People who read my columns or have attended my talks know my passion for history, particularly New Mexican history.

One of the most interesting things about history is the fact that it can be more exciting than literature, my other passion. History gets even more exciting when the archaeological and historical records mesh; that is, when conclusions can be made based on both historical documentation and an archaeological discovery. I'm told that the best archaeologists are also competent historians.

Well, imagine my excitement when a neighbor in the Pojoaque area called me to look at what appeared to be a cannonball some 3 inches across and weighing approximately 6 pounds that he discovered in a shallow trench he was digging. Most people would say, "So what?" However, because I was on the Board of the New Mexico Historical Society when we sponsored publication of a historical text entitled, Rebellion in Rio Arriba, 1837, by Janet LeCompte, I excitedly conjectured that indeed this might be one of the cannonballs fired during the "Battle of Pojoaque" on Jan. 27, 1837.

Before I continue, it is important that you get some background on this rebellion, also known as the "Rebelion de los Chimayoses" — in English, the "Chimayó Rebellion" — its cause, who the rebels were, and, in fact, the tragic outcome of the rebellion and the decisive battle at Pojoaque.

The rebellion was principally caused by a number of factors that stirred up the populace. Among them, the fact that New Mexico was under Mexican rule (1821-1846) and Mexico had basically abandoned poor New Mexico. And New Mexico was very poor during this period. Added to this was the introduction from Mexico of Albino Pérez, Mexico's new governor for New Mexico. According to LeCompte, "in 1835 a new governor, Albino Pérez, came to New Mexico from the distant capital where very few New Mexicans had ever been. He was a sophisticated man with ideas foreign to his constituents. Before long he tried to impose a constitution and laws which the people believed would repeal their freedoms. Wildly angry, the men of Rio Arriba, both Hispanic and Indian, rose in a mob against what they saw as oppression, declaring their reasons for the revolt in a barely literate statement. Then they murdered the governor and his officers."

I will spare you the bloody accounts of what they did with poor Albino's head or what the countering forces did to the rebels once Manuel Armijo took over as governor from the self-appointed rebel leader José Gonzales. Two important notes: the rebellion was made up of Hispanos and Indians much like the rebellion of 1847 under Anglo-American occupation and secondly, the main rub was taxes. Of course, there is more to rebellion and for that I refer you to LeCompte's book and the locals' concerns over taxes, which proved to be the last straw. With rumors flying about the amount Mexico was expecting in taxes and loss of other freedoms, the locals rebelled.

Unfortunately in a short piece like this, one cannot reveal all the details; therefore, it is imperative to consult the book. Suffice it to say that indeed the rebel forces were met head on and a formidable battle occurred at Pojoaque. That's where our unearthed cannonball comes in. Was this the cannonball or one of many that Gov. Armijo fired at the rebels? According to LeCompte, "Rafael Chacon writes that when Armijo placed his troops in battle line and ordered a cannon to be fired, Capt. Muñoz adjusted his cap, drew his sword and shouted, 'Forward, Veracruz.' And as he charged, the rebels ran away in great disorder and scattered all over the countryside."

The other question is, could this be a cannonball dropped by the American Army of occupation on its way to Taos in 1847 to quell another rebellion led by Hispanos and Indians? Speculative as the questions may be, history eventually reveals all, most of the time.

Writer/historian Orlando Romero may be reached at Nambe1@aol.com.