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Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/545

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AFFAIRS IN NEW MEXICO.
487

over fifty of their number, and making a great many prisoners.

Commodore Shubrick was now relieved in command of the Pacific Squadron, by Commodore T. Ap Catesby Jones, who arrived in the Ohio, seventy-four. All the principal ports on the coast being at this time, either occupied, or rigorously blockaded, no other event of importance transpired, until the cessation of hostilities.

In the month of August, 1847, General Price, with a portion of his troops, whose terms of service had expired, returned to Missouri, leaving Major Walker in command at Santa Fé. Colonel Newby, of the 6th Illinois, had previously been ordered to New Mexico with his regiment, and was then on the road. He was soon followed by a battalion of Missouri infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Easton, and the 4th Missouri cavalry, under Colonel Rails. Another battalion of Missouri volunteers, consisting of cavalry, infantry and artillery, under Lieutenant Colonel Gilpin, was ordered to keep the road Open between Fort Leavenworth and Santa Fé — the Indians still continuing their attacks on the American trains.[1]

General Price returned to Santa Fé in the fall, and directed the troops under his command, about 3,000 in number, to be distributed throughout the valley of the Rio Grande, from Taos to El Paso. Governor Armijo[2] made no attempt to recover the authority that had

  1. Still another battalion of Missouri cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel Powell, was mustered into service, and ordered upon the route to Oregon, to construct a chain of military posts to that territory.
  2. Governor Armijo was not in very good odor with some of his countrymen, and, in the month of August, he was arrested at Chihuahua, by order of Governor Trias, for indulging too freely in his comments upon the battle of Sacramento.