02-16-2 Juan de Oñate

Another interesting bit of Texas history. TiTH: Lone Survivor Found February 16 On this day in 1599, Jusepe Gutiérrez, the lone survivor of the Bonilla expedition, was found by Spanish explorer Juan de Oñate. Francisco Leyva de Bonilla, a Portuguese captain in the service of Spain, was dispatched in 1594 by Governor Diego de Velasco of Nueva Vizcaya to pursue beyond the frontiers of that state a rebellious band of Indians that had committed acts of theft. Once across the border, Bonilla and his party determined to explore New Mexico and the plains beyond and to search for the fabled treasure of Quivira. They spent about a year at the upper Rio Grande pueblos, making Bove (San Ildefonso) their principal headquarters. They then explored into Arkansas and Nebraska. According to the statement of Gutiérrez, a Mexican Indian who was with the party, Bonilla was stabbed to death after a quarrel with his lieutenant, Antonio Gutiérrez de Humaña, who then assumed command. Sometime after the murder, Jusepe and five other Indians deserted the party and retraced their steps toward New Mexico. On the way, four were lost and a fifth was killed. Jusepe was taken captive by Apache and Vaquero Indians and kept for a year. At the end of that period, he made his way to Cicuyé and in 1599 was found at Picuris by Oñate, who secured his services as a guide and interpreter. When Oñate arrived at Quivira in the summer of 1601, he learned that hostile Indians had attacked and wiped out Humaña and nearly all his followers on their return journey, by setting fire to the grass at a place on the High Plains subsequently called La Matanza. Image Caption: "For nearly 500 years, explorers from Spain, Mexico, the U.S. and elsewhere crisscrossed the rugged lands now part of AZ, NM, TX, OK & KS. Cabeza de Vaca, Fray Marco de Niza, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Fray Agustin Rodriguez, Antonio de Espejo, Gaspar Castano de Sosa, Francisco Leyva de Bonilla and Juan de Onate all left their marks on the early history and culture of the area." Images: Map and Juan de Oñate.