
err which Vial says was about three
leagues from the first, he mentions as
having quite a large flow Of water.
The Cimarron river is easily the larg-
est of all in that section. 1t is only a
short distance from Beaver creek. The
IL