The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 15, July 1911 - April, 1912 Page: 141
382 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Revolt of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico in 1680 141
them from this strategic position served only to increase their
fury, and soon afterward they became masters of the cemetery, at
the same time sacking and setting fire to the church and many
houses of the villa, in which work of destruction they were aided
by more and more people who kept assembling all the time.'
The Spaniards during all this time continued to hold their own
until the Indians, failing in their attempt to set fire to the doors
of the "Hermita de Nuestra Sefiora," which was situated in one
of the towers of the royal palace,' by a stratagem were able to cut
off the water supply, conducted from the river to the royal houses,
for a space of two days and one night, during which time the
cattle and horses began to die of thirst, not to mention the suffer-
ing of the people themselves.
Thinking that this was but the beginning of the end, the joy
of the Indians now knew no bounds, for they believed that all
must certainly perish the next day. Accordingly they took their
stand around the royal houses singing the victory song and shout-
ing loudly in their glee that "God the father of the Spaniards and
Santa Maria their mother were dead," and that their own gods
whom they obeyed had never died.3
Realizing that no terms could be made with the Indians, who
during the siege had resented with redoubled fury every overture
of peace that had been made to them, and realizing further the im-
possibility, in their present precarious condition, of remaining an-
other day shut up in the royal houses, Otermin called a council of
war, at which it was decided that it would be better to die fighting
than of starvation and hunger. Accordingly, it was decided to offer
open battle to the enemy at daybreak the next morning (August
20). And at that time the small force of Spaniards "invoking thn
name of the Virgin Santa Maria" rushed from the royal houses
upon the surprised Indians, running over them and trampling
them under their horses feet, and dislodging them from the streets
and houses in which they were. The Indians were completely
discomfited by this sudden and unexpected attack from the Span-
'The document reads-"juntandose todos los dins mas y mas jente,"
which indicates that the events recorded extended not only into the next
day but probably for several more.
2"Auto (de Otermin)," in Auttos tocantes, 32.
3"Declarasion de Josephe Yndio Ladino," in Auttos Pertenecientes, 24.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 15, July 1911 - April, 1912, periodical, 1912; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101056/m1/146/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.