Kit Carson and New Mexicans

Kit Carson and New Mexicans, both Hispanics and Native Americans had a strange relationship. In Taos and when with New Mexicans or Indians Kit was their friend. When with Americans ole Kit seemed to take a different view of the very same people.

There he regarded them, as did most Americans of the time, with distrust and and some degree of loathing. His marriage to Dona Josefa Jaramillo made no difference in his views. There are still Anglos today who marry local Hispanic women and have no use for the rest of the group. But Kit was even baptized a Catholic.

But in all reality he was a master spy. A real master. He did what it took to infiltrate the folks who were here, even marrying one. And no sooner than the Americans marched into New Mexico he was leading columns or as a scout against anyone who opposed the occupation of New Mexico by the Americans.

He hated Padre Martinez and actually blamed him for the killing of Governor Bent. When that happened some of Kit's in laws went with the governor. Kit blamed Padre Martinez for this. In reality I do not think there was any love lost between them.

New Mexicans had to have known that Kit Carson betrayed them. Kit Carson spent many a night at Bents Fort with his brother in law. There the final push int New Mexico was discussed. And Kit Carson made sure the Americans had all of the information he was privvy too.  And he told them all of the gossip he had heard too.

To a lot of New Mexicans Kit Carson was a spy and a traitor to New Mexico and it's people.