The Three Pueblo Spies [pp. 337-341]

THE THREE PUEBLO SPIES.
by the exigencies of the occasion; the
least they could expect being that they
should not be forced to actual 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 scouts 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, during a 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 takenunder certain future contingencies. The
reader will judge 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 under the constant
requisitions of the contestants, 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 that 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 not
surprising that many of the young men,
though refraining from open combative
participation in the disturbances outside
their world, exhibited no great dislike to
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 I86I-2,
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 up
the banks of the Rio Grande to Santa
F6, was little else than a success. Petty skirmishes took place at various points.
The most considerable of these was at
Valverde, near Fort Craig, after which
the gray-coated victors took possession
of Santa F6; whence, after exacting
considerable contributions from its inhabitants, they proceeded to cross the
mountain ridge on the road to Fort
Union. Advancing in April, v862, to
Apache Cation, twenty-five miles from
Santa F6, they found in the pine woods
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 General Slough, too much even for
the Texans, and their rout was com
338
[OCT.