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Biographical Notes
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Stephen Watts Kearny
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In the spring of 1836 Colonel Dodge resigned his army commission to become the territorial governor of Wisconsin. On July 4, 1836, Kearny was promoted to full colonel and assigned to replace Dodge as commander of the First Dragoons with headquarters at Fort Leavenworth. Kearny's immediate commander was the general commanding the Western Department at Jefferson Barracks in distant St. Louis. Difficulties in communication made his new assignment one in which he was given great latitude and expected to act responsibly on his own authority. His area of responsibility extended over 1,000 miles of frontier. He was responsible for moving 37,000 Indians into their new homelands east of the Mississippi. These lands were already occupied by 50,000 transported Indians and 230,000 original resident Indians. All together it was estimated that there were about 67,000 warriors in Kearny's new area of responsibility. At the time of his assignment, his available force consisted of 600 officers and men.
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In July 1837 Colonel Kearny published the U.S. Army's first manual for mounted drill. (That same year Colonel Kearny's nephew, Philip Kearny, was assigned to the First Dragoons as a second lieutenant.) In July 1837 General Gaines once again inspected Kearny's command and once again declared them to be the best troops that he had ever seen. For the seven years that Kearny commanded the First Dragoons his units were on constant patrol in an effort to keep the peace throughout the frontier and he personally negotiated with most of the major Indian leaders of the day. The Indians respectfully referred to him as "Shonga Kahega Mahetonga" - Horse Chief of the Long Knives. In 1842 Colonel Kearny was assigned to replace General Gaines as commander of the Third Military Department of the Army with headquarters at Jefferson Barracks.
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In the spring of 1843 Captain John C. Fremont passed through St. Louis on his second Oregon Expedition. At Fremont's request, Kearny agreed to loan the explorer a twelve-pound howitzer. When Kearny's superiors in Washington learned of the event they disapproved the loan and ordered him to repossess the howitzer. Fremont's wife, Jessie, learned of Washington's disapproval and warned her husband to depart before Kearny could recover the gun. Historians and novelists have made much of the events surrounding this howitzer and claims have been made that at the time Kearny expressed irritation at both Captain and Mrs. Fremont. No hard evidence exists to support this view. At the time of the loan of the gun, Kearny and the Fremonts were family friends and both looked to Jessie Fremont's father, Senator Benton, for political support. The Kearny's, Fremonts, and Bentons all firmly believed that the "Manifest Destiny" of the United States involved its expansion to the Pacific Ocean.
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On April 9, 1845, Kearny was ordered to take five companies of the First Dragoons over the Oregon Trail as far as South Pass. This movement was an important part of President Polk's posturing in support of his negotiations with Britain for the settlement of the political status and boundaries of the Oregon Territory. Colonel Kearny was in favor of war with England if necessary to settle the issue and fully expected to be named territorial governor of Oregon following it's annexation. On his return from South Pass, Kearny's force travelled far south to the border with Mexico as another demonstration in support of Polk's policies. On their return to Fort Leavenworth they had travelled 2,200 miles in 99 days. General Winfield Scott, then Army Commander, commended Kearny's expedition in dispatches to the War Department. On December 29, 1845, Texas was formally admitted to the Union and war with Mexico became virtually inevitable.
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On May 26, 1846, Colonel Kearny received a copy of President Polk's declaration of war with orders to organize and lead the invasion of New Mexico as Commander of the "Army of the West." On June 3 he received additional secret orders that expanded his objective to include the conquest of California following the taking of New Mexico. By June 29 Kearny had 1,658 officers and men, four twelve-pound and twelve six-pound howitzers on their way on the Santa Fe Trail. On June 30, 1846 Kearny was promoted to Brigadier General. On August 15, 1846, Kearny and the Army of the West entered the village of Las Vegas unopposed. On August 18 Kearny formally announced that New Mexico had been annexed to the United States. That evening he occupied Santa Fe and proclaimed himself governor. On September 22 Governor Kearny issued a new basic law and bill of rights for New Mexico. He also named Charles Bent to replace him as governor.
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