Political

Manuel de Escandon (the son of the colonizer of seno Mexicano) asks the king to intervene in Nuevo Santander, where the situation has become very unstable after the demise of his Father. He blames the jueces pesquisadores for the present situation. They retrieved from the soldiers the land his Father had given to them, provoking their migration and consequently abandonment of the frontier. In his answer, the king awards Manuel de Escandon the title of count (which his Father formerly had) and the government of Nuevo Santander. Finally, a full account of his career is attached. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

In a Series of letters Escandon requests several items that will salaries for new officials, funds to support the settlers until they reap their first crop, a variety of goods for establishing settlements (agricultural equipment, clothes for the Indians to be reduced, oxen, tobacco, hardware, gunpowder, etc.). He also requests the promotion of low rank military officials that participated in his first expedition, an explicit order directed to local authorities of the frontier for them not to interfere with his undertaking, and the establishment of severe punishment for Indians who flee from the reducciones. Several changes to found two more villages, more funds are necessary, etc. The authorities continue to support the enterprise enthusiastically. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

The colegio de Propaganda fide is asked to designate priests to preach to the Indians of the new territories explored in the Seno Mexicano. The junta de guerra y hacienda meets in Mexico to analyze the possibility of executing the plan of colonization proposed by Escandon. All the antecedents of his expedition, including previous flawed attempts are reviewed in detail. Several steps are also taken toward the concretion of the is given broad faculties, precise orders are given concerning the reduction and general treatment of the Indians, etc. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

Rodriguez, Caudillo of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad de las Canoas, asks for a priest to be sent to preach to the Chichimecas. He also wants to resign his post because he is afraid of being murdered by the Indians. Authorities order him to stay, telling him they will send soldiers to reinforce his position. These documents are included as a proof related to the report that follows, which analyzes in detail Escandon's settlement proposal for the seno Mexicano, including his plan of reoccupying las Canoas (also called San Jose Tanguanchin). Special attention is given to the possibility of exploiting several resources in the area, as salt (describing a method for its extraction), wood (for boat-making), minerals, etc. The strategic advantages of the enterprise, its impact upon the communications network, and its financial cost for the real hacienda, are all carefully analyzed. In the final part, the concrete steps that are necessary to take for the execution of the project are considered. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

Virrey requires Escandon to notify him of certain money and religious ornaments that Escandon received; Osorio and Palacio require payment for their services from the virrey; virrey orders Rubio to send a religious to Tamaulipa; letter from virrey with 30 instructions about how to behave and what to do in Nuevo Santander as gobernador, from folio 356-365; letter from virrey with 17 instructions for establishment of Tetillas, from folio 366-369; virrey gives position to Gonzalez de Santianez as gobernador of Nuevo Santander in substitution of Rubio in August 19, 1769; notification letter that Gonzalez de Santianez will establish Tetillas Pueblo. (D. Bautista, November 1989)

Osorio and Palacio request payment from the virrey for the investigation they made of the establishment of Nuevo Santander and Escandon; virrey sends Escandon a letter requesting establishment of Tetillas Pueblo; Osorio and Palacio informe to virrey to divide Obispado. Need to establish a new Obispado with an interim visitor because distance to Guadalaxara is extremely far. Only four villages pay Diezmos, three to church of Valladolid and one to Guadalaxara. There should be an administrator to collect the diezmos from that fertile colony. Audit of hacienda results in it beginning to pay taxes and in a short period of time will produce enough for the troops and to fix the reales minas without using the Erario. Tampico is very convenient for opening the port to trade with Veracruz and Campeche and would change all the products that Nuevo Santander has and change transport time. In relation to the secret mission to investigate the behavior of Escandon it is suggested that for his admirable behavior in 1748, for the villages, and the commerce he opened and mantained in Santander, Soto la Marina, the size of his haciendas and his advanced age, it is recommended that his position as governor be given to someone Young, who is more able to travel and solve problems of the colony. folio 338,is an accounting of the compania volante Caballeria del Seno Mexicano. Last document a letter from the virrey to Soto la Marina, and others to protect missionaries. (D. Bautista, November 1989)

Signed. Concerns defense of Escandon; begins with minimization of charges and a briefly history of Escandons' ascendant career, merits from king; Escandon was in arms and participating in the ejection of British in Laguna in 1720; 1728, was named by virrey as sargento mayor later virrey gave him the title of Coronel; November 15, 1741, Escandon was named as teniente general de la Sierra gorda he gave missions to Franciscanos religious from San Diego de pachuca and San Fernando; he founded and establish four villages with no cost to the royal hacienda; September 3, 1746 in a royal decree full of eulogys virrey gives to Escandon all responsibilities in the mission of pacification de los barbaros de la Sierra gorda and he is named lugar teniente de la Costa del Seno Mexicano; December 1748, founded the first village in area which by 1759 had 20 villages; on folio 182 details of population; in 1757 virrey sent comission to investigate colony; in 1765 virrey orders Escandon to found five new villages in strategic places to stop the continual Indians attacks; strongest defense allegation is envy of Resendi family against Escandon and their plan to get him out of the colony and appeal to the virrey for the titles for their family; in folio 229 is a Spaniards description of Indians; defense by Escandon who defends himself charge by charge; since Escandon was commissioned by the virrey y la junta real de hacienda, they knew that it was a project that was subject to failure, in other words he was not obligated to succeed in his attempt; in selecting captains Escandon never chose the most specialized but selected the ones that were dedicated to the well being of the village; all that the fiscal imputed to Escandon was never supported with real evidence only anonimous statements from someone who heard rumors but had no hard evidence; not even fray Garcia was found in his mission to testify against Escandon to the auditors Osorio and Palacio; in regard to the murder of Indians by Escandon's captains, the fiscal never found witnesses; some of the crimes were investigated by Escandon and he found that the actions benefited the pacification and well being of the village. Escandon repremanded the captain and notified the capitania general. The women and children were placed in missions when the men were murdered or sent to a presidio but never were they sold and sent to Querataro in a collera as the accusations assert; in treatment of criminals, Escandon always followed the royal laws which permitted pardons of criminals if they serve the king. These people were serving the king by risking their lifes in the establishment of the colony; in regard to his rejection of Apaches, he argues it is well known that Apaches don't want anything except trading, and that Spain suffers terribles consequences when it assumes Apaches will remain peaceful in missions. He argued that too often they will suddenly murder, rape and destroy a village. For this reason Escandon avoided Apaches. On March 29, 1763, the royal cedula expired which authorized captain trenda y el ingeniero de la Camara alta to make the first audit of Escandon and nothing wrong was found except for the plot of the Resendi family, 17800 question the official informe by saying that it was corrupted by la voz de oro y Plata de Escandon pudo mas; but in the second audit nobody knew about it, not even the fiscal o el auditor and the results were no different. Escandon is exonerated from all charges. Descendants of Escandon have the right to claim what Escandon left them. (D. Bautista, November 1989)

Series of charges against Escandon. First charge, folio 10, that Escandon did not reduce Indians peacefully and failed to populate the colony; second charge folio 60 that Escandon did not distribute the land between people, soldiers and Indians during twenty years; third charge, folio 77, that he did not take in to account the meeting of 1748 on election of captains and treatment of Indians; fourth charge, folio 88, failure to investigate the murder of several Indians; fifth charge, folio 90, failure of Escandon to investigate and punish captain Guevara's murder of a group of Indians; sixth charge, folio 90, no investigation of other murders by Unsaga; seventh charge, folio 91, Escandon orders killing of three Indians, one a minor; eighth charge, folio 93, a citizen of Aguayo complains to to Escandon about the behaviour of a captain, Escandon punishes the complainer and when the wife of the complainer goes to look for him and she was murdered by the Indians; ninth charge, folio 95, Escandon separates Indian men from their wifes and children, and sells Indians to other cities resulting in Indian retaliation and thus starting wars with Xanambres and Apostatas. He is accused of twenty years of fraud, despotism, trials without authority, misappropriation of land; 10 charge folio 98, Escandon sends 173 Indians to Querataro; eleventh charge, folio 100, Escandon kept three Indians working for him for fifteen years; twelfth charge, folio 103, Escandon abused his power to use the death penalty and forced labor in the presidio; thirteenth charge, folio 103, he used comissions to get Indians for his own service; fourteenth charge, folio 106, he failed to protect Indian health; fifteenth charge, folio 107, he used Indians to build his house and maintain his lands; sixteenth charge, folio 108, he failed to investigate or punish two sheperds who murdered an Indian; seventeenth charge, folio 110, Escandon populated colony with dangerous criminals getting the nickname of colonia Portugal de Nueva Espana; eighteenth charge, folio 114, Escandon forgives Indians that confess crimes and puts them in esquadras militares; nineteenth charge, folio 115, Escandon intimidated new settlers he did not like and gave instructions not to accept them; twentieth charge, folio 117, he appointed a murderer from Reinosa as captain; twenty first charge, folio 119, Escandon admitted a delinquent from Coahuila; twenty second charge, folio 121, twice Escandon destroyed the church of the Pisones Indians; twenty third charge, folio 123, has taken land from Indians of Santa Rosa; twenty fourth charge, folio 125, Escandon did not build a church in Laredo for the spiritual benefit of the Spaniards and Indians; twenty fifth charge, folio 128, for a period of 14 years Escandon remained minister of Santillana village; twenty sixth charge, folio 129, Escandon did not permit the redistribution of Diezmos from labranzas y crianzas in the colony for 20 years; twenty seventh charge, folio 131, Escandon renamed places; twenty eighth charge, folio 135, Escandon became rich and did not pay diezmos; twenty ninth charge, folio 138, Escandon gave a captain more than five Leguas at border of Rio Grande, other land and did not pay any diezmo to church of Guadalaxara; thirtieth charge, folio 141, Escandon was paying salaries to ministers in places that had no ministers; thirty first charge, folio 141, Escandon did not accept Indians in his village because he did not want to give them protection; thirty second charge, folio 144, he gave instructions to captain of Laredo not to admit Apaches; thirty third charge, folio 147, Escandon did not give 100 pesos to the colonists of San Carlos; thirty fourth charge, folio 148, Escandon refused to receive the bishop from Guadalaxara; thirty fifth charge, folio 151, he became a trader, knowing gobernadores were prohibited from trade; thirty sixth, charge, folio 158, Escandon permit exploitation of mines and use of silver without paying tax; thirty seventh charge, folio 160, since the year 1746 he had not reduced or pacified any Indians; last charge folio 162, complaints from capitania general related to Escandon's procedures. The next group of folios (166-319) are the defense of Escandon. (D. Bautista, nov, 1989)

Zamora asks for relocation of presidio because irrigation problems. Complaints that protection hasn't been enough. Lack of water in the presidio area is to blame for delay in land distribution for new inhabitants. Commander of presidio of Sacramento wants to leave the presidio where it is, claims Indian problem is solved with many Indians giving up to the Spaniards; he also reports on military expenditures. (M. Marroquin, February 1989)

Concern dispute on prices for food and other supplies in new presidio. Also conflict about salaries paid to soldiers. Confusion about the jurisdiction under which new presidio will be placed with respect to the other presidios. Conflict is held about which would be the best place for construction of new presidio. Some government officials advocate paraje of Santa Rosa and others the site of Junta de los Rios del norte. Santa Rosa is said to be a better place for its strategic position to fight the Indians and also because of its abundant natural resources. (M. Marroquin, January 1989)