Emilia Benavidez/Refugio Benavidez

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This is a picture of Emilia benavidez on the left, my maternal aunt and her sister and my mother Refugio Benavidez. The original picture was taken in 1920 when Emilia was 18 and Refugio was 15.

The original hangs in my house, it is an oval and shaped like a shallow bowl. I had the image restored, not the original picture. It came out nice.

Genizaro

Genizaro, how many Americans know the meaning? How many New Mexicans know the meaning? How many Hispanic New Mexicans know the meaning.

Genizaro were detribalized non Pueblo Indians in the midst of Hispano society in New Mexico before the American occupation in 1846. And there were many of them. The Comanche, Navajo, Ute and Apache would, in the course of their raiding, take captives. Young boys and women for the most part. The Spanish in New Mexico in time came to purchase these detribalized Indians. They did it to acquire servants, they did it to convert them to the Catholic faith and, in some cases, they did it to save their lives.

There is documentation of Spaniards refusing to purchase the captives and the Indians who had them would then slaughter the captives.  So the practice of purchasing them continued.

There came a time in the history of New Mexico where after generations of the practice, the numbers of Genizaros was large. They were living on the margins of New Mexican society. The very bottom rung of society.  Spanish authorities decided that they needed a place of their own to call home.

The New Mexico settlements of Tome, Abuiqui and San Miguel del Bado were originally populated with these Genizaro people. They were Hispanized detribalized Indians from many tribes. They may or may not have spoken their native language or the language of their captors. They were Christianized, they spoke Spanish etc., etc. 

Eventually they became assimilated and absorbed into New Mexican Hispano and Pueblo society.

The Genizaro walk amongst us today.

Who Killed My Great Uncle And His Friend?

On 26 Sep 1894, Hilario Martinez and Juan Dimas were both assassinated (killed) at the Ojito de Las Conchas in Eastern New Mexico. Both were living in Manuelitas, New Mexico at the time of their deaths. They were both buried in Chaperito, New Mexico. I do not know why they were buried there, perhaps they had family there.

We also do not know how they were killed nor who killed them. 

Hilario Martinez was the son of Teodoro Martin(ez) and Maria Virginia Apodaca. He was born on the 18th of January in 1850, making him 44 years old when he was killed. It is not known if he was married or not, but he probably was.

Do You Know These People From the Past?

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Below is a family chart for my grandfathers sister, Josefa. I would be interested in visiting with some of her descendants. Leave me a note here if you have knowledge of any of these family members or their descendants. FYI, La Junta and Watrous, New Mexico are one and the same.

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Josefa Martín(ez)  was born in 1872 in La Jara, New Mexico. She was christened on 15 Sep 1872 in La Junta (Watrous), New Mexico. 

She was born Martin and in the U.S. Census she is listed as Martinez. Her parents were Teodoro Martin(ez) and Maria Simona (Monica) Benavidez. She is listed in the 1880, 1900 in Watrous, NM and was enumerated at Encinoso, NM in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census.

Josefa married Juan Gurule  on 24 Nov 1890 in La Junta, New Mexico. Juan was born in Dec 1872. 

Juan is the son of Rafael Gurule and Ascencion Cordoba from Encinosa, NM. In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census he was enumerated in Watrous, NM, in 1910 he was enumerated in Encinosa, NM and by 1920 he is listed as a widower in Koehler, Colfax County New Mexico, Koehler was a coal camp town located 16 SW of Raton, NM. He was working on the railroad and living there with 3 of his younger children.

They had the following children:

M i. Rafael Gurule  was born in Encinoso, New Mexico. He was christened on 1 Sep 1893 in La Junta, New Mexico. 

F ii. Carolina Gurule  was born in May 1894. 

F iii. Juanita Gurule  was born on 11 Jan 1895 in La Junta, New Mexico. She was christened on 22 Jan 1895 in La Junta, New Mexico. 

M iv. Luis Antonio Gurule  was born on 1 Feb 1896 in La Junta, New Mexico. He was christened on 16 Feb 1896 in La Junta, New Mexico. 

M v. Manuel Gurule  was born in Watrous, New Mexico. He was christened on 22 Sep 1897 in Watrous, New Mexico. 

F vi. Maria Justa Gurule  was born on 28 May 1899 in La Junta, New Mexico. She was christened on 1 Jun 1899 in La Junta, New Mexico. 

M vii. Simon Gurule  was born on 18 Feb 1901 in Watrous, New Mexico. He was christened on 18 Mar 1901 in Watrous, New Mexico. 

M viii. Eduardo Gurule  was born on 24 Aug 1904 in Watrous, New Mexico. He was christened on 16 Oct 1904 in Watrous, New Mexico. 

F ix. Albina Gurule  was born in 1903. 

F x. Amelia Gurule  was born in 1907. 

M xi. Reymundo Gurule  was born in 1909. 

It is assumed that not all of the children lived to adulthood.

HERNAN MARTIN

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Hernan Martín is my 11th great grandfather. He was with Hernan Cortes during the conquest of Tenochtitlan, (present day Mexico City). He was there during the "noche trieste". Most of the Spanish soldiers were more than just soldiers.  My ancestor was a soldier AND one of three blacksmiths with the expedition. He was one of the three blacksmiths who first set foot on North America.

The  brigantines mentioned are depicted in the painting above.

The stuff below is, for the most part, from the book "Southwestern Colonial Ironwork" by Mark Simmons and Frank Turley where it states:

 "Late in 1519 the Spaniards, who had occupied the Aztec capitol of Tenochtitlan (present Mexico City), decided to build four brigantines to nagivate Lake Texoco, which sourrounded the metropolis. Corte's sent word to the costal town of Vera Cruz that two of his blacksmiths who had remained there, HERNAN MARTIN  and PEDRO HERNANDEZ, should hasten to join him. But first they were to forge two huge chains for the brigantines. This together with bellows, tools, and iron stripped from the Spanish ships, were to be carried by Indian bearers to the Aztec city. When the smiths arrived with their equipment, Cortes assigned Martin the job of making tools for the shipwrights and carpenters. Hernandez and another man, HERNANDO de AGUILAR, listed as a half smith (medio herrero, perhaps a journeyman) were set to work preparing iron fittings for the naval project." 

"Montezuma was soon made a prisoner by the invaders and placed in shackles and chains. Whether these were forged on the spot or came with the expedition from Cuba is of little consequence. What stands out is that from this point forward, colonial blacksmiths would be called upon repeatedly to make or repair irons for shackling Indian slaves and captives. In the early years, before the prcatice was prohibited, they were also asked to forge small branding irons for marking slaves. After a battle with the Aztecs at Tepeaca in 1520, Cortes had his smiths prepare irons in the form of a "g", representing the words "guerra y".... (war and). With these he branded the prisoners."

During the conquest of Mexico, the first shoeing of horses took place on the North American mainland. A supply ship arrived in Vera Cruz bearing much needed stores of iron, and Cortes directed that the 84 men of his army who were mounted should have their horses shod. Apparently enough metal was left overso that smiths could forge new lance points for the troops. Later, when Tenochtitlan had fallen and the Spanish expeditions were fanning out to explore the limits of the Aztec empire, iron was in such short supply that Cortes gathered a quantity of poor grade silver and from it had his workers make horse shoes and nails."

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. 

1803 Grantees For The San Miguel del Bado Land Grant

Click on the image to make it larger. A very interesting group of names.

From the publication Herencia, The Quarterly Journal of the Hispanic Genealogical Research Center of New Mexico.

The Other New Mexican Patriots

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Beautiful New Mexican Sunset.

Reference Ralph Emerson Twitchell, Leading Facts of New Mexican History, volume 2, p. 232.

The insurgents in the 1846 plot to expel the Americans were: Tomas Ortiz, who had been alcalde of Santa Fe, Juan Felipe Ortiz, the vicario, Diego Archuleta, Domingo C. de Baca, Miguel E. Pino, Nicolas Pino, Manuel Chavez, Santiago Armijo, Agustine Duran, Pablo Dominguez, Jose Maria Sanchez, Antonio Maria Trujillo, Santiago Martinez, Pascual Martinez, Vicente Martinez, Antonio Ortiz, Facundo Pino, the Reverend Antonio Jose Martinez, Fr. Leyva.

These men considered themselves to be patriots, and unwilling to see their country lost without a single effective blow. Not one of them had favored the abandonment at Apache Pass by Governor Armijo. The plan as formed by these men was that on the appointed day those engaged in the conspiracy in Santa Fe were to gather at the church and remain concealed. Meanwhile friends from the surrounding country, under the lead of Archuleta, were to be brought into the city and distributed in various houses where they would be unobserved.

At midnight the church bell was to sound and then the men within the church were to come fourth and all were to rendezvous immediately in the plaza, sieze the cannon there, and aim them so as to command the leading points, while detachments under special orders were to attack the palace and the quarters of General Price, and make them prisoners. The people throughout the whole north had been secretly notified and were only awating news of the rising at santa Fe in order to join in the revolt and make it a success.

We do not know what New Mexico would be like today had they been successful. But descendants of New Mexicans owe these patriots a debt that cannot be repaid. Antonio Maria trujillo went before a kangaroo court, was convicted and hung. Who knows why the remainder of these folks were not. Some continued to be active in New Mexico politics.

A New Mexican Patriot, Hung For Treason!!!!!

don Antonio Maria Trujillo was a true New Mexican Patroit. And he paid the ultimate price for his patriotism. New Mexicans owe don Antonio a huge debt of gratituide for his sacrafice. We ought to petition the State for a memorial in his honor.

don Antonio Maria Trujillo was the first person hung under the United States government after they invaded and annexed New Mexico. He was hung April 16, 1847 in Santa Fe.

don Antonio was a native of Santa Fe and had been appointed as Inspector of Arms by the Mexican government in Mexico City. He was tried and convicted for treason by Judge Joab Houghton on March 16, 1847. Two of the principal pieces of evidence were the following documents which the government of the United States intercepeted:

Document 1 was delivered to don Antonio Maria Trujillo......

To the Defenders of Their Country:

With the end to shake off the yoke imposed upon us by a foreign government and as you are Inspector General, appointed by the legitimate Commander for the supreme government of Mexico, which we proclaim in favor of, the moment that you receive this communication you will place in readiness all of the companies under your command, keeping them ready for the 22nd day of the present month, so that the forces may be on the day relentless at that point. Take the precaution to observe if the forces of the enemy advance any toward those points, and if it should so happen, appoint a courier and dispatch him immediately so that diversions may be doubled. Understant that there must not be resistance or delay in giving the answer to the bearer of this official document.

Document 2 was written by don Antonio Maria Trujillo........

By the Order of the Inspector of Arms.

don Antonio Maria Trujillo: I here - unto you send this order that the moment this comes into your hand you will raise all of the forces together with all the inhabitants that are able to bear arms, connecting them also with persons in San Juan Caballeros, by the morning of the 22nd day of the present month, and no later than 8 O'clock in the morning. We have declared war with the Americans and it is now time that we take our arms in our hands in defence of our prostrate country. You will be held responsible if you fail in the execution of the above order.

Teodoro Martin/Simona Benavidez in the 1880 Census

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The illustrations are pages of the 1880 U.S. Federal Census for Jolla Larga in San Miguel County, New Mexixo. The enumerator is listed as Tranquilino Labadie.

Look at the last line and there you see Teodoro Martinez at age 52, a farm labor who is married. Now we have to go to the next page to find his wife and family.

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Here at the top of the page we have Teodoro's family. Starting with his wife Simona Benavidez Martinez age 49 and keeping house. next Francisco Martinez age 23 and a farm labor, Jose Martinez age 17 and also a farm labor, Ambrosio Martinez at age 13 and a farm labor, Preciliano Martinez age 11 and a farm labor, Florencio Martinez age 8, Josefa Martinez at age 6 and finally Eugenio Martinez at age 4.

If you look on line number 9 there is Ponciano Martin with his wife Nicolasa. Ponciano is the brother of Teodoro and Simona's brother in law. Next on lines 13 and 14 are a James Wallace and his wife Climaca. Climaca is the eldest daughter of Teodoro Martin and Simona Benavidez Martin.

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These images below are of the 1880 U.S. federal Census for Precinct 22 of San Miguel County, New Mexico. The enumerator here was Feank Berka as noted at the top right of the forms.

Look at lines 45 - 50 at the bottom of this page. There you will see Teodoro Martin age 52 a laborer, his wife Simona Benavidez Martin age 49 and keeping house. Next is Francisco Martin age 25 and a laborer then a son named Inez Martin age 14 and also a laborer. Then Ambrosio Martin age 14 a laborer then Perciliano Martin age 11 at home. 

In the image below we have a continuation of the family with Florencio Martin age 9, Josefa Martin age 8 and Eugenio Martin at age 6 listed on the first 3 lines.

Anway, to make a long story short they were enumerated twice in the 1880 census. Once as Martin and once as Martinez.