Newcomb, Franc J.

English

University of New Mexico

New Mexico Quarterly
Volume 13 | Issue 2 Article 11
1943
The Price of a Horse
Franc J. Newcomb
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Newcomb, Franc J.. "The Price of a Horse." New Mexico Quarterly 13, 2 (1943). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nmq/vol13/iss2/
11
T HE P RIC E 0 F A H 0 R S E
Franc]. Newcomb
1. A Row of Skulls
Diary of 'Franc J. Newcomb, Aug. 30 , 1919.
'ON THURSDAY, our noon meal was a hurried affair and as soon as
Mr. N. and I were finished, I stacked the ~shes in the big dish-
pan and left them without benefit of soap ,or water. Dishes were
unimportant on Thursday, for this was "mail day"-the red-letter day
of the trading-post week. Whenever the weather permitted I rode my
pony to the POstoffice at Crozier, ten miles -up the Tumecha Valley, for
our week-old accumulation of letters, papers, and parcels.
Bay Billy was still munching his noon oats when I slid the saddle
across his back, tightened the cinches, and forced the bit into his
reluctant mouth. But when I sat enthroned in the big western saddle
and the pony's swinging stride had taken us around the point of the
mesa and out of sight of the trading post, my haste vanished' in the
warmth of the midday sun. Not even letters from home or papers con-
taining news of the "civilized,world" seemed of pressing importance.
Bay Billy needed no guiding, for he knew every inch of the Valley
trail over which he jogged with the easy shum~ of the well-trained cow
. pony. The mbrning wind had died away and. the only sound to break
the wide silence was the thud of my pony's unshod hoofs on the hard-
packed earth. Occasionally a lizard darted across my path, or a desert
sparrow, disturbed by our passing, flew aslant from one clump of rabbit
brush to another.
It was Bay Billy who heard it first. Then distinctly, through the
clear air, there came to my ears the faint rasp and crunch of metal
biting into hard earth, followed by the grating so:und of gravel sliding or
falling.
"Someone is over by Yellow Peak, digging ruins," I remarked to the
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THE PRICE OF A HORSE 195
. pony. "Lefs go over ahd see who it is." Digging ruins, 01- as we called
it locally, "pot-hunting," was the chief outdoor amusement of all
white people who came to Tumecha Valley, for there seemed to be
ruins everywhere, and many of the burial mounds yielded very fine
pottery, shell bracelets, and jet beads.
For about an eighth of a mile Bay Billy picked his way' over loose
rock and low bushes.. At the top of a slanting ridge we came to a
sudden halt, for just in front of us was a trench about fourteen feet long
and four to five feet deep. The man who was still busily enlarging this
trench stood in the bottom, more than half hidden from my view.
"Hello!" I called as he lifted his head to see who was approaching.
"Been finding anything?"-meaning, of course, anything of value to a
collector.
"just what you see over there," ,was the answer as he waved his hand
to indicate a long row of bleached skulls which glared back at us with
empty eye-sockets. ,
"How many?" I asked, for the row seemed fairly endless to me.
"Twenty-seven!" he answered. "And a good many more got
smashed in the dirt-too old to.take out."
Throwing t-!te reins around a st~ne, I walked to. the edge of the pit
and looked. down. Then I went over to examine the row of skulls, arm
bones, and the few beads he had sifted from the dust.
"Those bones were down pretty deep for a prehistoric burial," I
remarked. "How were they lying?"
"Full length," he replied, "and they must have been a poverty-
stricken bunch, for there was not a pottery bowl in the whole outfit!"
The mystery of the skulls ~as much in my mind during the next
few days, and then the crowding events of life at an Indian trading
post pu~hed it into a half~forgol:ten background. Some years lilter I
happened to make a visit to the home of Chee DQdge near Tson-sa-Ia
Mountain, and he showed m~ a book published in 1849, which carried
the following account.
2. Record of Invasion of Navajo Country
"Aug. go, 1849-The troops de~mp~d at seven this morning and
shortly observed a group of Navajos watching them from a distance.
The women I noticed wore blankets, moccasins, and leggingS:-the
blankets being ,confined ~bout the waist with a girdle. They bestrode
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NEW MEXICO QUARTERLY REVIEW
their horses 'a La mode des hommes/ Several of the Navajos. I
noticed wore helmet-shaped caps, heightened in picturesque effect by
being set off with a bunch of eagle feathers.
"Fifteen miles on our route we came to a hill fifty feet high, up
which our artillery was drawn with ~onle difficulty. During, the next
six miles we passed some very extensive and luxuriant corn fields, the
plant looking finer than any I have seen in this country; and what
makes it more remarkable is, there were no evidences of a resort having
been had to irrigation. Col. Washington informs me that this is
.acc<?mplished by deep planting, which the Navajos practic'e more than
any other Indians. The water in the Rio Tumecha we find amply
sufficient and good, and doubtless its constancy ~ay be relied upon.
The pasture along the stream, however, is but scant, and therefore
the corn fieldS of,the Navajo along the valley will be drawn upon. It
having been represented that the Navajos would resist the troops in
cutting their corn, Captain Dodge with a command was sent to enforce
the order.
"Aug. 31, 1849-Today, about noon, at our last camp three Navajo
chiefs appeared in council-Narbona, Jose Largo, and Archulette. The
several points of the treaty having been explained to the chiefs to their
satisfaction, Narbona, the head chief, and Jose Largo-both very aged
-the former about eighty and the latter about seventy, voluntarily
signed powers of attorney granting authority to two younger chiefs,
Pedro Jose and Armijo, to represent them in the next council which
was to be held at Canyon de Chelly.
"The council breaking up, Sandoval harangued some two or three
hundred Navajos, ranged before him on horseback-the object, as it
occurred to me, being to explain to them the views and purposes of the
government of the United States. Sandoval himself l!~bited in his gor-
geously colored dress, and all the Navajos as gorgeously decked in red,
blue, and white, rifle erect in hand, the spectacle was very imposing.
But soon I perceived that there was likely to be some more serious work
than mere talking. It appears that the Navajos had a horse that
belonged to a Mexican of Col. \Vashington's command. The Colonel
demanded its immediate return. 'Fhe Navajos demurred. He then
told them that, un~ess they restored it immediately~they would be' fired
into. They replied that the Navajo boy who was riding the horse had
disappeared. Col. Washington then directed Lieut. Tores to seize one
in reprisal. The Navajos upon perceiving it, scampered off at the
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, 197
top of their sPeed. The guard present were then,ordered to fire upon
them-the result of which was that old Chief Narbona was killed and
several others were mortally wounded. Major Peck also threw among
them, very handsomely-much to their terror, when they were afar off, "
and thought they could with safety relax their flight-a couple of round
shot. *
"It is to be regretted that, in the hurry-scurry movement of the
enemy, some of the pack animals, which' were at the time ready to
accompany the troops to the next camping ground, should have been
frightened off. ., .
"Immediately after the affair alluded to, at about 5 p. m. the com-
mand resumed the line' of march.
"[Recorded by] James H. Sim}>SOn, A. M., 1st Lieut. of Corps of
Topographical Engineers.
Aug: rl, 1849."
j
This brief account did not explain the pit and all those bleached
'and grinning skulls. I wondered what the Navajo side of the tale
might be. Perhaps some old Navajo would have heard 'the story from
parents or grandparents. I decided to ask Grandma Klah, who was
. onr "oldest inhabitant;" and who I had been told was a descendant of
the famous Chief Narbonawho l)ad been killed on the battlefield.
3. Grandma Klah Tells of the Death of Chief Narbona
I am the granddaughter of the greatest war chief the Navajo people
ever, had! Old Chief Narbona was seventy' years of age when my
mother married the son of Tall-Chanter, and during that year my
grandfather made the long two-hundred-mile journey on horseback, to
the great river Toh Baade (Rio Grande) to see l\tith his own eyes if
all the rumors concerning the white soldiers might be true. .He was
gone two moons and when he returned he told his people, "The things
we hav.e heard are all true, and there is much more that we have never
been told. These, white soldiers are many, and we had best make peace
with them, for they possess weapons and power greater than ours." But
many of the younger men were not of this opinion. They thought that
by making warlike demonstrations they could keep the white people
and the soldiers out of Navajo country.
Ten years later an army of United States soldiers with Mexican
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198 NEW MEXICO QUARTERLY REVIEW
helpers and Pueblo guides, using as means of transport more than five
hundred -ho!ses and mules, started from Santa Fe, crossed the Jemez
Mountains, and marched into Na~ajo territory. It was the month of
Soft Corn (August) and the natives were living in summer homes near
.their c~:>rn fields. Late rains had filled the ponds, and the arroyos were
running streams of sweet water. The army followed these water
courses, and the Navajo families fled before them as they advanced.
Day after day, some group of women and children stood afar and
watched their homes demolished for fire-wood, and hundreds of horses'
and mules eating and trampling their precious corn. To many this
~eant just one thing-starvation during the coming winter; but: there
was nothing they could do to prevent the destruction.
To make matters worse, the soldiers seemed to be afraid of even
solitary Navajo s~eep-~erders and fired their guns at all who came
withi~ rifle range. This may have been due to the tales told by the
Pueblo guides from Taos, who were traditional 'enemies of the Navajo.
Old Chief Narbona called his men to council. "Let us go to the
white commander and find out what he wants," he advised. "Whatever
he asks, that we must do. Then perhaps this army will go away and we
will be left in peace:'
Four hundred and fifty mounted warriors, 'dressed in buckskins,
bayeta blankets, and war-paint, accompanied Narbona to meet the white
commander. The treaty of peace was signed and all was well, until a
Mexican accused a ~avajo of stealing his horse. No one knew whether
this was true or not, for the horse could not be found. But almost
immediately, the white soldiers began firing into the group.of mounted
warriors so that Narbona was mortally wounded and several more were
killed. As the Navajo rode away carrying their killed and wounded,
the cannons were discharged at them, causing many more deaths.
NoNavajo were left on the battlefield, if it can be termed a field of .
battle. Those who were not injured carried their dead and wounded
out of sight and sound of the white soldiers. In a sheltered place on a
hillside, fifty-eight dead Navajo, warriors were wrapped in their
blankets, placed in a deep trench, and then the earth was smoothed and
scattered over the burial, to create the appearance of an undisturbed
hillside.
Old Chief Narbona lived to reach his home, but died that same
night. Hi~ last thoughts and words were for his people: "I am not
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THE PR.ICE OF A HOR.SE 199
sorry that I must die, for I am old and my time bas come, but my heart
is sad when I think of the women and children who are weeping for
those who will n~ver return."
Aup,'. 30, 1929-Gradma Klah, aged 85 years.
Grandma KIah's story has been repeated in many Navajo house-
holds and so the Navajg still believe that the soldiers demanded the
lives of fifty-eight warriors as the price of one horse.
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The Price of a Horse

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