Jornada del Muerto

The later travelers the reverse lists left their own marks here. Sibley's Confederates, retreating in 1862, took about twelve days over the desert and left a trail of debris. In 1867 John Martin, a veteran mustered out at Las Cruces, began sinking a well at Alemán; at 164 feet it found water, the first well on the Jornada, and his ranch became a stage stand. The Santa Fe railroad founded Engle in 1879 as a water stop, and from 1896 ranchers drove herds of up to 17,000 cattle across to ship there.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Jornada del Muerto This section of the Camino Real is called the Jornada del Muerto or Deadman's Journey after the tragic fate of German trader Bernardo Gruber, El Alemán. In 1670 the Inquisition accused him of witchcraft. He escaped and attempted to cross ninety miles of forbidding desert south of Socorro, between the Paraje de Fray Cristóbal to the north and the Paraje de Robledo to the south. (Other Side) Official Scenic Historic Marker Continued... After days of unquenched thirst, Gruber's Apache servant Antonio went in search of water. When he returned, El Alemán was gone. Weeks later, travelers found his clothing and his scattered remains. Spanish and Mexican merchants, the U.S. Army, the Texas Confederates in 1862, and the railroad in the 1880s also used this route.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Elephant Butte Dam — 8.5 mi
• Truth or Consequences — 12 mi
• Elephant Butte Lake State Park — 12 mi
• "Magnificent Magnolia" (1893-1974) — 12 mi