THE PLAINS INDIANS AND NEW MEXICO, 1751-1778. A Collection of Documents Illustrative of the History of the Eastern Frontier of New Mexico

Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1949. First Edition. 8vo, publisher's original maroon cloth, the spine and upper cover lettered in gilt, in the illustrated dustjacket. xv, 232 pp. A fine copy in a lovely dustjacket. PRINTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE PLAINS INDIANS AND NEW MEXICO. The story of the early settlers and explorers of New Mexico is that of endless raids, and fights with hostile Indians. The letters and reports, faithfully translated by Alfred B. Thomas, make interesting reading for lovers of adventure. Here we learn the story of life on the frontier from the pens of those most capable of relating it - the frontiersmen themselves.
Forced by circumstances to take up the control and defense of the Pueblos against the nomadic and hostile Plains Indians on their endless search for food and supplies, the Spanish regime faced a problem which was not solved for many years.
Of the early Spanish governors, Cachupin alone grasped the fundamentals of the frontier problem. His solution consisted of securing peace with all tribes on terms that were mutually satisfactory, rather than by punishing invaders by occasional expeditions. His successors were not as enlightened.
The documents included in this volume are printed here for the first time and are thus seminally important to the book trade and scholarly community.