Gaspar Castaño de Sosa
Encyclopedia
Gaspar Castaño de Sosa was a colonist and explorer who attempted to establish a Spanish colony in New Mexico
in 1591.
– an ostensible Christian who continued to practice Judaism. Castaño appears in the history of northern Mexico about 1579 when along with Luis de Carabajal y Cueva
he was one of the early settlers in what became the Mexican state of Nuevo León
. Carvabajal was governor of the province and Castaño became lieutenant governor. The two men and their gang of "more than sixty soldiers – outlaws, criminals, and murderers" appear to have made their fortunes capturing and selling Indian slaves. They raided north along the Rio Grande River, capturing hundreds of Indians who they sold into slavery.
In 1589, Carabajal was arrested for heresy and "Judaizing." Castaño, fearing arrest, apparently hoped to recoup his fortunes by establishing a colony in New Mexico, which would also put additional distance between himself and the authorities in Mexico. Unable to obtain official permission for the expedition, he departed without permission from Almaden (now Monclova, Coahuila) on July 27, 1590. Thus, his journey had characteristics of both a flight from prosecution and an exploration. Accompanying Castaño were the 170 Spanish inhabitants of the town, presumably including most or all of his gang of alleged slavers. The prospective settlers had a large number of livestock with them and their possessions were carried in a slow-moving wagon train. Noteworthy, perhaps, is that, unlike most expeditions, no Catholic
priest accompanied Castaño.
and reached the Pecos River
near Sheffield, Texas
. This was the first known Spanish expedition to find its way to the Pecos via this route. On the Pecos the Spanish encountered Jumano
Indian settlements that had been recently abandoned, possibly because the Indians had already had bad experiences with slavers. The Jumanos they soon met were hostile and Castano's men had several skirmishes with them.
The expedition then followed the Pecos about 400 miles northward all the way to Pecos Pueblo
which at that time probably had a population of 2,000 people. An advance party Castaño sent ahead to Pecos encountered trouble. As the soldiers told the story, the Indians greeted them in friendship, escorted them into the town, fed them, and then deceitfully attacked them, wounding three Spaniards and capturing much of their equipment and firearms. We don't know the Indian side of this story. In retaliation for this humiliation, Castaño led 40 men and two cannon to Pecos. The Indians continued to be intransigent so Castaño shelled the town, killing several Indians and forcing most of the remaining inhabitants to flee. Castano then collected supplies from the Pueblo and proceeded westward toward the Rio Grande River.
It was now January 1591 and, in bitter cold, Castaño and his men prospected the area unsuccessfully for deposits of precious minerals. They encountered several Pueblos in the Galisteo Basin
(near present day Santa Fe) and formally took possession of them for the Spanish crown, erecting crosses and reading the requerimiento
to the inhabitants. Members of the expedition then visited various Pueblos up and down the Rio Grande and explored the nearby mountains for silver. Mostly they were received hospitably. The Pueblos had been visited by two expeditions during the preceding decade, Chamuscado and Rodriguez
and Antonio de Espejo
so they were familiar with Spaniards. Castaño's expedition was much larger than the previous two, however, and probably more threatening. Castaño was the first to give the name "Rio Grande" to the river running through the heartland of the Pueblo Indians. Castaño also had to deal with a revolt among his followers. A group of soldiers wished to return to Mexico and one soldier threatened his life. The rigors of the journey and the cold winter apparently discouraged many of the aspiring colonists and fortune seekers.
The details of Morlette's expedition to New Mexico are mostly unknown. Rather than taking the Pecos River route followed by Castaño, Morlette apparently followed the previous route of Chamuscado/Rodriguez and Espejo down the Conchos River to its junction with the Rio Grande at La Junta and then up the Rio Grande to the Pueblo Indian villages. In late March 1591, Morlete arrived at Santo Domingo Pueblo. He arrested Castaño who submitted to the arrest without incident. Although Morlete shackled Castaño, he apparently treated him with respect and, after 40 days in which Morlete explored the Pueblo region for himself, he escorted Castaño and his followers back to Mexico.
and performing such duties as might be required by the Governor there under penalty of death if he defaulted from his service. Castaño's sentence was appealed to the Council of the Indies and eventually reversed. But it was too late for him. He had been killed in the Molucca Islands when the Chinese slaves on his ship mutinied.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in 1591.
Life and background
Castaño de Sosa was born about 1550 in Portugal. He is believed by many authorities to have been a converso or "Crypto-Jew"Crypto-Judaism
Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Jews"...
– an ostensible Christian who continued to practice Judaism. Castaño appears in the history of northern Mexico about 1579 when along with Luis de Carabajal y Cueva
Luis de Carabajal y Cueva
Luis de Carabajal y Cueva was a Spanish-Portuguese adventurer, slave-trader and governor of Nuevo León.-Background:...
he was one of the early settlers in what became the Mexican state of Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. Carvabajal was governor of the province and Castaño became lieutenant governor. The two men and their gang of "more than sixty soldiers – outlaws, criminals, and murderers" appear to have made their fortunes capturing and selling Indian slaves. They raided north along the Rio Grande River, capturing hundreds of Indians who they sold into slavery.
In 1589, Carabajal was arrested for heresy and "Judaizing." Castaño, fearing arrest, apparently hoped to recoup his fortunes by establishing a colony in New Mexico, which would also put additional distance between himself and the authorities in Mexico. Unable to obtain official permission for the expedition, he departed without permission from Almaden (now Monclova, Coahuila) on July 27, 1590. Thus, his journey had characteristics of both a flight from prosecution and an exploration. Accompanying Castaño were the 170 Spanish inhabitants of the town, presumably including most or all of his gang of alleged slavers. The prospective settlers had a large number of livestock with them and their possessions were carried in a slow-moving wagon train. Noteworthy, perhaps, is that, unlike most expeditions, no Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest accompanied Castaño.
The expedition
Castaño traveled north from Almaden, crossing the Rio Grande near Del Rio, TexasDel Rio, Texas
Del Rio is a border city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, United States.. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge...
and reached the Pecos River
Pecos River
The headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...
near Sheffield, Texas
Sheffield, Texas
Sheffield is an unincorporated community in Pecos County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 600 in 2000.-Geography:...
. This was the first known Spanish expedition to find its way to the Pecos via this route. On the Pecos the Spanish encountered Jumano
Jumano Indians
The Jumano Indians were a prominent Native American tribe or several tribes who inhabited western Texas and adjacent New Mexico, especially near the La Junta region. They were discovered by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. but had nearly disappeared as a people by 1750.-The Jumano...
Indian settlements that had been recently abandoned, possibly because the Indians had already had bad experiences with slavers. The Jumanos they soon met were hostile and Castano's men had several skirmishes with them.
The expedition then followed the Pecos about 400 miles northward all the way to Pecos Pueblo
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located about east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The site was originally designated Pecos National Monument on June 28, 1965. In 1990 new lands were added to the park and the official designation was...
which at that time probably had a population of 2,000 people. An advance party Castaño sent ahead to Pecos encountered trouble. As the soldiers told the story, the Indians greeted them in friendship, escorted them into the town, fed them, and then deceitfully attacked them, wounding three Spaniards and capturing much of their equipment and firearms. We don't know the Indian side of this story. In retaliation for this humiliation, Castaño led 40 men and two cannon to Pecos. The Indians continued to be intransigent so Castaño shelled the town, killing several Indians and forcing most of the remaining inhabitants to flee. Castano then collected supplies from the Pueblo and proceeded westward toward the Rio Grande River.
It was now January 1591 and, in bitter cold, Castaño and his men prospected the area unsuccessfully for deposits of precious minerals. They encountered several Pueblos in the Galisteo Basin
Galisteo Basin
The Galisteo Basin is a surface basin and a closely related groundwater basin in north-central New Mexico. Its primary watercourse is the Galisteo River or Galisteo Creek, a perennial stream, for part of its course, that flows from the eastern highlands down into the Rio Grande about three...
(near present day Santa Fe) and formally took possession of them for the Spanish crown, erecting crosses and reading the requerimiento
Requerimiento
The Requerimiento "requirement" as in "demand") was a written declaration of sovereignty and war, read by Spanish military forces to assert their sovereignty over the Americas...
to the inhabitants. Members of the expedition then visited various Pueblos up and down the Rio Grande and explored the nearby mountains for silver. Mostly they were received hospitably. The Pueblos had been visited by two expeditions during the preceding decade, Chamuscado and Rodriguez
The Chamuscado and Rodriguez Expedition
The Chamuscado and Rodriguez Expedition visited New Mexico in 1581-1582. The expedition was led by Francisco Sanchez, called "El Chamuscado," and Friar Augustin Rodriguez, the first Spaniards known to have visited the Pueblo Indians since Francisco Vasquez de Coronado 40 years...
and Antonio de Espejo
Antonio de Espejo
Antonio de Espejo was a Spanish explorer who led an expedition into New Mexico and Arizona in 1582-1583. The expedition created interest in establishing a Spanish colony among the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande valley.-Life:...
so they were familiar with Spaniards. Castaño's expedition was much larger than the previous two, however, and probably more threatening. Castaño was the first to give the name "Rio Grande" to the river running through the heartland of the Pueblo Indians. Castaño also had to deal with a revolt among his followers. A group of soldiers wished to return to Mexico and one soldier threatened his life. The rigors of the journey and the cold winter apparently discouraged many of the aspiring colonists and fortune seekers.
Castaño is arrested
With remarkable speed, the Viceroy in Mexico City ordered Captain Juan Morlette to gather 40 soldiers and a priest and go in pursuit of Castaño to arrest him, by force if necessary. Morlette was also instructed to effect the release of any Indian slaves he encountered.The details of Morlette's expedition to New Mexico are mostly unknown. Rather than taking the Pecos River route followed by Castaño, Morlette apparently followed the previous route of Chamuscado/Rodriguez and Espejo down the Conchos River to its junction with the Rio Grande at La Junta and then up the Rio Grande to the Pueblo Indian villages. In late March 1591, Morlete arrived at Santo Domingo Pueblo. He arrested Castaño who submitted to the arrest without incident. Although Morlete shackled Castaño, he apparently treated him with respect and, after 40 days in which Morlete explored the Pueblo region for himself, he escorted Castaño and his followers back to Mexico.
Castaño's trial and sentencing
On March 5, 1593, Castaño de Sosa was convicted of invasion of lands inhabited by peaceful Indians, raising troops, and entry into the province of New Mexico. He was sentenced to six years of exile in the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and performing such duties as might be required by the Governor there under penalty of death if he defaulted from his service. Castaño's sentence was appealed to the Council of the Indies and eventually reversed. But it was too late for him. He had been killed in the Molucca Islands when the Chinese slaves on his ship mutinied.