The new territory thus added to the United States is not without its interest in an historical point of view. New Mexico had been discovered by the Spaniards as early as the year 1539, by a Franciscan, Father Mark, of Nice in Italy, who penetrated to Zuñi, one of the Indian towns still standing. He found the country inhabited by a half-civilized race, living in houses built close together of sunburnt bricks, several stories high, each story smaller than those beneath, and reached by ladders, there being no door or opening on the outside. The main entrance was in the roof. These Indians cultivated the soil, used hand-mills for grinding corn, wove cloth, made pottery, and showed great intelligence.

An expedition under Vasquez de Coronado occupied the country in 1540, and zealous missionaries began to labor among the Indians, some of them losing their lives in the Christian work.

California, which had been discovered by Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, was visited by a fleet under Vizcaino, at the same time that Coronado was exploring New Mexica. John de Oñate finally entered New Mexico in 1595, under a patent from Philip II. of Spain, with colonists. and founded St. Gabriel, and soon after Santa Fé, in which the governor of New Mexico resided as early as 1600. Thus we see that that little town, even now far removed from all our thriving States and cities, is really, next to St. Augustine in Florida, the oldest city in the United States.

The Spaniards converted nearly all the natives to Christianity by the year 1626, and ruled the country in peace for many years; but in 1680, owing to the tyranny of the military governors, the Indians rose and nearly exterminated the Spaniards, San Juan de los Caballeros being the only large place that escaped. The Spaniards, however,

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soon recovered the country, and attempted to extend it, sending expeditions to what is now Kansas. New Mexico formed a part of Mexico till, by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, it became part of the United States. Before the United States had taken any steps as to its government, Texas claimed New Mexico as part of its territory. This claim was resisted by the Americans who had settled there; and in consequence, Colonel Monroe, the governor of New Mexico, in 1850, called a convention, which adopted a constitution, and proceeded to solicit admission as a State.

California was not so soon occupied by the Spaniards. It was too remote, and seemed to offer little inducement for colonists.

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The Jesuits began missions in Lower California, and were extending their labors northward at the time of their suppression in the last century. In 1769, Galvez resolved to settle Upper California, and set out with a considerable force, taking live stock and all necessaries. The Franciscans, who had succeeded the Jesuits, began missions in Upper California, with a little garrison of soldiers near each. Out of these grew many of the present older towns in that State.

In this way San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco, and other cities of California were founded just about the time of our Revolution. A few Spaniards settled in the territory, and the Indians were raised to a high degree of civilization by the missionaries, who taught them agriculture and manufactures, and enabled them to live in comfort. The missions were sometimes attacked by wild Indians, and several of the devoted men were killed; but the country prospered until 1824, when the Mexican Government sent out men to seize the mission lands and dispossess the Indians. In a short time those thriving communities were broken up, and the Indians, left to themselves, fell back to less

civilized ways, and diminished greatly. California did not gain in white settlers to make up the loss, and became a languishing province. England and France both began to feel the importance of Sau Francisco as a port on the Pacific, and the Russians actually began a settlement at Bodega, not far from it.

The mineral wealth of California was not known at that time, but the same month that the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, a man in the employ of Captain Sutter, who had settled on the Sacramento River discovered gold. This set others to examine, and gold was found in many places. As soon as this became known in the United States, a general excitement ensued. Thousands started at once for the land of gold, endeavoring to reach California by any kind of vessel, the only modes of proceeding at the time being to sail around Cape Horn, or to go to the Isthmus of Panama, and cross there, and take shipping on the Pacific.

The population increased so that a regular Territorial Government was organized.

During the war, the United States had prospered, and showed their appreciation of suffering abroad by sending relief to the starving poor in Ireland. A vessel of the United States navy on one occasion carried over a cargo of provisions: a better use than bombarding cities and carrying death and desolation amid women and children clustering around the family altar.

During this administration, Wisconsin was admitted into the Union in 1848, and Oregon organized as a Territory, as Minnesota also was in 1849. But the discovery of gold in California drew the tide of emigration to that new Territory, and checked for a time the growth of the Northwest.

These things drew attention from Florida, where some trouble still continued, and officers toiled on, winning little renown in dealing with a dangerous and crafty foe.

CAPTAIN OTIS H. TILLINGHAST, U. S. A.

KILLED AT BULL RUN, JULY 21, 1861.

AMONG the distinguished officers whom she has sent forth to fight the battles of freedom in this war, New York can boast no worthier son than Captain Otis H. Tillinghast, of the regular army of the United States; a thorough soldier, an educated officer, trained to the career of arms, joyous, amiable, generous in disposition, self denying and devoted, yet possessing great energy and decision of character, fitting him for the more arduous duties or commands.

His parents were of the most respectable families of New England, his father, John Tillinghast, Esquire, being apparently of that old Rhode Island family, which has never been without a representative in the military service of the country from the days of the Revolution. He was, however, a native of Connecticut, but removed about 1820 to Homer, in the county of Cortland, in the State of New York. Here Otis was born, on the 6th of March, 1823. His early days were spent in Morrisville, and his early education was acquired in the village schools. His first choice of a profession for life, if we may judge by the manifestations of his inclinations, was for the practice of medicine, but a cadetship having been obtained for him by the Hon. A. L. Foster,

the member of Congress from the district in which the family resided, Otis entered the military academy at West Point, in June, 1843, being then in his twenty-first year. He devoted his time earnestly to the acquisition of the knowledge of his profession, and graduated with honor on the 1st of July, 1847. He was immediately appointed Brevet Second Lieutenant in the Third Artillery, and joined Sherman's Battery under General Taylor at Saltillo, Mexico, in the fall of 1847; but as the operations of the army under his command virtually ended with the battle of Buena Vista, the young officer had no opportunity of distinguishing himself in any general battle. He served, however, on that line, gaining experience, till the close of the war, when he came to New York, and was stationed for a time in the military posts in the harbor, having been meanwhile promoted to a first lieutenancy, and transferred from the Third to the First Artillery.

In 1848, and the succeeding year, he was associated with the Mexican Boundary Commission, organized after the peace of Guadalupe Hidalgo, to run the boundary between the United States and Mexico, his acquaintance with the country rendering his aid extremely valuable. Difficulties of various kinds grew up between the members of the commission, and Captain Tillinghast, in the difficult position in which he was placed, acted in such a manner as to receive the approval of the War Department. When he closed his labors in the Commission, he was for a time stationed at Old Point Comfort, Virginia; and in June, 1856, having been appointed Regimental Quartermaster, he proceeded to Florida with his regiment,--fresh Indian troubles having broken out in that State, which has never, since its purchase by the United States, enjoyed peace and repose. Fortunately, on this occasion, affairs were brought to an understanding without a repetition of the tedious war