; . r0J11Ca . oe Nuevo MeXICO ~ Published since 1976 - The Official Publication of the Historical Society ofNew Mexico os October 2011 . Issue Nurrrber- 89 The Rehabilitation of Governor Manuel Armijo By Paul Kraemer the abundant material which I have yet even including his death.) continued in many articles. In fact. the by me unused. with stories of his In the early 1970s two historians. defamation seemed to acquire a life of its atrocious acts that would bring a blush Daniel Tyler and Janet Lecompte. own. For instance. John S. D. Eisenhower. upon the brow of Tyranny. I misht detail independently tried to determine from in his bOOR on the Mexican War 'l many horrible murders which he has documentary sources what was true and described Armijo. in quotes as follows: committed. I could relate many a what was false in Kendall's description of "Armijo was shrewd. SJreedy. and cruel. thrilling story of his abuse of the ri1i5hts of Manuel Armijo. Kendall's 16 paces of Armijo was reportedly born poor and had women. that would make Saxon hearts materials that remind one of "yellow" achieved his political start by his burn with indign ant fire; for Saxon hearts journalism were embedded in a lengthy proficiency in avoiding punishment for enshrine the mothers' of men as objects book of conventional history. ''Yellow'' sheep steeling." These quotes are exact sacred and apart. I rniqht speak of his journalism was very common in the 19th quotes from Kendall's narrative. But conniving with the Apache Indians. in century when competing newspapers Eisenhower cites a secondary source for their robberies of his neiqhbors of the scrambled for subscribers. Apparently them rather than citin1i5 Kendall. In fact. State of Chihuahua. by iurnishlng this Daniel Tyler had a similar reaction and he many writers described Armijo with hardy mountain tribe with powder. and S6ently defined Kendall's 16 paces as characteristic phrases such as "cruel balls. and li5uns . knowinS6 that with them follows: tyrant" without citinSJany source. A li500d they would fall. like the eaqle. from their " His sanguinary description of example is Billington's description where fastness. upon his own countrymen. I Armijo. however. was that of a newspaper no source is offered. " "The li5overnor. could li5ive a catalogue of men's names man who appreciated the reader interest Manuel Armijo. a mountainous man whom he has banished from their own which his purple prose would li5enerate." whose blue frock coat and Ilammq red (Figure 1) Governor Manuel Armijo wearing his families and homes. for no reason but Tyler focused much of his article on sash compensates for lack of either "warrior" uniform with the elite Mexican Cavalry because they were in his way. Armijo's dealinqs with the new "New principles or coura1i5e. etc.. etc.... ." plumed helmet and his "cru z de honor" (note #5) Assassinations. robberies. violent Mexicans" such as Charles Bent. Joshua Apparently. in recent years writers found For many years. Manuel Armijo has debauchery. extortions. and innumerable GreSJSJ. Manuel Alvarez. Josiah Webb. and that any kind of undocumented had a bad press. I The problem started in acts of broken faith are themes upon others. He found an amazinq variety of vilification of Manuel Armijo was 1841. when Armijo was in his second term which I am armed with abundant and viewpoints which may not be surprisinq. acceptable and considered as common as li5overnor of New Mexico. and he li50t most veritable detail. but my readers Armijo. as a politician. had his supporters knowled1i5e. into a S6rudS6e fiS6ht with the editor of a would sicken. and my narrative leads me and detractors that reflected their But the worst was yet to come. In New Orleans newspaper. This was not a another way. A few remarks and I have interest areas and biases. For instance. 1846. when Stephen Watts Kearny and S600d idea if one wants to avoid a bad done with him." some of the traders like GreSJSJ and the the Army of the West invaded New press. It seems that Georqe Kendall. Kendall's narrative was not only a United States councilor Manuel Alvarez. Mexico. it was said that Governor Armijo editor of the Ptcayutie newspaper, "leadin\6 authonry" and a best-seller but can be considered intrinsic adversaries of had abandoned his troops and fled to the accompanied the Texas-Santa Fe also was cited by Joshua GreS6S6 . W. WH. Armijo because they resisted payments of south. Kendall had done his work expedition of 1841.2 This invasion of New Davis. Twitchell. Bloom and many other custom fees while Armijo had no other brilliantly. and almost everybody was Mexico by the Republic of Texas turned writers. Many of the citations refer only source of revenue to maintain ready to further vilify Armijo for SJivinSJ out to be a complete fiasco. After li5ettin1i5 to the defamatory 16 paces rather than li50vernment officials and soldiers.' But Kearny his "bloodless conquest". Even. lost and running out of provisions. the the bulk of the narrative. Thus Kendall's Armijo had better relationships with Bancroft. that bastion of historical Texan survivors were captured by influence on Armijo's reputation was others such as Henry Connelly. Josiah objectivity. wrote about Armijo's retreat Armijo's soldiers. and about 200 of them disproportionally larger than the small Webb and the Ma1i5offin brothers. James ".....there is much cause to believe that his forced to walk the 1500 miles to Mexico fraction of the narrative devoted to and Samuel. In his final article on reason for not reslstinq was not a City. a trek that took almost three months. Armijo. Armijo. Tyler concludes: "One can only praiseworthy desire to prevent the useless Kendall assumed he would immediately Art interesting sidellqht to the events wonder if he (Armijo) deserved the sheddinq of his subjects' blood.?" As be released because he was an American of the Texas-Santa Fe Expedition censure that history has heaped on him." Daniel Tyler put it: "...Armijo has ever citizen and had a passport. Armijo did illuminates Armijo's personality as a Janet Lecompte began her since been branded a coward by both not make such distinctions. If you were politician rather than a warrior. Several examination of Kendall with a topic in SJrinSJo and Mexican moralists.'! " One can with the Texans you walked with the times in his life he felt he had to pretend which she mtqht find him vulnerable.' only wonder who were Tyler's "moralists". other prisoners to Mexico City where they to be a warrior. The Texas-Santa Fe Kendall had used a paqe and a half (of his They apparently retained medieval were imprisoned for at least several Expedition was such an occasion when 16 pages) describing his humble family notions of chivalry. bravery and courage. months. presumably beinq questioned. he became a heroic warrior all over backqround and his youth stealing sheep. When Kendall finally S60t back to New Mexico for "capturing" the aS61i5ressive Lecompte initiated her study by sayin1i5 • SANTA FE Orleans in June. 1842. he wrote many Texans. and he even li50t a medal for it. "There is no more persistent or perverse articles for his newspaper about his Robert Torrez tells the story of the le1i5end than that of his humble birth and 'I- I ~ Santa Fe trail experiences and what a tyrant Armijo S6overnor's medal.' In our portrait of infamous youth ..." (Even Twitchell uses was. Of course hardly anybody read the Armijo (Fi1i5ure 1) he is shown wearinq his it in his biography of Armijo)". Since ~ Picayune in New Mexico and Kendall "warrior costume" with his plumed brass Armijo was a complete politician. he did ~pac~~canYo n GLORIETA envisioned a more effective vindictive helmet of the elite Mexican cavalry. He not speak or wri te to serve historians. but \~1 · ··· · ...$'e weapon for the purpose of the also is wearing the medal that he li50t, a to serve his own political career. He destruction of Manuel Armijo: "cruz de honor" that had been authorized heartily a1i5reed with Kendall that he was a Kendall's opus magnum. a by Santa Anna shortly after the news of self-made man. But what Lec ompte Interstate 25 ~ comprehensive narrative study of the the "victory" over the Texans. Medals found in ample quantities in the Texas-Santa Fe expedition was published were authorized for Armijo and other documents was that he clearly derived in 1844.3 It consisted of 868 pages. in two officers (including Donaciano ViSJil but from one of New Mexico's wealthiest volumes. and quickly became a best seller surprisingly not Dieqo Archuleta who was families and that his theft of his uncle's nationally. The bulk of the narrative was second in command to SJovernor Armijo). sheep. which he sold back to his uncle. perfectly respectable htstortocraphy that But Armijo did not receive his medal was a family joke. Bancroft claimed was "the leadtnq quickly. He badgered the central In a more comprehensive article on • GALISTEO authority" on the Texas -Santa Fe SJovernment to send him his medal in Kendall's diatribe. Lecompte described expedition: But in the middle of the numerous letters for he was very proud of the methods Kendall used in writin1i5 his (Figure 2) Overview ofthe Apache Canyon area lengthy work there is a section of 16 his medal. Finally on January 7. 1846. vilification. As in the case of any paces (paces 369 -385) devoted entirely to after four ye ars. he received his medal. successful politician. Armijo was Indeed. a questio n in this area. which the defamation of Manuel Armijo. The 16 There were several versions of his famous frequently the object of malicious li50ssip apparently cannot be directly answered paves described every aspect of his life as portrait.