New Mexican Patriots, More of them.

The picture is of Charles Bent, New Mexico's first governor in the American period.

In August of 1846, when the Army of the West invaded New Mexico Col. Stephen Watts Kearney stated that New Mexico was now part of the United States, he also stated that New Mexicans were now United States citizens, which was an illegal act on his part, considering that the Mexican American war was still going on. 

New Mexico was full of American spies and had been since the Santa Fe trade started soon after Mexican independence from Spain in the 1820's.  A lot of these spies had married into New Mexican families. The Bents were two of the spies. New Mexico's first governor under the Americans, Charles Bent, was one of them. He was married to Maria Ignacia Jarmillo, a local woman who was the sister of Kit Carson's wife. Carson had been another spy for a very long time. 

In the early morning hours of January 19th in 1847 all hell broke loose in Taos. A group of New Mexicans led by Pablo Montoya and Tomas (Tomacito) Romero headed to Governor Bent's house.

They intended to kill the Americans and their New Mexican sympathizers. They did a pretty good job too. Sheriff Lee was killed as was Narciso Beaubian. Pablo Jarmillo, Bents brother in law was another victim, so was District Attorney James White Leal.

The fighting continued for a few days, but it was not to last and eventually over 150 New Mexicans were killed in Taos. All was lost for the New Mexicans.

Pablo Montoya was tried by an American kangaroo type court and found guilty of insurrection. He was hanged on February 7th of 1847.  Tomas (Tomacito) Romero was killed in cold blood in his cell by an American soldier. Seventeen New Mexican's were eventually executed by the Americans for the revolt. 

Pablo Montoya, Jesus de Tafoya, Pablo Chavez, Tomas (Tomasito) Romero from Taos Pueblo, Manuel Cortez, as well as others, who died in the short lived conflict are New Mexican heros. People may not remember them now, but they did not sit idly by while the Americans took over their country. Their fight was futile, but they fought anyway. We owe them a debt of gratitude.