Charles Bent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Governor of New Mexico | |
| In office September 22, 1846 – January 19, 1847 | |
| Preceded by | Juan Bautista Vigil y Alarid |
| Succeeded by | Donaciano Vigil |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1799-11-11)November 11, 1799 Charleston, Virginia, U.S. (nowWest Virginia) |
| Died | January 19, 1847(1847-01-19) (aged 47) Taos,New Mexico Territory, U.S. |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Resting place | Santa Fe National Cemetery |
| Spouse | Maria Ignacia Jaramillo |
| Children | Alfred, Estifina, Maria Teresina, George (died as infant), Virginia (died as infant) |
| Relatives | Silas Bent (father) Martha Kerr Bent (mother) Juliannah (sister) John (brother) Lucy (sister) Dorcas (sister) Mary (sister) George (brother) Robert (brother) Edward (brother) Silas Bent III (brother) William Bent (brother) George Bent (nephew) Owl Woman (sister-in-law) Lilburn Boggs (brother-in-law) Silas Bent IV (nephew) Henry C. Boggs (nephew) Charles Marion Russell (nephew) James Kerr (uncle) |
| Education | United States Military Academy |
Charles Bent (November 11, 1799 – January 19, 1847) was an American businessman and politician who served as the first civilian United Statesgovernor of theNew Mexico Territory, newly invaded and occupied by the United States during theMexican-American War by the Military Governor,Stephen Watts Kearny, in September 1846 until his death.
Bent had been working as afur trader in the region since 1828, with his younger brother,William, and later partnerCeran St. Vrain. Though his office was inSanta Fe, Bent maintained his residence and atrading post inTaos,New Mexico Territory, in present-dayNew Mexico. On January 19, 1847, Bent wasscalped and killed byPueblo warriors, during theTaos Revolt.
Charles Louis Bent was born inCharleston, Virginia, the oldest of the ten children of JudgeSilas Bent, and his wife Martha Kerr.[1]
The other children were: Juliannah, Joh, Lucy, Dorcas,William, Mary, George, Robert, Edward, andSilas.[2]
After leaving the army, in 1828, Charles and his younger brother,William, took a wagon train of goods fromSt. Louis toSanta Fe. There they established mercantile contacts and began a series of trading trips back and forth over theSanta Fe Trail. In 1832, he formed a partnership withCeran St. Vrain, another trader from St. Louis, calledBent & St. Vrain Company. In addition to its store inTaos, New Mexico, the trading company established a series of "forts", fortified trading posts, to facilitate trade with thePlains Indians, includingFort Saint Vrain on theSouth Platte River andBent's Fort on theArkansas River, both inColorado, andFort Adobe on theCanadian River.[3] Bent's Fort, outsideLa Junta, Colorado, has been restored and is now aNational Historic Site.
Following the occupation of New Mexico as part of theMexican-American War, many of the inhabitants of New Mexico were not happy about the new American rule. Some mourned the loss of the old connection with Mexico, others feared the loss of their private goods, and others hated Bent, the New Mexican Territorial Governor who served under the U.S. war-time occupation, because of his negative attitude towards Mexicans. In December 1846, the influential families in the state started to plan a revolt against their new rulers. Governor Bent and ColonelSterling Price found out about the conspiracy and some of the leaders of the movement were arrested, but two important ones were able to escape.
In January 1847, while serving as territorial governor, Bent traveled to his home Taos without military protection. After arriving, he wasscalped alive and murdered in his home by a group ofHispano andPueblo attackers during theTaos Revolt. Bent is buried in the National Cemetery in Santa Fe.[4]
The women and children in the Bent home were not harmed by the insurgents, and the remaining members of the family fled to safety next door through a hole in the parlor wall.
In the following months, Colonel Price was able to quell the uprising, which ended in July 1847. Most of the rebels were caught and some of them were executed.[5][6][7]
In 1835, Charles "Carlos" Bent married Maria Ignacia Jaramillo, who was born inTaos, New Mexico. Maria's younger sister, Josefa Jaramillo, would later marryKit Carson.[8]
Charles and Maria had five children: Alfred, Estifina, Teresina, George (died as infant), and Virginia (died as infant). Alfred was murdered at Taos on December 9, 1865.[9]Yiorgos Caralambo (a.k.a. Greek George) was allegedly hired as the assassin by people with interests in theMaxwell Land Grant, 1/4 of which Alfred and his two sisters inherited from their father Charles.Lucien B. Maxwell,Charles Beaubien, andGuadalupe Miranda held large other portions of the grant.[9]
Charles's brothers Robert and George died at Bent's Fort (1846 and 1841, respectively).[10]
Charles Bent ownedCharlotte and Dick Green, who worked at Bent's Fort. William Bent freed the couple after Dick fought with the posse that avenged Charles's assassination.[11]
Bent Street, which runs in front of what had been his home in Taos, and Martyr's Lane, which runs behind it, are named for him.
TheGovernor Charles Bent House is now amuseum. An elementary school in northeastAlbuquerque is named in Bent's honor.
Bent documented theindigenous peoples of New Mexico in an essay which was published posthumously in Henry Schoolcraft's study of American Indians:
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Governor of New Mexico 1846–1847 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Military Admin(1846–1851) |  | |
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| U.S. Territory(1851–1912) | ||
| State(since 1912) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
