Came Men on Horses: The Conquistador Expeditions of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and Don Juan de Oñate

14. Cavalcade of Conquest

167 14 Cavalcade of Conquest The entire army was drawn up in formation, and in the presence of the multitude the governor solemnly took possession of the newly discovered land. Villagrá1 Lope de Ulloa y Lemos and his staff arrived at the mines at Casco and began their inspection and inventory of the expedition on December 9, 1596. Don Juan de Oñate opened the event by presenting a large amount of steel and iron rods and plate, which he promised to make into goods. He followed with an assortment of plowshares, hoes, axes, saws, augers, chisels, adzes, blacksmith’s tools, and numerous small items such as pulleys , hocking blades, knives, padlocks, hammers, scissors, needles, mirrors, and trade items that included glass beads,bells,tin images,fans,necklaces, whistles, thimbles, and rings.2 Even more reflective of Oñate’s personal wealth were the fifty-three well-broken horses, all carrying his brand, and the twelve saddles—one embroidered with blue velvet trappings, another decked with a caparison cloak of crimson and gold straps,and others of green velvet,black trimmed in gold, or brown cordovan. Added to these items were cavalry shields, 168 C a v a l C a d e o f C o n q u e s t leather jackets, swords, daggers, harquebuses, lances, horse armor made of buckskin hide, barrels of gunpowder, a bronze culvern (fieldpiece), and Oñate’s twenty-four carts with iron-rimmed wheels plus nineteen others belonging to his captains and soldiers and six more furnished by the Franciscan friars. Two days later the governor presented the group with nearly 200 head of oxen to pull the carts, 6 animals per cart. Oñate had been advised that where he was going,oxen would serve better than mules.3 At the end of January, Don Juan announced that he had no more to offer at the mines but said he could contribute further at Santa Bárbara, twenty-eight leagues to the south. Leaving the expedition at Casco, the governor escorted the inspection commissary to Santa Bárbara, where he presented them with 4,632 horseshoes and 137,338 extra horseshoe nails, Michoacán frieze, sackcloth, flour, beans, wheat, corn, lead for ammunition , 1,012 goats, 4,439 sheep and rams, nearly 1,900 head of cattle, 2 state carriages with 4 mules each, plus 9 more carts, 20 barrels of mercury, 154 colts, and 30 mules and jackasses.4 Returning to Casco, Oñate made preparations to parade his officers, soldiers, and the entire expedition in review. The grand event took place on February 17, 1597, with Oñate proudly leading the procession. Don Juan wore a coat of mail and a helmet with a beaver armor over his throat and lower face. Cuisses of mail covered his thighs, and he carried both a sword and a harquebus. His prancing steed wore a blanket of buckskin and bull-hide armor. In the mounted cortege that followed were Oñate’s two secretaries, a chamberlain (household attendant), a chief waiter, two lords of the bed chamber, four pages, and a servant—all but the latter in full armor and all well armed.5 Behind this group were Juan de Zaldívar and his three pages,Vicente de Zaldívar and his page, and twelve army captains or substitutes therefor . Each was mounted, armed, and armored. Behind these men came a long line of other officers and soldiers, all likewise in armor and carrying their weapons, their horses draped with bull-hide protection. Some were accompanied by their servants. At the rear of this group (or so he was listed) was Oñate’s boyish son,Don Cristóbal,also decked out with armor for both himself and his horse.The commissary had wanted to place him beside his father, but Oñate had insisted that the boy be included among the soldiers.6 During the year the expedition was stalled at the Casco mines, Oñate learned that a “quarrelsome and turbulent” person named Andrés Martín 169 C a v a l C a d e o f C o n q u e s t Palomo was gathering people in the San Bartolomé valley for an unauthorized entrada into New Mexico. This was in direct competition with, and a threat to, Oñate’s plans. Vicente was dispatched, undoubtedly with some soldiers, to “arrest...