Editing Jicarilla Apache (section)

===Battle of Cieneguilla===
[[File:Southwestern Defense System before the Civil War.jpg|thumb|500px|Southwestern Defense System before the Civil War. Source:National Park Service]]The [[Battle of Cieneguilla]] (pronounced sienna-GEE-ya; English: small swamp) was an engagement of a group of Jicarilla Apaches, their [[Ute people|Ute]] allies, and the [[United States|American]] [[1st Cavalry Regiment (United States)|1st Cavalry Regiment]] on March 30, 1854,<ref>Rajtar.</ref> near what is now [[Pilar, New Mexico]].<ref>[http://web.abqtrib.com/archives/diversions04/032604_diversions_tales.shtml ''A losing battle''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929122917/http://web.abqtrib.com/archives/diversions04/032604_diversions_tales.shtml |date=2007-09-29 }} - The Albuquerque Tribune</ref>

====Background====
By the mid-1800s, tensions between the [[Spanish colonization of the Americas|Spanish]], multiple [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] nations, and [[westward expansion|westward expanding]] [[Americans|United States]] settlers erupted as all sought and laid claim to land in the southwest. Diseases to which Native Americans had no [[Immunity (medical)|immunity]] "decimated" their tribes, creating greater pressure for their lands to be taken from them. As tensions among Native Americans grew and with numerous attempts to relocate them from their traditional hunting and gathering land and sacred homelands, the Jicarilla became increasingly hostile in their efforts to protect their lands.<ref name=NPS>Oliva.</ref> The United States military developed a [[Defense (military)|defense system]] of [[forts]] and troops to restrict attacks on westward travelers. Fort Union was established, in part, to provide protection from the Jicarillas. The disruption and "mutual incomprehensions" of one another's culture led to warfare among the Spanish, Native American nations, and Americans.<ref name=NPS>Oliva.</ref>

Leo E. Oliva, author of ''Fort Union and the Frontier Army in the Southwest'', notes that: "The three cultural groups in the Southwest had different concepts of family life, personal values, social relations, religion, uses and ownership of land and other property, how best to obtain the provisions of life, and warfare."<ref name=NPS/>

Fort Union was established by Colonel [[Edwin Vose Sumner]], who ordered Major [[James Henry Carleton]]'s Company K 1st [[Dragoon]]s on August 2, 1851, to protect westward travelers between [[Missouri]] and [[New Mexico Territory]] on the [[Santa Fe Trail]].<ref name=NPS/> [[List of Governors of New Mexico|New Mexico Territory]]'s Governor [[William Carr Lane]] made treaties with the Jicarilla and other Native American tribes of New Mexico to relocate them to reservations where they would peacefully take up agriculture on new lands. Both parties agreed to payments to compensate the Native Americans for their loss of access to hunting, gathering, and sacred homeland. The U.S. government, however, pulled the funding for this agreement, betraying the Native American tribal members. Further complicating the situation, all the crops planted by the tribal members failed and the people continued raiding for survival.<ref name=NPS/>

====Battle and aftermath====
[[File:Cieneguilla 2.jpg|thumb|right|[[Cenotaph]] marking where the body of a killed dragoon was found]]
In March 1854, [[Lobo Blanco]], a Jicarilla chief, led a band of 30 warriors to raid the horse herd of a contractor for Fort Union. A detachment of 2nd U.S. Dragoons, led by Lieutenant David Bell, pursued the raiders. They engaged in a fight on the Canadian River and killed many of the Jicarilla, including the chief, who was repeatedly wounded and finally crushed to death under a boulder.<ref>Haley, James L. "the Apaches:  A History and Culture Portrait ", University of Oklahoma Press Norman 1981, {{ISBN|0806129786}}</ref>

In late March, Major George A. Blake, commanding officer at Burgwin Cantonment, sent a detachment of 1st U.S. Dragoon of 60 men (company I and part of company F) to patrol along the Santa Fe trail. On March 30, 1854, a combined force of about 250 Apaches and [[Ute Tribe|Utes]] fought the U.S. [[dragoon]]s, led by Lieutenant [[John Davidson (general)|John Wynn Davidson]], near [[Pilar, New Mexico]], then known as Cieneguilla.<ref>Davidson, 72.</ref> The battle lasted for two<ref name=Gorenfeld>Gorenfeld, Will.</ref> or four hours, according to surviving soldier James A. Bennett (aka James Bronson). The Jicarilla, led by their principal chief, [[Francisco Chacon (Jicarilla chief)|Francisco Chacon]], and [[Flechas Rayadas]], fought with [[Flintlock|flintlock rifles]] and [[arrow]]s, killing 22 and a wounding another 36 of 60 dragoon soldiers, who then retreated to [[Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico|Ranchos de Taos]] lighter by 22 horses and most of the troops' supplies.<ref name=NPS/><ref>Brooks, Reeve, Bennett.</ref><ref name="Haley, James L">Haley, James L.</ref>

Lieutenant Colonel [[Philip St. George Cooke]] of the [[2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment|2nd Dragoons Regiment]] quickly organized an expedition to pursue the Jicarilla with the help of 32 Pueblo Indian and Mexican scouts under Captain James H. Quinn, with [[Kit Carson]] as the principal guide. After a winter pursuit through the mountains, Cooke caught up with the Jicarilla. Jicarilla leader, Flechas Rayadas, offered an agreement for peace in exchange for the horses and guns that the Jicarilla acquired from the Battle, but the offer was not accepted. On April 8, Cooke's forces fought tribal members at their camp in the canyon of [[Ojo Caliente (Socorro County, New Mexico)|Ojo Caliente]]. The Jicarilla dispersed in small groups to evade further pursuit, but many died from the harsh cold weather.<ref name=NPS/><ref>Carter, 134-139.</ref><ref name="Haley, James L"/>

A large unit under Major James H. Carleton fought again the Jicarillas near Fisher's Peak in the Raton Mountains, killing several of them. Francisco Chacon replied by trying an ambush against the soldiers with 150 warriors, but his group was bypassed. Subsequently, five warriors were killed, six wounded, and seventeen women and children were scattered and may have died of cold and hunger during the flight.<ref name="Haley, James L"/> In May, Francisco Chacon sent word to Santa Fe for peace and surrendered at Abiquiu.<ref name="Haley, James L"/>