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[155] Territory at a late date; but as soon as it was received, Loring and Crittenden set to work to withdraw it from the jurisdiction of the Federal government, and to carry with them the troops which had been confided to their care. But as it had occurred in Texas, the soldiers and most of their officers nobly resisted the solicitations of those faithless chiefs, who failed to find among the settlers, as Twiggs had found, an armed force ready to assist them. Lieutenant-Colonel Roberts, having fathomed their schemes, encouraged and directed this opposition; and when Loring sought to lead the forces under his command into Texas, the officers stationed at Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and at Forts Craig and Stanton refused to obey him. Notwithstanding their isolated position, they thus succeeded in securing New Mexico to the Federal government. Loring and Crittenden, still trying to conceal their intentions, then took refuge in Fort Fillmore, situated at the southern extremity of that Territory, near El Paso del Norte, where they had previously massed half their troops under command of officers upon whom they could more thoroughly rely. Major Lynde, who was in command, became, either through incapacity or connivance, an instrument in their hands, the more useful on account of his continued professions of allegiance to the Federal flag. It so happened that during the month of July, Lynde, having gone out of the fort for the purpose of dispersing a body of Texas partisans, allowed himself to be shamefully beaten by them near Merilla, and soon after he was ordered by Loring to evacuate the fort and to retire towards Albuquerque, on the Santa Fe route. This was to lead his troops to certain destruction. Nothing was neglected to secure this result. The canteens of the soldiers who had to march across a burning plain were filled with brandy. The Texans, being informed of their approach, gathered from every part of the country to waylay them on their passage. The Federals left on the evening of the 1st of August; when, tired out by a night-march, and most of them intoxicated through a free use of the liquor which had been perfidiously administered to them, they reached, at daybreak, the ambuscade towards which their officers were leading them, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by a swarm of enemies, and just as they were preparing for a fight they were
Philadelphia, Jos. H. Coates and co., 1876.
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