Monday, May 19, 2014

Manuel LeFevre and New Mexicans

Manuel LeFevre was a Frenchman, born circa 1810 in Missouri or Canada, one or the other. Manuel married a New Mexican woman named Maria Teodora Lopez in Taos. Maria Teodora was the daughter of Ramon Lopez and Maria de la Luz Martín. Manuel and Maria Teodora married on December 1, 1827 in Taos and made their home there. All total they had 11 children, at least one of whom died while young, the first Maria Pacifica.

  1. Maria Leonor - Birth date unknown
  2. Maria Dolores - Born June 29, 1828 
  3. Jose Vicente - Born April 7, 1830
  4. Francisco Antonio - Born April 3, 1831 
  5. Maria Francisca Guillerma - Born March 12, 1833
  6. Maria Pacifica - Born February 4, 1835 
  7. Maria de La Luz - Born May 18, 1843
  8. Maria Teodora - Born July 16, 1848 **
  9. Manuel Carlos -  Born April 23, 1850
  10. Jose Manuel - Born October 16, 1851
  11. Maria Pacifica - Born May 22, 1852
** Maria Teodora married Ricardo Ortiz, a distant relative of mine, but that is another story all together.

Anyway, Manuel LeFevre was not in Taos when the New Mexicans revolted against the American occupation of New Mexico in January of 1847. It is not known where he actually was. But he was to be found at Bents Fort just across the Mexican/US Border, near present day La Junta, Colorado, when the news of the revolt arrived there. 

When the news of the revolt arrived at Bents Fort a group of 23 men volunteered to go and retaliate for the Americans killed. In all reality it was to retaliate for Americans and their New Mexican sympathizers killed as there were several New Mexicans killed also. Among those going were Lucien Maxwell, Manuel LeFevre and the author of the book referenced here, Lewis H. Garrard. Here he wrote;

 " We crossed the river into Nuevo Mejico at the fort (Bent's Fort) ford, and followed the Santa Fe Trail, which kept (to) the river bank. five of us were mounted; the rest were to get animals at the PURGATORIE, ninety miles distant. The object of the expedition in which we were about to engage was to travel as far as we could towards Taos; kill and scalp every Mexican to be found and collect all of the animals belonging to the Company of the United States."

NOTE: The writer, Lewis H. Garrard, is writing about a trip to Taos in the winter of 1847 after the revolt of New Mexicans in Taos and the assassination of Governor Bent.

Anyway, the group never got to "kill and scalp" any Mexicans. But the plan was there none the less and begs the question, would Manuel LeFever have actually "killed and scalped every Mexican to be found". Or maybe he would have been a bit more selective being that he had a Mexican wife and at least 7 half breed children with her. 

Reference the book "Wa-to-yah and the Taos Trail" written by Lewis H. Garrard and published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

Also reference page 421 of the book "Origins of New Mexico Families, A Genealogy of the Spanish Colonial Period", the revised edition published by the Museum of New Mexico Press and written by Fray Anjelico Chavez.


NOTE: The name LeFevre has changed in New Mexico to Lefebre.

6 comments:

sighs of the wunderkind said...

Very interesting. Manuel LeFebre is my great great great great grandfather on my maternal father's side. I own a copy of a mid 19th century photo of Manuel and his wife in which his wife is seated holding a rifle and he is standing behind her with a hand on her left shoulder. Both look very Spanish.

Unknown said...

I would be very interested in getting a copy of the photo of manuel and his wife, as i too am a distant relative of theirs and have never seen a photo of either of them

Unknown said...

I too am a distant relative of manuel lefebres, and would very much appreciate if you could share your picture with me :)

Kyle N said...

i am 6th generation grandson to manuel lefebre and i would greatly appreciate it if you could email me a copy of the picture for my grandpa Jim lefebre kooz6324@gmail.com thank you very much

Anonymous said...

I too am related to Manuel lafebre. And wish to have a copy of this picture.

Unknown said...

Manuel LeFebre is one of my four greats grandfathers. I'm descended from his daughter Maria Teodora who married Ricardo Ortiz. If you are willing to share the photo of Manuel and his wife, I would love to have a copy. My email is sisnerosa@yahoo.com