TAOS COUNTY COURT-MARTIAL
BURIALS:
Los Valles Drumhead Court
Martial Burials
These are the burials of the
five men hung by Price on August 3, 1847, in Santa Fe, for
the death of the Brown
quartermaster party in Los Valles de San Agustin.
Contributed by Tim
Kimball.
AASF Reel 41, frames 68-69:
En el Campo Sto de esta
ciudad de Sta Fé á los tres dias del mes de Agosto de mil
ochocientas cuarenta y
siete yo el Presbo Jose de Jesus Lujan como teniente de
esta Parroquia di
Sepultura Ecca al cuerpo difunto de José Tomas Duran
esposo de Deosisicia
Blea muerta ejecutada por la Justicia , en la tribulacion
de la orca, despues que recibio los Santos Sacramentos de Penitencia,
de Eucaristia y Estrema uncion, fabrica de limosna, y para que coneste lo
firmé.
Jose de Jesus Lujan [rubric]
Margin note: Jose Tomas
Duran. Fabrica de limosna. [same comment with name of each
deceased]
Next entry, only new
specifics included:
George Rodriges esposo de Ma
Rafaela [Lovato, from 1845 census, not on entry]
[Age 37; note use of English
version of name—how much contact did Lujan have during his administration of last rites?]
Next entry, only new
specifics included:
Manuel Saens esposo de
Marcelina Gutieres
Next entry, only new
specifics included:
Pedro Martin esposo de
Getrudes Trujillo
[Age 25]
Next entry, only new
specifics included:
Carpio Martin adulto hijo de
Santiago Martin y Paula Blea
[Policarpio Martin, age 22]
Next entry, only new
specifics included:
Deonicio Martin adulto hijo
de Santiago Martin y Paula Blea
Comments:
The list of dead is exactly
that reported by the American Army. All three of the
Martin dead were
brothers, sons of Santiago Martin and Paula Blea.
Usual fees for cemetery
burials noted seemed to be 2 pesos 4 reales to 3 pesos,
all these were
charitable.
All known accounts of this
incident, including those of Dyer and Caspers (both part
of the Court Martial)
say that the convicted parties were hung on August 3,
1847, in Santa Fe.
El vicario Juan Ortiz was
conducting most of the burials at this time. No indication
why Lujan did all of
these.
I have tried to duplicate the
entries verbatim, without any alterations of spelling or grammar (even of names). Ages when
given are based on an 1845 census of Los Valles de San Agustín, plus two years.
By Tim Kimball.
06/04/2009
