# John M. Washington > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_M._Washington > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_M._Washington.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Washington > Source revision: 1355035392 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American military officer (c. 1797–1853) For the American slave and memoirist, see [John M. Washington (slave)](/source/John_M._Washington_(slave)). John M. Washington Governor of New Mexico In office 10 October 1848 – 23 October 1849 Preceded by Sterling Price (military) Donaciano Vigil (civil) Succeeded by John Munroe Personal details Born c. 1797 Fredericksburg, Virginia Died 24 December 1853 at sea off of the Capes of Delaware Occupation Soldier Known for Military Governor of New Mexico Military service Branch/service US Army Years of service 1817–1853 Rank Major Brevet Lieutenant Colonel **John MacRae Washington** (c. 1797 - December 24, 1853) was an American artillery officer who became military governor of [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico_Territory) shortly after the end of the [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War) of 1846–1848. ## Early career John M. Washington was born in [Virginia](/source/Virginia), and was a remote relative of President [George Washington](/source/George_Washington). He graduated from [West Point](/source/United_States_Military_Academy) in 1817, and fought in [Florida](/source/Florida_Territory) against the [Seminole](/source/Seminole) and [Creek](/source/Muscogee_people) people. He served with distinction in the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848 under Brigadier General [John E. Wool](/source/John_E._Wool), being promoted to [major](/source/Major_(rank)) and brevet [lieutenant colonel](/source/Lieutenant_colonel) following the [Battle of Buena Vista](/source/Battle_of_Buena_Vista). He reached [Santa Fe](/source/Santa_Fe%2C_New_Mexico) on 10 October 1848 with four [dragoon](/source/Dragoon) companies. The next day he assumed office as governor, combining the civil and military roles.[1] ## Governor of New Mexico Washington's main priority was to settle a war against the [Navajo people](/source/Navajo_people). He assembled a strong force of soldiers and volunteers that moved west into Navajo country, where they were met by Navajo envoys saying they were willing to discuss peace, and then met the main Navajo forces. A scuffle broke out when a militiaman spotted a horse that he claimed had been stolen from him. The Navajos fled, and Washington's troops killed six of the fleeing men. One was the old warrior [Narbona](/source/Narbona), now in favor of peace, who was scalped by a U.S. militiaman. The expedition moved on through a pass that one of them named "Washington Pass".[1] In 1992, in response to a proposal by the Navajo people, the pass was renamed [Narbona Pass](/source/Narbona_Pass).[2] There were no positive results from the expedition. On returning to Santa Fe Washington became involved in a scandal, probably unjustified, over a child he allegedly fathered on an orphan girl.[1] In April 1849 Father [Ramón Ortiz y Miera](/source/Ram%C3%B3n_Ortiz_y_Miera) arrived in New Mexico from [Chihuahua](/source/Chihuahua_(state)) as commissioner in charge of assisting Mexicans who wished to resettle in Chihuahua. He was welcomed by Governor Washington and Secretary [Donaciano Vigil](/source/Donaciano_Vigil), who both thought he was unlikely to succeed and even offered to supply transport to Mexicans seeking [repatriation](/source/Repatriation). Their mood changed quickly when the people of [San Miguel del Vado](/source/San_Miguel_del_Vado) alone submitted 900 requests for repatriation assistance.[3] Vigil said that Ortíz could not conduct recruitment in person since his presence would disturb the peace. Ortiz then appointed agents to recruit New Mexico families, and they met with considerable success.[4] In response Vigil cracked down further on recruitment.[5] The United States' position was that the [Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo](/source/Treaty_of_Guadalupe_Hidalgo) had not covered repatriation, and Ortíz's activity was therefore illegal.[6] ## Later career By order of 26 May 1849, Brevet Colonel [John Munroe](/source/John_Munroe) was ordered to Santa Fe to relieve Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Washington.[7] On 23 October 1849 Munroe took office as military governor of New Mexico.[8] Washington was transferred to a position in [Fort Constitution](/source/Fort_Constitution) in [New Hampshire](/source/New_Hampshire). From there, in 1853 he was assigned to lead a body of troops from the 3rd Artillery Regiment in California, but at the start of the journey the steamer *San Francisco* ran into a storm. Washington and 181 soldiers were drowned at sea.[1] ## References **Citations** 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESimmons2011_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESimmons2011_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESimmons2011_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESimmons2011_1-3) [Simmons 2011](#CITEREFSimmons2011). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEJulyan1996239_2-0)** [Julyan 1996](#CITEREFJulyan1996), p. 239. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMacIelGonzales-Berry200037-38_3-0)** [MacIel & Gonzales-Berry 2000](#CITEREFMacIelGonzales-Berry2000), p. 37-38. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHernández2012110_4-0)** [Hernández 2012](#CITEREFHernández2012), p. 110. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHernández2012111_5-0)** [Hernández 2012](#CITEREFHernández2012), p. 111. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHernández2012113_6-0)** [Hernández 2012](#CITEREFHernández2012), p. 113. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFreeman1849_7-0)** [Freeman 1849](#CITEREFFreeman1849). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEClayHay1991730_8-0)** [Clay & Hay 1991](#CITEREFClayHay1991), p. 730. **Sources** - [Service Profile](https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Army/USMA/Cullums_Register/178*.html) - Clay, Henry; Hay, Melba Porter (1991-03-14). [*The Papers of Henry Clay. Volume 10: Candidate, Compromiser, Elder Statesman, January 1, 1844 – June 29, 1852*](https://books.google.com/books?id=bZQQETnM6_gC&pg=PA730). University Press of Kentucky. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8131-0060-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8131-0060-9). Retrieved 2012-07-11. - Freeman, W. G. (May 26, 1849). ["GENERAL ORDERS, No. 3"](http://scholarship.rice.edu/jsp/xml/1911/22085/1/aa00323.tei.html). WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE. Retrieved 2012-07-11. - Hernández, José Angel (2012-04-30). [*Mexican American Colonization During the Nineteenth Century: A History of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands*](https://books.google.com/books?id=uOtz0qSEaW0C&pg=PA104). Cambridge University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-107-01239-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-107-01239-4). - Julyan, Robert Hixson (1996). [*The Place Names of New Mexico*](https://books.google.com/books?id=p3fMJnT1gx0C&pg=PA239). UNM Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8263-1689-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1689-9). Retrieved 2012-08-23. - MacIel, David; [Gonzales-Berry, Erlinda](/source/Erlinda_Gonz%C3%A1les-Berry) (2000-09-01). [*The Contested Homeland: A Chicano History of New Mexico*](https://books.google.com/books?id=6fWnsUWBYgsC&pg=PA44). UNM Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8263-2199-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-2199-2). Retrieved 2012-07-09. - Simmons, Marc (November 25, 2011). ["Colonel left little mark as governorTrail Dust"](http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Colonel-left-little-mark-as-governor). *The New Mexican*. Retrieved 2012-07-10.{{[cite journal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_journal)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)) v t e Governors of New Mexico U.S. Military Admin (1846–1851) Military Kearny Price Washington Munroe Civilian Bent Vigil Connelly U.S. Territory (1851–1912) Calhoun Lane Meriwether Rencher Connelly Mitchell Pile Giddings Axtell Wallace Sheldon Ross Prince Thornton Otero Hagerman Curry Mills State (since 1912) McDonald C. De Baca Lindsey Larrazolo M. Mechem Hinkle Hannett Dillon Seligman Hockenhull Tingley Miles Dempsey Mabry E. Mechem Simms E. Mechem Burroughs E. Mechem Bolack Campbell Cargo King Apodaca King Anaya Carruthers King Johnson Richardson Martinez Lujan Grisham See also Mexican governors of New Mexico, Spanish governors of New Mexico Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Other NARA Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John M. Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Washington) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Washington?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.