345
Missionary Activity Among tile Apaclles, 1743-1758
Tlze love feast and tile burying of the leatchet and a l,orse, 1749. Differ- ent factors were working towards the realization of the long sought dream of the missionaries, the conversion of the Apaches. By the close of 1748, Captain Urrutia, who had consistently opposed a conciliatory policy, began to incline towards the more peaceful proposals of the missionaries. On the other hand, the inveterate Comanches appear to have been pressing the Apaches with greater fury than ever and these sagacious Indians began to see that their only hope of existence under the circumstances was the protection which Spanish arms would afford them in the confines of the missions. A number of captives had been taken by the Spaniards. It was now pro- posed to release these captives upon the negotiation of a permanent peace. After many preliminaries, the details of the release and the treaty of peace were finally worked out. The prisoners were duly set free on November 28, 1749, accord-ing to documentary evidence and not on August 18 as has been erroneously stated. 11 Then followed one of the strangest, most pic- turesque, certainly unique festivals to celebrate the ratification of a permanent treaty. "This was a great day for San Antonio," says Dunn. "After thirty years of depredations, the harrassed settlement was to be secure, as was thought, in a lasting peace. Early in the morning the plaza began to fill with an eager throng. On one side were drawn up the soldiers, the priests, and the citizens, while on the other were the chiefs and their followers, who had been joined by the released prisoners." In preparation for the occasion a great hole was dug in the middle of the plaza in which were placed a live horse, a hatchet, a lance, and six arrows, all instruments of war. At a given signal, Captain Urrutia and the three chiefs joined hands and danced three times around the hole. This ceremony was repeated by the Indians, the citizens and the missionaries, who danced merrily and then retired to their respective places. The dance over, all those present, rushed to the hole, and quickly buried the live horse, together with the weapons, as a sign that the war was over. While the Indians filled the air with wild whoops, the soldiers and Spaniards present shouted lustily three times "Viva el Rey" (Long live the King) .u Peace with the Apaches had been consummated. 11 Domingo Cabello, /11/orme , says it was on August 18, but official reports definitely fix the date as November 28, 1749. A.G. M. 1/isloriti, Vol. 28, ff. 122-213. UDunn, "Apache Relations," Tl,1 ()11arlerly, XIV, 261-262.
Powered by FlippingBook