r weariness. Company K marched into
Burro Canon with less than ten men out of eighty, and it was long after
daylight the next day before the whole command had arrived. A short
march of twelve miles brought us to Ojo de Baca; thence eighteen miles
to the Miembres river.

Our next march, twenty-five miles, was to Cooke's Springs, passing
through Cooke's Canon. This location was known by Mexicans as _La Valle
del Muerto_, or Valley of Death. It seemed to be rightly named, too, as
for nearly two miles were to be seen, on either side, skulls and other
portions of human remains who had fallen by Indian assassination. Mounds
and crosses were met every few minutes. As we emerged from this _triste_
locality, we encountered the remains of wagons and government stores,
that had been destroyed the year before by the regular troops, who had
deserted Forts Buchanan and Breckenridge, in Arizona. When they had
arrived at this point, they were informed of the surrender of the
regulars at Fort Fillmore; consequently, without further inquiry, they
destroyed all the government property they had in charge, and made their
way, on the west side of the Rio Grande, to Fort Craig.

The next march brought us near to Mule Springs, fifteen miles; and on
the next afternoon could be discovered, in the distance, the green,
winding way of the Rio Grande, with the Sierras de Organos in the
background. Camp was made that night on the banks of the Rio Bravo del
Norte, near to old Fort Thorn. The next march was down the west bank of
the river to the fording place, known as San Diego, which you will find
set down on all maps as a town or village, but to my certain knowledge,
up to the time mentioned, and for several years afterwards, there was
but one house in the vicinity, and that contained but one room and no
roof. As the river was now, the third of August, at its extreme height,
caused by the melting of the snow in the upper Rocky Mountains, we
experienced some difficulty in getting our wagons and stores across;
still all was completed before sundown, and the next day we arrived at
Roblado, near the town of Dona Ana. On the fifth of August, after
passing through the villages of Dona Ana and Las Cruces, we arrived at
the pleasant town of La Mesilla.

Here was to be our resting place. We found a well-built village, with
a numerous population, mostly Mexican. The rebels, who had arrived in
the Territory, we learned, had, after the treacherous surrender o