| Show expedition 0 IT reception speech by maj william gilpin afterward colorados first F I 1 governor to the cole infantry on their return from the mexican war at jefferson city august 10 1847 I 1 happy ere are those mho after hopes lone iong suspended and anxieties long lone and doubtingly andu endured red como come to find their hopes consummated ly by brilliant successes their anxieties rell relieved eved by enthusiastic praises aj aj the shouts of such are the soldiers who their trials ended and their lone lon and exhausting services at fan in end are here assembled to receive the greetings ot of their kindred suil lull listen to their flattering praises and their shouts of victory and welcome during thirty two tuo years ot of peace a long period which includes the birth ot of nino nine tenths of us our own dun state has joined tho the confederacy war came suddenly WILL the earns pen A which signed the declaration of hostilities between mexico and the united unit ed states slates the president di directed to missouri tho the first requisition for fol the war I 1 it asked a a blender force of asco men all volunteers volunta erg but 1 00 des dragoons I 1 fis to cross crosa tho the great plains and pene penetrate mexico by the north bounding forth at it the sound round of the war bugle in one month were assembled at rort port leavenworth beyond the western verge ot of I 1 our union the first regiment ot or missouri cavalry the battalion of 0 artillery from st louis the battalion of 0 cou fanniy bantly and tho the laclede gangeri ran gera geri in fill and forth they in marched arched were wars had occupied mankind for centuries but they had been wars era between adjacent nations marches had bad been confined to inhabited countries where provisions abounded on the rou routes lea here was a N w lider nelo of a thousand miles to be covered and the enemy to be encountered at home in great strength and abounding in resources A failure to transport trans sort with us ug complete supplies was certain disaster and starvation a check received from the enemy fit at their threshold would eventuate the some same this enemy was tho the people of mexico a sister sinter Ile public 0 years lied had been exhausted in ingen long ous devices on our part to avoid this conflict our citizens had ben b cn lipshim trod jn in texas amidst the very orgies of 0 barbir barbarism ism our merchants had haa been plundered and impi ironed our lag flag in suited bulleit in their metro poH our citizens DB murdered maltreated mal treated and scoffed for their religion debts accumulating dur due ing thirty years unpaid treaties contemptuously violated moro more than all an attempt to imitate our republican system productive only of stood as a burlesque beside us on oil our own continent furnishing to the iho malevolent food tor for satires upon popular freedom in the new forth Ii orth then into tho the wilderness plunged the little army of 0 missouri to encounter these crien tits of their country their country to them always right the plains were passed and the rugged mountains which dividing from tile the mountains encircle new mexico were reached their rapid progress bad outstripped tho the provision trains amid fatiguing marches dust heats boats and scanty water subsisting on one quarter of the ordinary ration they bushed lii shed onward to santa sa nta fe tile the army of now new mexico in num bera bees three to one ot of our force occupied tho the impregnable gorge of Galli gallister which coers the approach to santa fe dispersed in dit dismay imay on the 0 of f all august g u S I 1 three months front froni tile the proclamation of war made at it washington city 2300 miles distant the state of new mexico lay conquered end and the american flag floated over the at santa ie fe occupied until tile middle of 0 september in securing the ru subjugation or 0 the country the flitt regiment do dc receded tho the del norto norte to the lower settlements receiving I 1 tho he submission of tho the tona and people and mojid returned d to santa fo fe new mexico contains inhabitants vast resources a and DEL by its b ba a sin in like a lion is easily defensible d e fen sible and dini cult to be conquered conque red or long held in subjection new mexico Is surrounded by powerful tribes of 0 military Indi indians Ins the Comet toward texas the yu tas tag und and navajos cavajos in the rocks hocky mountains and on their slope toward the pacific issuing from tho the surrounding mountains these indians Inilla nu doun dov it the elio people devastate the banks of tile the del norte und and elthe forth the tha stock in years yeara past pasc they have plundered from mexicans many millions of 0 sheep and cattle by the submission of new mexico wo we had become the guardians ot of her people and territory the plou pion duty r a in a I 1 no d to tame her savage age foes th the infantry artillery and dragoons r remained in med to burrison santa re fe a fort I 1 was 1 1 AS b built it it is to command ito HB a treaty war asked for and made by the Co manches the first regiment in three departed for or the recesses of the lae uto late I 1 in n september tile the one penetrated toward tile the northwest by canada and tile the chafins Cha against the tinas and navajos cavajos Nava jos another South southwest by albuquerque and Sa boletta a third dc scented by the del norte covering doi the american traders bound eventually to chihuahua the northern column passed out through a denuded country and devastated va villages to which the fugitive mexicans returned under its 18 protection and reaching the recesses of th rocky mountains by the sources 0 of the river chamas in one month delivered to the authorities in santa pa fe sixty live five yu tas tag including their chiefs and chief NA wair aj lors with them was formed A treaty 0 of peace since faithfully observed by these indians indiana this restored many thousand families 0 of mexicans to their fat daims ins and fire ldes bides and gave quiet to the northern frontier supplies having haming been with great difficulty cOllect collected cd tills this same column prepared to pass tile the eternal barrier of tho rho rocky mountain anil and scare up the navajos cavajos Nava jos reposing in security on their the I 1 r western estern vI slope 0 on the 2nd and of november this little force aw strong aban abandoning duning their tents and magons blons entered tins the gorges that led up to the pasa pa of if tile the san june juan the head of this great river which flows to the pacific llo with wit Us ua here seventy mexican allies and pack yn mules transporting provisions in seven days contending against snowstorms snow storms stormi and ice at art an altitude of feet acet in midwinter and unpalatable e water tire the passage of the great mother mountain of 0 f the t he continent wa 3 accomplished the measles scourged urged our camp the be brave av a boys boster and bryant Ij ryant fell a prey to its ravages following for some days the great san juan le leaving tying its banks sw aiming with the sheep and horse horsek of the na bajos and crossing toward the south the impracticable mountain of never before trodden by white men we descended into the cavernous ca cave region of challa chalia amidst the seclusion of which tire tile the foil and fastnesses fast nesses of tile the navajos cavajos Nava jos astounded at tile the appearance of art an A merican american force alien w hen they had trusted it could never penetrate the chiefs tendered presents restored rest orcil the horses 11 which aich had been stolen tittle new mexico and promised object abject r talking with us nine chiefs commissioned to bind the nation we ave hastened toward tile the snowy peaks which rose miles to the east and barred our return to NOW new mexico at the western hasa base of these jn in the of the zuni indians we tho the arrival of tile the colonel commanding to whom where the cavajos navajos Nava jos chiefs swore eternal friendship to the white mark man marching hence under tile the western edge of the tha mountain crest wo ANG visited and smoked the pipe in the city of tho the zuni indians indiana this I 1 people many of them albinos one 0 of f t the he lost specks of the antique aztec ruce race inhabit a solitary city in the center of the immense plain traversed by a northern bi bianchi anch of tile the glia river hence re crossing the great mother mountain by the zuni pass on the tour four first days of december we ale d descended to the del norte joyously did we meet again our fellow soldiers old lers and soon BOO the pleat first regiment found itself reunited at valverde 20 miles below santa ye fe about to pass onward conw r d to tile conquest of el BI paso faso and clu chi chunhua thus since our departure from santa re ift had our little force under roy DAY command reduced to pence peace tile tuta and navajo nations nat lonn 40 strong stron ff accomplished lied a march of milea era crossed ss ed and i the sierra madre passed the kunicka and Chi chereska and many rivers during many successive nights tho the cold descended to the freezing point of mercury the were frozen ile solid the pasture scanty and of fuel there was but it a stringy handful of 0 ev evergreen or green weeds two brave men and many horses perished for or the rest their health vi as good and their spirits always gay bay and undaunted tills this la 14 the first military force of our ritt nation lon which crossing the rocky I 1 mountains mount alna and Un furling the national standard etan dard upon the of 01 the pa ila I 1 clile cinc has ruc elvel for it the it submission stunt ut of a hostile people and this was I 1 accomplished in 0 the ali depth of winter I 1 A portion of our little army the a artillery r and infantry remained to occupy now Il mexico exico another accompanying G gen ell Re kearney arney had b ono pono to secure th the 0 conquest if of california the indians having bee been ne blued tho the first regiment was wai tio anuw W concentrated at Valve valverde rac a on it tile the lower edge ecce of new mexico meditating the conquest ot of the i a ILI ILI and I 1 d populous state of chihuahua this as the of december our I 1 regiment mustered mist pred 7 aco 60 men the weather wn was Interi bely cold the liver raa ian with will tile ia 0 o had hud no tents aud and our animals ingals starved upon the like harsh dry grass crass in rl el paso iano miles below are I 1 slid and plenty m wine 1110 and corn and homis florists unit and IL a delicious climate illi nate abut but I 1 bet e too are a regular force of 1500 I 1 and five pieces as of artillery belve berneen e n the armies la 15 the cornado Jor nado or jou journey acney of the dead a dreary stretch of miles without wood or water at the he entrance of the cornado Jor nado e awaiting A wall t ing our advance were the american amerian C an merchants having wagons charged charge d with worth of merchandise chandise 0 one hundred men under capt hudson subsequently came to vi us final santa fe called the chihuahua g hua fling era they were drawn from the second regiment col prices an express was sent back to santa te fe for one company of artillery commanded by capt waltman ibis company overtook us afterward art elward in el paso about ab 0 lit the 0 of february on the alth a forlorn hope of SOO pressed onward to open the passage through the jornada with this were caits pearsons waldo areld and rodgers Kod gers we expected to moot moet tho the enemy as we should pass onward from its jaws tile the passage was accomplished no enemy obstructed our exit at tile the farther end we descended to the river and quenched our thirst thi ritt continued conti tilled during three days and nights robledo in 19 the name given to the lower mouth of the jornada twelve miles below Is tho the little town of 0 dona ana it has i plenty of corn and GOO people this la Is the only settlement above el paso which is 1 eighty miles distant on the morrow we entered dona ana and there learned that the mexican army would advance to meet us as aa we should descend to el paso on the our whole force having successfully passed the Jorn jornada jornadal adl reunited at dona ana on oil the ath our march was naas eighteen miles on tho advancing rapidly ahead of the wagon tiala we eli encamped camped at Bra bralts brazito Br alto zIto nineteen miles about I 1 the camp guard sixty strong the wagon guards and many men with aith jaded horses were in the rear at 2 the apro approaching aching cloud of dust duat reve revealed a id tho the advance of the Alexi mexicans cans the bugles sounding to arms our force N afta as deployed lit in a single line on toot foot upon the prairie in front and enveloping the wagons we numbered the mexicans deployed immediately in our front lit in gallant style and rapidly they numbered 1250 1260 the veteran vera crux Dra dragoons goong were on the right the chihuahua cavalry on oil the left in the die center infantry now it wast wag hit 1 a black nag flag was flapped in our eyes eye s front from the center of the Ilex mexican ican I 1 line in e it was nag defied edthe the shock of battle followed the mexicans charged upon our lines line their cavalry converging to our front their infantry advancing our men sitting down and receiving many volleys front from their artillery musketry and decoyed decayed them close when suddenly rising and pouring in 0 a lul build id sheet of fire the me enemy riddled everywhere led fled howling their artillery was aas taken sixty throe men were killed and it a vast quantity of arms was taken from the them in tile those 4 e who mho escaped deli delimited cited from the men malcan i army this was christmas day the ninth lilt th anniversary of thus did the Misso missouri url volunteers confirm pon him the gloat lie uttered ag against L dinst them by their commander on oil tb that a t felmor day victory hastened cur marches on tile the morning of the mth we entered et el paso awaiting the arrival of artillery I 1 cry we lingered elx weeks in ill the delicious settle settlements in c I 1 I 1 of el paso about mexicans mexican B here cultivate the grope grape and enjoy much prosperity and a delicious climate on the ath ill of february we ate moed on oil to chihuahua tilt tha interval aso SO roll miles it if seen by you who inhabit tills this Os our ur I 1 verdant land would be pion bounced a howling desert such is id Us austere nu tere and forbidding aridity sahara does I 1 not t exceed it jornadal Jor nadas of seventy I live I 1 v e amiles miles without woud or water or grass gravel and sand possess posses a it merely benumbing cold at night at midday hot anil and dusty on the alli ve lie reached sous forty miles from chihuahua midway be cicen sous and chihuahua Is sacra ineneo here lb i tho the only water in that whole distance and between us slid and the tha opportunity to slake our elitist was In trenched the blex mexican Ican army on the afternoon of the was gained tho the marvelous man clous victory of sacramento in A which aich your soldiers covered thern athes cs with imperishable g lory glory on the following and succeeding days our whole column entered chihuahua at chihuahua we benid with exultation of the gallant conduct of 0 the he cole infantry and fishers artillery arill lery at canada and tans anos of 0 their good bood discipline grid gallant bearing while in garrison harrlson fit at sarita santa fe fc these were sadlers of 0 the first requisition and tiled with nith us ua the opening campaign of the prairies let us here then ua as at chihuahua crown with fill tile the same chaplet the soldiers eol illera of 0 Dra zito sacramento canada canaan taos and m paso alike the honors honoro won by all it acing two months did tho the missouri column hold undisturbed possession of tho the metropolis of chihuahua and control or of its dependencies insurrections planned I 1 ll 11 n e d both boll here and |
