Donaciano Vigil
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Donaciano Vigil (1802-1877) was an American politician who served as the second governor of the
New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
. Born a subject of the Spanish Crown in Santa Fe to
Nuevomexicanos The Hispanos of New Mexico, also known as Neomexicanos ( es, Neomexicano) or Nuevomexicanos, are Hispanic residents originating in the historical region of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, today the US state of New Mexico (''Nuevo México''), south ...
parents, he served in the militias during Mexican rule in New Mexico. After the United States annexed New Mexico following the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, Vigil helped smooth the transition to American governance.


Early years (1802-1846)

Donaciano Vigil was born in 1802 in
Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label=Tiwa language, Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. ...
, and was educated by his father. When fully grown, Vigil was perhaps 6'2" tall, and very strong. He enlisted in the Santa Fe militia in 1823 as a private. During his twenty-five years of service, he participated in many campaigns against the Native Americans, helped suppress the revolt of 1837 against Governor
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 ...
, and in 1841 fought against the
Texan Santa Fe Expedition The Texan Santa Fe Expedition was a commercial and military expedition to secure the Republic of Texas's claims to parts of Northern New Mexico for Texas in 1841. The expedition was unofficially initiated by the then-President of Texas, Mirabeau B ...
, a group of soldiers and traders from the
Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...
pushing through New Mexico towards Santa Fe. Vigil advanced through the ranks, becoming a captain and Company Commander of the San Miguel del Bado militia. Vigil was intelligent, educated and fluent in English as well as Spanish. He twice served as a member of the Department Assembly, from 1838 to 1840 and again from 1843 to 1845. He also served as secretary to Governor
Manuel Armijo Manuel Armijo (ca. 1793–1853) was a New Mexican soldier and statesman who served three times as governor of New Mexico. He was instrumental in putting down the Revolt of 1837, he led the force that captured the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, and h ...
. For a year from February 1844, he published a newspaper, ''La Verdad
he Truth He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
'. He was involved in the Santa Fe trade with the United States, and came to know many Americans. In 1846 Vigil and his company mobilized to resist the United States army that invaded New Mexico under General
Stephen W. Kearny Stephen Watts Kearny (sometimes spelled Kearney) ( ) (August 30, 1794October 31, 1848) was one of the foremost History of the United States (1789–1849), antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significan ...
, taking a position in Apache Canyon to prevent the U.S. troops from reaching the capital. However, Governor Manuel Armijo ordered the troops to disband rather than fight, and Vigil obeyed under protest. Kearny was able to occupy Santa Fe and New Mexico without resistance.


Post-war leader (1846-1851)

Kearny wanted capable local leaders to assist in government, thereby smoothing the transition to United States rule. He offered Vigil the position of Secretary of the Territorial Civil Government under Governor
Charles Bent Charles Bent (November 11, 1799 – January 19, 1847) was an American businessman and politician who served as the first civilian United States governor of the New Mexico Territory, newly acquired by the Military Governor, Stephen Watts Kearny, ...
. Vigil previously held the position of Territorial Secretary under Governor Armijo. By accepting this offer, Vigil threw in his lot with the United States. He apparently considered the more progressive government of the U.S. to be preferable to the ineffective and corrupt government based in Mexico City, which he criticized in his 1846 book ''Arms, Indians and Mismanagement of New Mexico''. In secret meetings led by Don
Diego Archuleta Brigadier General Diego Archuleta (March 27, 1814 – 1884), was a member of the Mexican Congress. He joined the Mexican Army to fight against the United States in the Mexican–American War. Later, he was appointed an Indian ( Native Americans) A ...
at a home near the military church, La Castrenza, in Santa Fe, Mexican loyalists elected Tomas Ortiz governor with Archuleta as commanding general. A rebellion was planned to take place in the city on December 19, 1846, and later postponed to Christmas Eve. Mexican loyalist emissaries were sent out to all nearest points demanding that the people take part in the uprising in Santa Fe upon the third bell for midnight mass ( Misa del Gallo), when all of the American officers would be captured. This plan fell through, however, after it became known to Donaciano Vigil, by way of the proprietress of the city's largest gambling house, Tules Barcelona. Vigil informed General
Sterling Price Major-General Sterling "Old Pap" Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. Prior to ...
, of the Second Missouri Mounted Volunteers, who had a number of conspirators arrested. With the information obtained, General Price was able to station soldiers at the homes of every known revolutionist. However, Tomas Ortiz escaped in the garb of a servant girl and fled to
Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...
. The new governor, Charles Bent, was a prosperous fur trader who hailed from
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. By 1835, Bent settled in
Taos Taos or TAOS may refer to: Places * Taos, Missouri, a city in Cole County, Missouri, United States * Taos County, New Mexico, United States ** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico *** Taos art colony, an art colo ...
and married a local woman, María Ignacia Jaramillo. On 19 January 1847, Bent was murdered by a group of Hispanic and
Taos Pueblo Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos-speaking (Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan people. It lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico. The pueblos are considered to be one of the oldest c ...
rebels at the beginning of the
Taos Revolt The Taos Revolt was a populist insurrection in January 1847 by Hispano and Pueblo allies against the United States' occupation of present-day northern New Mexico during the Mexican–American War. Provisional governor Charles Bent and several ...
. Afterwards, General Price asked Vigil to serve as Acting Governor. Vigil accepted the position, calling on the people to be calm. He said, "... whether this country has to belong to the government of the United States or return to its native Mexico, is it not a gross absurdity to foment rancorous feelings toward people with whom we are either to compose one family or to continue our commercial relations? Unquestionably it is ..." Vigil's proclamation ended, As Acting Governor, Vigil called for the establishment of a public school system open to the poor as well as the rich. Later in 1847, he called for the first Territorial legislature to be convened. Vigil was appointed Governor in December 1847. He supported the territorial legislature's resolution calling for the creation of a public university. In 1848, he endorsed the legislature's request for a territorial convention to determine the formal status of New Mexico. That is, as either a state or a territory of the United States. On 10 October 1848, 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 ...
arrived in Santa Fe at the head of four dragoon companies. The next day Washington took charge as both civil and military governor. Vigil reverted to his former position as Territorial Secretary. He held that post until March 1851 when the new constitution took effect and the government of New Mexico was reorganized. In April 1849 Father
Ramón Ortiz y Miera Ramón Ortiz y Miera (commonly Padre Ramón Ortiz) (28 January 1814 – 11 March 1896) was a Mexican priest who helped organize armed resistance during the Mexican–American War of 1846 to 1848, and who was frustrated by the U.S. authorities in hi ...
arrived in New Mexico from Chihuahua, Mexico as commissioner in charge of assisting Mexicans who wished to resettle in Chihuahua. He was welcomed by Governor Washington and Secretary Vigil who both thought he was unlikely to succeed. So, they even offered to supply transport to Mexicans seeking repatriation. Their moods changed quickly when the people of
San Miguel del Vado San Miguel del Vado (, also spelled ''Bado'') is an unincorporated community in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Description The community is located about south of Interstate Highway 25 and Ribera, a census designated place. The ...
, alone, submitted 900 requests for repatriation assistance. Vigil said that Ortíz could not conduct recruitment in person since his presence would disturb the peace. Father Ortiz then appointed agents to recruit New Mexico families for repatriation and was still met with considerable success. In response, Vigil cracked down further on recruitment efforts. The United States position was that the
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...
did not cover repatriation. As such, Ortíz's activity was therefore illegal.


Landowner (1851-1877)

Donaciano Vigil had been involved in land purchases for some time. He moved to Pecos in 1854, where he became a major landowner, founding East Pecos. In 1830 the
Pueblo Indians The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Zun ...
of the area had sold part of their lands to Juan Estavan Pino, and Vigil obtained the part of Pino's purchase that lay to the east of the
Pecos River The Pecos River ( es, Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico ...
. His first purchase of land in the Pecos Pueblo tract was made on 26 December 1854, for a price of $1,500, and further purchases followed over the years. He built houses and storage rooms, and an irrigation ditch to power his grain mill. Vigil continued to be active in public affairs, serving in the territorial legislature several times up to the end of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. He was a school commissioner in San Miguel County from 1871–1872. A strong old man, at the age of 74 he was still capable of riding a horse from Pecos to Santa Fe, a distance of . He died in 1877, leaving a will that divided his land among his numerous sons.


See also

* Donaciano Vigil House


Bibliography

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References


Sources

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External links


Donaciano Vigil
by David J. Weber, New Mexico Office of the State Historian {{DEFAULTSORT:Vigil, Donaciano 1802 births 1877 deaths 19th-century American politicians American politicians of Mexican descent American politicians of Spanish descent Governors of New Mexico Territory People from New Mexico Politicians from Santa Fe, New Mexico