37 Facts About Facundo Melgares

Facundo Melgares was a Spanish military officer who served as both the last Spanish Governor of New Mexico and the first Mexican Governor of New Mexico.

Facundo Melgares is described as a "portly man of military demeanour" and as "a gentleman and gallant soldier".

Facundo Melgares was born in 1775 in Caravaca, Murcia, Spain, to an aristocrat family.

Facundo Melgares received a good education and military training and reached the position of lieutenant.

Facundo Melgares was stationed near the northern border of the Spanish territory and remained at that post for approximately ten years.

In 1803, Facundo Melgares enlisted at the Presidio of San Fernando de Carrizal, south of El Paso del Norte.

Facundo Melgares took part in battles against the Apaches, who raided the settlements along the Rio Grande.

Facundo Melgares was tasked with suppressing the Pawnee, who had attacked a Spanish scouting party.

Facundo Melgares arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a force of sixty well-equipped soldiers.

On 30 May 1806, Facundo Melgares was called to see the governor of New Mexico, Joaquin del Real Alencaster.

Facundo Melgares was tasked with detaining Thomas Jefferson's explorers of the region, Lewis and Clark ; resisting American settlement at the Red River; exploring New Mexico to the Missouri River; and negotiating a treaty with the Pawnee Indians in which they would prevent the Anglo-American egress.

Facundo Melgares led 105 Spanish soldiers, 400 New Mexican militiamen, 100 Amerindians, and more than 2,000 animals.

On 1 October 1806, Facundo Melgares returned to Santa Fe accompanied by his prisoner, Zebulon Pike, an explorer of Wilkinson, Governor of Louisiana, whom Facundo Melgares had detained.

In 1810, shortly after the Mexico Declaration of Independence, Facundo Melgares was promoted to captain.

Facundo Melgares led the army of Carriza against the insurgents led by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla at Saltillo, Coahuila.

On 21 March 1811, after several days of heavy fighting, Facundo Melgares prevailed and the insurgent leaders were arrested near Monclova, Coahuila.

Facundo Melgares was an equitable civil administrator in his dealings with the Navajo and the Puebloans.

Facundo Melgares delivered the 1812 Constitution in New Mexico with support for inclusion of the indigenous people in its governance, for example, the right to vote and hold public office.

In 1817, Facundo Melgares was promoted to commander of the Presidio of Santa Fe.

Facundo Melgares arrived there in July 1818 with his veteran troops and set about defending the city.

Facundo Melgares's responsibilities included administration of civilian activities; defence of the province from local Indian hostilities and foreign invaders in the north; and control of the prison troops and civilian militia.

Facundo Melgares himself, made a personal donation of cereals, metal and sheep.

The Presidio of Santa Fe had only 167 soldiers to battle the Navajo and so Facundo Melgares sent troops from Chihuahua and some 60 soldiers from San Eleazario.

In late October 1818, Facundo Melgares tasked Captain Andres Gomez Sanudo, chief of the military second in Taos, with marching to Jemez and attacking no later than 7 November 1818.

Facundo Melgares determined that the Navajo should yield or be driven to the Deserts of California.

Two months before the New Mexico viceroy's alert about an imminent attack by the United States, Facundo Melgares had ordered a reconnaissance of the Arkansas Valley to verify rumours of a US presence among the Pawnees.

Facundo Melgares source was Sergeant Jose Cayetano Hernandez, who said that while he was in captivity, a US Army officer visited the Pawnees to propose a plan of unification with the Kiowas in an effort to invade the Spanish territory.

Arce confirmed that the Amerindians were loyal to Spain and would alert New Mexico of any planned invasion by the US Despite the reassurances, Facundo Melgares requested a reinforcement of 500 soldiers, half as infantry, armed with rifles and bayonets, to strengthen the outposts of the north.

Facundo Melgares sent 600 soldiers to Taos, and 400 to El Vado.

Facundo Melgares fought ongoing difficulties related to unrealistic demands of his distant commanders.

In February 1819, when it seemed the US-Mexico border was safe, the commander, General Antonio Cordero, tasked Facundo Melgares to make peace with the Native Americans in every way he could.

However, Facundo Melgares continued to fight under the unlikely mandate of the Hopi requesting Spanish protection against the Navajo.

Facundo Melgares remained a staunch monarchist despite the strong likelihood of Mexican independence.

On 26 December 1821, Facundo Melgares received official word that he should swear allegiance to the new Mexican government.

In 1821, after independence, Facundo Melgares welcomed the first US trade delegation to Santa Fe.

On 5 July 1822, Facundo Melgares was dismissed from his post.

Facundo Melgares continued as a soldier under the command of his replacement, Francisco Xavier Chavez.