The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 60, July 1956 - April, 1957 Page: 277
616 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Diary of Pedro Josd de la Fuente
the movement of [the expedition]. As soon as all were on the
other side [of the river] I ordered sixteen men detached, part of
them regulars and part militia, and fifty Indian auxiliaries, all
under the command of the Ensign of Militia Jos6 Lucero de
Godos, taking as their guide the Indian woman. I ordered that
they march ahead of the main body reconnoitering the ground
and advancing to the Sierra de los Organos, where, according to
the above mentioned guide the enemy Indians were encamped.
I followed this group of people with the remainder of the camp,
marching at a moderate pace, and with the remount in the rear
guard protected by a corporal accompanied by twenty men, reg-
ulars and militia. I proceeded in a northwesterly direction,
toward the Estero de Truxillo,41 about six leagues distant. I
reached the place at about ten at night, and from there I directed
the march northward toward the Sierra de los Organos.'2 I arrived
at the foothills at about two o'clock on the following morning,
traveling during this time a little over eight leagues. At the foot-
hills I ordered a halt so that all of the troops could change horses,
consuming in this process about an hour of time; and during this
interlude the ensign of militia, who as I have said commanded
the vanguard, notified me that he had noted recent tracks of
enemies which entered the Sierra [de los Organos] going east
from the Paraje de la Cueva de la Soledad.4s Following the tracks,
I marched in search of [the enemy] leaving at that place the
corporal with the twenty men guarding the horse drove. After
having marched about three leagues over very rough terrain,
there were discovered by our men many large fires which the
enemy had lighted with the intent and purpose of puzzling us.
We had undoubtedly been perceived by them because two of
them had arisen early to go hunting (as we learned from the
tracks), and the fact became evident to us that all, even the little
children, had already fled rapidly toward the loftiest and most
intricate [part] of the almost impassable mountains. At about
four in the morning I ordered that our progress be speeded as
41This place must have been in the vicinity of present Mesilla, New Mexico.
42Actually they must have travelled northeast from Truxillo.
43While there is a Soledad Canyon and Soledad Peak in the Organ Mountains
some twelve miles east of Mesilla Park, it is believed that this place is farther
north, probably in the San Augustin Mountains, north of Organ Pass.s77
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 60, July 1956 - April, 1957, periodical, 1957; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101163/m1/302/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.