The Battle of Cieneguilla (pronounced sienna-GEE-ya; English: small swamp) was an engagement of the

Jicarilla War The Jicarilla War began in 1849 and was fought between the Jicarilla Apache, Jicarilla Apaches and the United States Army in the New Mexico Territory. Ute people, Ute warriors also played a significant role in the conflict as they were allied ...

involving a group of

Jicarilla Apache Jicarilla Apache (, Jicarilla language: Jicarilla Dindéi), one of several loosely organized autonomous bands of the Eastern Apache, refers to the members of the Jicarilla Apache Nation currently living in New Mexico and speaking a Southern Athaba ...

s, possibly their

Ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute people, a Native American people of the Great Basin * Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah * Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah * Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern ...

allies, and the American 1st Cavalry Regiment on March 30, 1854 near what is now

Pilar, New Mexico Pilar (formerly Cieneguilla) is an unincorporated community in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. It is located on the Rio Grande. Etymology The original name of Cieneguilla is derived from the Spanish word , which means "marsh" or "mar ...

. The ''Santa Fe Weekly Gazette'' reported that the action "was one of the severest battles that ever took place between American troops and Red Indians''.''" It was one of the first significant battles between American and Apache forces and was also part of the

Ute Wars The Ute Wars were a series of conflicts between the Ute people and the United States which began in 1849 and ended in 1923. Wars *Jicarilla War (1849–1855) *Battle at Fort Utah (1850) *Wakara's War, Walker War (1853–1854) *Tintic War (1 ...

, in which Ute warriors attempted to resist

Westward expansion The United States of America was formed after thirteen British colonies in North America declared independence from the British Empire on July 4, 1776. In the Lee Resolution, passed by the Second Continental Congress two days prior, the colon ...

in the

Four Corners Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. Most of the Four Corners regio ...

region.

Background

In March 1854, Companies F and I of the First Dragoons camped at Cantonment Burgwin, an army post 10 miles southeast of

Taos Taos or TAOS may refer to: Places * Taos County, New Mexico, United States ** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico *** Taos art colony, an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico ** Taos Pueblo, a Native American ...

. While on patrol, 60 dragoons engaged in an unauthorized attack on the Jicarilla Apache encampment near Pilar, then known as Cieneguilla, after First Lieutenant John Wynn Davidson exceeded the orders of his superior officer, Major Blake.

Battle

On March 30, a combined force of about 250 Apaches and Utes laid an

ambush An ambush is a surprise attack carried out by people lying in wait in a concealed position. The concealed position itself or the concealed person(s) may also be called an "". Ambushes as a basic military tactics, fighting tactic of soldi ...

for the U.S.

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

s. In his report after the battle, Davidson stated that " ecame upon the Apaches near Cieneguilla who at once sounded the war whoop." According to Private James A. Bennett (aka James Bronson), who survived the ambush, the battle lasted about four hours. It started around 8 a.m. and ended when the dragoon regiments retreated at 12 p.m. to Ranchos de Taos. The Apache warriors used flintlock rifles and arrows. Of the 60 dragoons present, the U.S. suffered 22 killed and 36 wounded, along with a loss of 22 horses and much of the troops' supplies.''A losing battle''
- The Albuquerque Tribune Another version of the fight presents the view that Davidson and his troops were not ambushed but rather were taunted by the Apaches into attacking a superior force, one that also employed superior tactics. This modern version also has the fight duration being closer to two hours than the four that Davidson and Bennett claimed.

Aftermath

At once, Lieutenant Colonel Philip St. George Cooke of the Second Regiment of Dragoons organized an expedition to pursue the Jicarilla. With the help of

Pueblo Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlement ...

Indian and Mexican scouts under Captain James H. Quinn, with

Kit Carson Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent and United States Army, U.S. Army officer. He became an American frontier legend in his own lifetime ...

as the principal guide. After a winter pursuit through the mountains, Cooke caught and defeated them April 8, 1854, at their camp in the canyon of Ojo Caliente. Dispersing in small bands, the Jicarilla evaded further pursuit, but many died from the harsh cold weather. Much of the blame for the loss of life was put on Davidson, as he was accused of risking the lives of his soldiers when he could have avoided the ambush.Orders No. 1, HQ DNM, Feb. 9, 1856, DNM Orders, v. 36, p. 346, USAC, RG 393, NA. However, Brig. Gen. John Garland praised Davidson when stated that "The troops displayed a gallantry seldom equaled in this, or any other country and the Officer in Command, Lieut. Davidson, has given evidence of soldiership in the highest degree creditable to him. To have sustained a deadly control of three hours when he was so greatly outnumbered, and to have retired with the fragment of a company, crippled up, is amazing and calls for the admiration of every true soldier." On March 10, 1856, Garland called a court of inquiry to meet at

Taos, New Mexico Taos () is a town in Taos County, New Mexico, Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Santa Fe ...

. After many witnessing declarations, the court declared that Davidson could not have avoided the confrontation and "that in the battle he exhibited skill in his mode of attacking a greatly superior force of hostile Indians; and prudence, and coolness, and courage, throughout a protracted engagement; and finally, when he was obliged to retire from the field, owing to the great odds opposing him, the losses he had sustained, and the scarcity of ammunition; his exertions to bring off the wounded men merit high praise."

Archaeological surveys

In 2001,

Carson National Forest Carson National Forest is a United States National Forest, national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The Forest Serv ...

received a grant from the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

's American Battlefield Protection Program. The grant was aimed to perform an

archaeological excavation In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

at the site of the Battle of Cieneguilla. It took a year to locate the battlefield.''Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico''
- indian country.com (July 04, 2001) Although some artifacts were found on the battlefield, the survey's final findings may be found in Douglas Scott's Fields of Conflict, vol. 2. The findings support most of Lt. Bell's criticisms of Lt. Davidson's tactics and his conclusion that the command had been thoroughly routed.

Notes and references

External links