Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1874 — THREE INDIAN SPIES. [ARTICLE]

THREE INDIAN SPIES.

A Tragical Stpry of the hate War.A very prominent consequence of our late civil war was the disturbing and demoralizing influence exercised by the sides of the “ divided house” upon the thoughts and habits of the various communities of Pueblos, or stationary village Indians, whose homes for centuries have been scattered along the various water-courses of the Territory of New Mexico. The Arcadian simplicity of these people became greatly disturbed, not only by the difficulty of understanding the merits of the question forced upon them by the rival partisans, but by their inability to comprehend why, if the foreigners should quarrel among themselves, it became the duty of the Pueblos to enlist their feelings and interests in matters above their comprehension and outside their policy. Many and varied were the councils at which the ancients of each village discussed all the possibilities and probabilities of the coming conflict, whose advahcg- tlipy had been informedof, from above and below, by their more distant colonies; and, though the Indian mind was unable to comprehend the cause or necessity of quarrel, the one inevitable fact was forced upon them that their interests would be seriously affected, not only by the already occurring interruption of the usual annual gratuities of corn, seed, dry goods, etc., from the General Government through its Indian agents, but because strangers had begun to call upon them—envoys from either side —asking their co-operation in certain measures wherein it was assumed they could be highly serviceable. It needs no very vigorous imagination to portray the embarrassment caused by these overtures to the simple villagers. They had fought in the sixteenth century gallantly, sometimes successfully, for their rights as possessors of the soil against the invasions of the bronzed, bearded and iron-clad knights of Spain, and had wrung from the monarchs of that country and from the Viceroys in Mexico the cherished charters which many of their alcaldes still held, bearing record of their possessory rights. They had peaceably and even eagerly acquiesced in the change when Mexican officials notified them of the transfer of "their allegiance to Vos Americanos in the session of 1848. They had never, by word or deed, been faithless or unfriendly to their new rulers, never denied help to the weary stranger, nor connived at the robberies and murders committed by the Navajoes and Apaches; but had given all possible aid in their repression; in short, had been “ ever faithful,” and were, consequently dismayed and confounded that they should be thus forced into a belligerent attitude by the exigencies Of the occasion; the least they could expect being that they should not oe forced to afctual violence against either side. Yet, simple-minded as the Pueblos were, they knew that warfare is a strong current whose mere eddies often draw loiterers from the shallow waters far out and into the swiftest tides, where they perforce must go as goes the stream; and so they looked forward with certainty for calls upon their assistance to be rendered in arms, men, or provisions. But more particularly as spies and scowts would they be expected to act. Both parties were aware of their proficiency, every spot of ground in the area of possible neighboring conflict being familiar to them. So the war went on, and the Pueblos played just such a part as they had anticipated would be theirs. There was now no beneficent Government to send highly acceptable annual presents, and therefore no Indian agent to largely dilute or restrain duringh, quadrennial existence the unwise extravagance of the Government. These all vanished, and in their stead came armed men, who half asked for, half took the contents of the village store-houses, giving in return strange and unintelligible documents which the initiated only would know were promises on the part of some one in military authority to pay for the stores taken —under certain f uture contingencies. The reader will j'udge their value to the Pueblos when he knows that most of these vouchers were from the Confederate authorities. Corn, chickens, eggs and onions—all staple commodities of Pueblo communities —were rapidly and surely disappearing undue the constant requisitions of the nontenants, and the direst privations were threatening for the future; but the poor Indian,though he might think and say with justifiable fervor: ‘ A plague of both your houses;” knew his weakness, and dared not say nay to either of them. It is, perhaps, creditable to both fighting parties few attempts were made to force the Pueblos out of their position as non-combatants, and equally creditable to the Pueblos that not only did they never leave that position but that they refrained from the general and wanton spoliation indulged in by the Mexicans and wild Indians of the United States forts when these were necessarily abandoned to the large approaching forces of the Confederate service. But, as in every community there are certain restless, adventurous spirits, it is Hot surprising that many of the young men, though refraining from open combative participation in the disturbances outside their world, exhibited no great dislike tq take part therein in the more secret capacity of scouts and spies; and the Confederates, in their march up the banks of the Rio Grande in the winter of 1861-3, frequently availed themselves of these services.. ;■>

With the judicious use of the information they provided and for other reasons not necessary to be given in this narrative, the march <of the Confederates upthe banks of the Rio Grande to Santa Fe was little else than a success. Petty skirmishes took place at various points. The most considerable of these was al Yalverde, near Fort Craig, after which the gray-coated victors took possession of SantaFe; whence,after exacting considerable contributions from its inhabitants, they proceeded to cross the mountain ridge on the road to Fort Union. Advancing in April, 1862, to Apache Canon, twenty-five miles, from Santa Fe, they found in the pine w6ods their Philippi. In this battle the skill and bravery of Lewis, Carey and other United States infantry officers organized and directed the splendid valor of the Colorado troops —a combination of skill and courage under the gallant command of Gen. Slough, too much even for the Texans, and their rout was complete. Everything was surrendered by them, and their forces were conducted back as prisoners by the road they came, giving their parole not to fight again unless exchanged. Many of the defeated Confederates scattered over the country, preferring probably to take the chances of escape — which in that mountainous region were good—after their own fashion; but subjected themselves by so doing to the rigid espionage at once adopted in the towns and villages adjacent to SantalFe and other military stations. Among these scattered persons were three young Pueblos who, in the capacity of scouts and spies, had been induced to accompany the Confederates from Isleta, one of the lower and larger of their villages below Los Pinos. Good treatment and good wages had produced in their minds a natural spirit of industrious and zealous partisanship, and much of the success attending the forays of the Confederates was well known to have resulted from the early and correct intelligence brought in by these spies. But as the business of spying-was viewed by all Pueblos as a commercial one, and separate from all sentiment involving patriotic feeling, spies of Pueblo origin were as plentiful in the Federal as in the Confederate service; and frem those in the United States ranks continual information was obtained respecting those who, with the enemy, had by tneir distinguished personal appearance, vigilanee and daring—become- sufficiently - wall known to be designated par excellence., “The three Pueblo spies.” The frontier military post of Fort Union, distant about 100 miles northeast of Santa Fe, is, from its geographical position and other circumstances, the most important post in New Mexico, and here extensive and critical espionage was specially maintained regarding strangers who might possibly be enemies disguised or otherwise. Here, at last, the three famous spies, having in after the defeat of Apache Canon, were detected strolling ahout the garrison, not attempting any concealment of tlieir well-known persons. To summon a guard, arrest and confine them, was the work of a few minutes. No resistance was Uttered, for they seemed quite unconscious of having done anything reprehensible, and all their after conversation gave evidence that they had only looked upon their campaign as a business matter, the rendering of services to travelers for good compensation. Fort Union is, or was, in war time, a settlement of considerable pretensions, a nucleus toward which many settlements centered, independently of its military standing; and, as the national exigencies had brought most civil matters under military jurisdiction and influence, a strong and capacious guard-house had recently been erected, in which offenders' of all classes, military and civil, were confined. Here the Pueblos were taken; but as the post-commander, Maj. Plyrnpton, was, from policy, disinclined to any harsh treatment of a class of men whom he considered as possessing very little knowledge of what was right or wrong in reference to international affairs, no orders were given for more than safe holding and they were left together and in the possession of their bows and arrows; it being comtemplated to release them after a few days’ confinement and send them back to their friends. In that guard-house there wyre congregated about thirty other men,-many-of them charged with extreme crimes; criminals who, when the usual conditions of frontier life were present, would have set the timid law and justice at defiance, but who, now that the functions of military and civil law were upited, found a power above themselves—one that could grapple with and quell the boldest and strongest. Among the prisoners was a sergeant of a Colorado regiment, some companies of which were at the post. This man upon being arrested by an officer of his company for misdemeanor fired at and killed the officer. Quick trial and a sentence of death Was the result, and the sentence was ordered to be carried into effect a few days after the arrest of the Pueblo spies. In accordance with a well-known military rule the whole of the prisoners in the guard-house were at the hour of execution marched out- to witness the punishment, which seen, they were marched back again to their prison. There is no doubt that the sight of the execution very seriously impressed the spies, and there is conclusive evidence from much subsequent testimony that this impression was observed by the other prisoners, and that from a devilish spirit of mischief the Mexican portion of them affected to believe that such was to be the fate of all the prisoners; especially might the spies expect a public death in a short time. Indeed, from the preparations now going forward it was very evident they would be shot to-mor-row —spies are always shot or -hung quickly after arrest—and they had bettor do what they could by escape tor otherwise before daybreak of the . morjpoSr; The effect of this lying communication upon the simple but susceptible Pueblos was prodigious. Giving, ignorance of outside life, full credence to the statements made, it never occurred to them to doubt the veracity of the tellers, and the gloom of despair and rage settled down offer their quivering faces. Hours passed byf The Indians, standing erect and apart .from all others, watched in silence the daylight sink into darkness. Food was brought, hut no hand of theirs moved toward it; the thoughtless joke and laugh passed round, but no feature of theirs moved in sympathy; nothing there could move to pleasure the men whose thoughts weye of an approaching and unmerited death; never again should light or life from the village of their childhood visit their hearts. 8o they passed the night in silence, solitude and gloom, while those who had caused all this misery slept a sweCt sleep which no care or crime could disturb. From the one small, iron-grated win-

dow which gave light and air to theii 1 prison-room the first faint pencilings of the dawn were just visible when one of the Pueblos stepping noiselessly to the he&vy door which opened into the guardroom, where the guard off’ duty slept soundly on their bunks, gave a quiet knock, the usual signal given by prisoners when wishing to communicate with the sergeant of the guard. This door was incautiously opened by a young and thoughless corporal, who had "seen through the bars that one of the Pueblos —whom he knew were only in temporary durance—was the applicant for speech. No word was spoken, but with the force and quickness of an electric shock the three Pueblos darted into the outer room, and rushing straight for the outermost door would have succeeded in passing it but at the moment the outside sentinel hearingJTscuffle quickly closed this main entrance, and thus prevented their escape. Disappointed, they turned with the fury of tigers upon the guard, and in a few minutes had almost overpowered the large but drowsy body of men who opposed them. A hatchet lay near the guard fire; one of the Pueblos seized it and killed the sergeant at one blow; another soldier was stabbed to death with a knife, seven were wounded seriously, and all seemed demoralized. The Indians had again gained the quter door, and had it partially opened, when the relief-guard, returning from patrol, intercepted and caused them to seek the shelter of the inner guard room from which they had emerged. The entire garrison was by this time fully aroused, and in an irregular manner had surrounded the guard-house, keeping up a desultory fire, but certainly doing as much to injure friend as foe since though many score shots were fired not one struck'the Indians. In the same room with them were the rest of the prisoners previously mentioned, all of whom seemed too paralyzed by the recent events to be capable of taking any part in the combat, and they kept themselves well out of it by crouching behind obstacles. Not so the Pueblos. Nothing could exceed the courage and energy with which they exposed themselves at the moment in which they discharged their sure-aimed arrows. Springing from the ground, they would shake their buffalo robes before the window do draw a shot, and in- an instant an arrow would find a victim. With a certainty and rapidity far surpassing the possibilities Of revolver-shooting these men, cool in their desperation, emptied their quivers so effectually that thirteen of their outside assailants were carried off helpless before all the arrows were shot. But this was their last possible effort; nothing now could save them; hundreds of men surrounded the guardhouse, and their capture was sure. An officer now stepped forward and asked them if they would surrender; they made no answer. He then called out to the other prisoners, “ All you who wish to save your lives come out at once.” To this appeal all but the Pueblos responded by coming to the door and surrendering to the guard outside. Preparations having been made for a final attack of a conclusive character upon the desperate men, another appeal was made: “ Come out who choose; remain and you will die!” Then came back in loud and ringing defiance these words —the only words yet uttered by them: “ Ya veremos! entre, si quiere /” —in English, “We shall see! come in, if you wish!” Again they were asked, “Will you come out?” but there was no reply, and the preparations for their death went on. The dekperate resolution of these unfortunates to kill and be killed had rendered the mode of their death a very secondary matter. It was indispensable that they should be deprived quickly of the power to do more mischief, and that no more lives should be exposed to their skill and courage. A sergeant of ordnance was therefore sent for, with instructions to bring a twelve-pound shell to the guard-house. He soon arrived, and, mounting the roof of the building, removed some of the vegas or joists which supported the adobe roof. A sufficient hole was thus made, the fuse was lit and the shell thrown in, its explosion causing the instant death of two of the Pueblos and wounding the third. That the remaining one should be quickly dispatched the Sergeant presented a musket to shoot him, when the PueDio, firing an arrow, struck him tothefaefe tLrough lip, nose, and skin of the forehead, causing the rapid retreat of the sergeant. Another man with a musket now mounted the roof, and, raising his weapon, fired; the Pueblo hred at the same time, but it was his last effort; his previous wound had weakened him, the arrow flew wide Of the mark, and he fell to the ground, shot through the body. His fall was but momentary; quickly springing to his feet, he shook his bow in defiance of his enemies; then holding it alpft he pointed to where the last musket-shot had broken it, threw it and his last arrow to the ground, then closing his eyes and sinking his head to his breast he began in low but audible monotones a song, probably indicative of defiance and triumph. Soon, however, it ceased, borne away with his life-blood, the fitting libation to his race. Such was the tragedy of “The Three Indian Spies.”— Overland Monthly. *