Diego de Vargas’s Bloodless Reconquest of Santa Fe
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 kicked the Spanish out of New Mexico fast. But they came back.
In 1692, Governor Diego de Vargas led just 60 soldiers, 100 Indian allies, and one priest to Santa Fe and took it back without a shot.
Don Fernando Duran y Chaves fought with Vargas and got a big reward – 41,533 acres west of the Rio Grande. This land grant, made official in 1703, included what’s now Petroglyph National Monument.
Soon after, Spanish settlers moved in and carved their own marks – crosses and cattle brands – right next to ancient Native rock art.
The story of two cultures is still etched in stone at Petroglyph National Monument, where you can walk among 24,000 images spanning centuries of New Mexico history.
Spanish Settlers Fled South After a Massive Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 threw Spanish control of New Mexico into chaos. Pueblo tribes united under religious leader Po’pay and killed over 400 Spanish settlers.
About 2,000 Spanish colonists ran to El Paso. For 12 years, the Spanish lost control of Santa Fe and the entire Rio Grande valley.
Don Pedro Durán y Chaves and his family left their lands near Albuquerque during this escape. Between 1680 and 1692, the Spanish tried to take back New Mexico several times but failed.
Governor Vargas Assembled a Tiny Force for His Bold Plan
Diego de Vargas arrived in El Paso in February 1691 and started planning a scouting mission.
His force was small – just 60 soldiers, 100 Indian allies from Piros tribes and Isleta people, seven cannons, and one Franciscan priest.
Don Fernando Durán y Chaves II joined Vargas’s campaign to get back his father’s lands. Vargas wanted a “bloodless reconquest” by talking pueblos into giving up rather than fighting them.
The Expedition Found Many Ghost Towns Along the Way
Vargas and his men walked north along the Rio Grande in July 1692. They saw many empty pueblos, left because of drought and Apache raids.
The Pueblo unity that made the 1680 revolt work fell apart after Po’pay died around 1691. Different groups couldn’t agree on how to handle the Spanish return.
Some Pueblos struggled with food shortages and Apache attacks without Spanish weapons and trade goods. Vargas kept his men’s weapons put away as they approached each pueblo.
Santa Fe Changed Hands Without a Single Shot
On September 12, 1692, Vargas surrounded Santa Fe where about 1,000 Pueblo people gathered. The Pueblo leaders first resisted but later agreed to swear loyalty to the King of Spain and return to Christianity.
Two days later, Vargas claimed Santa Fe belonged to Spain again without firing a single shot. He told the Conde de Galve that Santa Fe was the thirteenth town he had won back for “God and King.
A Loyal Soldier Got 41,000 Acres as His Reward
Vargas gave Fernando Durán y Chaves 41,533 acres west of the Rio Grande in 1692 for his military service. This land included areas where Fernando’s father Don Pedro lived before the 1680 revolt.
The property stretched from the bluff area with Juan de Perea’s old house down to corrals owned by Colonel Juan Domínguez. Fernando got the land with one rule – he had to settle and grow it with other colonists.
The “Bloodless” Victory Soon Turned Red
After the 1692 surrender, Vargas went back to Mexico to gather about 800 settlers, including 100 soldiers.
When he returned to Santa Fe with these colonists in December 1693, he found many Pueblos had moved to safe villages on mesa tops.
The “bloodless” reconquest quickly turned violent as Pueblo resistance grew against actual Spanish return. Various Pueblo groups took spots on Black Mesa and other safe places.
Vargas Launched Brutal Attacks on Mesa Villages
By 1694, Vargas began fierce attacks on strong Pueblo villages, starting with Hanat Kotyiti and Astialakwa.
At Hanat Kotyiti, Spanish forces killed 21 warriors and caught 342 Pueblo people before burning the village down. The fight at Black Mesa ended with 84 dead Pueblo warriors at Astialakwa.
Spanish troops destroyed mesa-top villages, forcing surviving Pueblos to give up or run away.
Atrisco Became Official Before Albuquerque Even Existed
Fernando Durán y Chaves met all the settlement rules and got formal ownership of the Atrisco Land Grant in 1703.
Spanish settlers moved to the village of Atrisco that same year, three years before anyone started the Villa de Albuquerque in 1706.
The name “Atrisco” comes from the Nahuatl word “atlisco,” meaning “water surface,” given by helpers from central Mexico. The settlers built homes along the Rio Grande.
Colonists Left Their Mark on Ancient Volcanic Rocks
Spanish settlers carved their own rock art next to ancient Native American ones within the Atrisco grant area.
These Spanish carvings showed Christian crosses, livestock brands, and family initials cut into the volcanic rock. This created layers of rock art showing the shift from Native to Spanish control.
Much of what we now call Petroglyph National Monument sits within the original Atrisco Land Grant boundaries.
The Land Grant Doubled in Size as Settlers Multiplied
By 1768, the Atrisco community grew to over 200 residents who needed more grazing land for their animals. The land grant grew westward by 25,958 acres to the Rio Puerco, bringing the total grant to 67,000 acres.
Despite this huge territory, Apache and Navajo attacks kept most settlers close to the Rio Grande valley. Atrisco became one of the most successful and long-lasting Spanish land grants in New Mexico.
Spanish Rule Changed After the Reconquest
The reconquest created a different relationship between Spanish and Pueblo peoples. Spanish authorities never tried to bring back the harsh encomienda system that had fueled the 1680 revolt.
Franciscan missionaries took a more tolerant approach, allowing some mixing of native practices with Christianity.
The Atrisco Land Grant survived through Mexican and American rule, staying in the hands of the original heirs into the 21st century.
Visiting Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico
Petroglyph National Monument at 6510 Western Trail NW preserves ancient rock art and Spanish colonial history from Diego de Vargas’s reconquest period. Entry is free with $1-2 parking at Boca Negra Canyon only.
You can explore three areas: Boca Negra Canyon (8:30am-4:30pm, no pets), Piedras Marcadas Canyon, and Rinconada Canyon.
Piedras Marcadas features 400 petroglyphs on a 2.2-mile trail, including Spanish colonial carvings from the Atrisco Land Grant era when Don Fernando Duran y Chaves received his territory.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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