A 1779 military campaign that crossed through the San Luis Valley is the topic of Thursday’s Faculty Lecture Series at Adams State.
The series continues with “Surprise at San Carlos: Conflict and Collaboration in the 1779 Campaign Against the Comanche” by Nick Saenz, Ph.D., professor of history. The lecture begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 14, in Porter Hall 130. The lecture is free and open to the public.
In 1779, an 800-person military campaign crossed through the borderlands of the San Luis Valley and southern Colorado en route to attack a powerful Comanche confederation established under the leadership of Cuerno Verde. Organized by Spanish Governor of New Mexico Juan Bautista de Anza, the campaign incorporated an assortment of presidial troops, vecino militiamen, Pueblo auxiliaries, and Ute and Jicarilla Apache warriors. Saenz will explore the shared experience of these groups facing Comanche imperial expansion and the interactions that facilitated the success of their campaign.