Blas de Hinojos was a military commander of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

who was killed by a force of

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

warriors led by

Narbona Narbona or Hastiin Narbona (1766 – August 31, 1849) was a Navajo chief who participated in the Navajo Wars. He was killed in a confrontation with U.S. soldiers on August 31, 1849. Narbona was one of the wealthiest Navajo of his time due to th ...

in 1835. Capitan Blas de Hinojos married Maria de Jesus Trujillo. His men were poorly paid. In 1834 he received a complaint from the detachment at San Miguel del Bado that they were not able to support themselves or their families. In 1834 he decided to commit his troops to supporting the centralist

Plan of Cuernavaca The Plan of Cuernavaca (Spanish: ''Plan de Cuernavaca'') was a declaration made in Cuernavaca, Mexico on 25 May 1834 in opposition to reform measures by the liberal administration of Vice President Valentín Gómez Farías. Presumably the declaratio ...

, and received an effusive letter from

José Antonio Laureano de Zubiría José Antonio Laureano de Zubiría y Escalante (4 July 1791 - 28 November 1863) was Bishop of Durango in Mexico from 28 August 1831 until his death. He was a supporter of the Centralist Republic of Mexico, and was strongly opposed to the United St ...

, Bishop of Durango, praising his decision. Hinojos led a slaving expedition into Navajo country between 13 October and 17 November 1834, killing sixteen warriors but taking only three captives. On 8 February 1835 Hinojos left Santa Fé on a second slaving expedition with a force of almost 1,000 armed men. Narbona heard news of the invasion and collected 250 of the best warriors, who made for the high Beesh Lichii'l Bigiizh, or Copper Pass, in the

Chuska Mountains '' The Chuska Mountains are an elongate range on the southwest Colorado Plateau and within the Navajo Nation whose highest elevations approach 10,000 feet. The range is about 80 by 15 km (50 by 10 miles). It trends north-northwest and is cros ...

on the route that the Mexicans were sure to take. The Mexican force, although large, was composed of poorly disciplined and inexperienced men who took no precautions. On 28 February 1835 they straggled into Copper Pass. Narbona held back his forces, who hiding on both sides of the pass. He told them that when the time was right and not before they would cut the long file of men into small pieces, like cutting a long tree trunk into firewood. When the signal was given, the Navajos poured arrows into the column, those who had guns fired, and some threw stones or rolled rocks into the gorge. Taken completely by surprise, both men and horses panicked and were routed. Hinojos and most of his force died. The survivors made their way beck to Santa Fe, returning on 13 March 1835. Hinojos was succeeded by

Albino Pérez Albino Pérez (died 8 August 1837) was a Mexican soldier and politician who was appointed Governor of New Mexico by the Centralist Republic of Mexico. He pursued unpopular policies, suffered a revolt in July 1837, and in August 1837 was killed by r ...

. The pass was later renamed Washington Pass, after Colonel

John M. Washington John MacRae Washington (died 1853) was a United States artillery officer who became military governor of New Mexico Territory, New Mexico shortly after the end of the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848. Early career John M. Washington was bor ...

, who killed Narbona in 1849. Today it is called

Narbona Pass Narbona Pass (formerly Washington Pass) is a pass through the natural break between the Tunicha and Chuska Mountains, an elongated range on the Colorado Plateau on the Navajo Nation. A paved road, New Mexico Highway 134, crosses the range through N ...

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