Haciendas (Defense)

Documents concern receipt of royal dispatches concerning promotions of Paez and Alanis. Paez promoted to teniente and Alanis promoted to Alferez of compania de Voluntarios de milicias de Cavalleria de la hacienda de muleros. Said posts found vacant as a result of Corral and retirement of Castorena of said compania de hacienda de Muleros. (P. Lenz, may 1990)

Documents recount Series of Indian raids against San Juan, San Pablo, and other haciendas in area in which many men and livestock were killed. Other haciendas terrorized by dumping of victims' bodies from previous raids. Spanish troops engage in battle, but nightfall allows Indians to escape. Arredondo writes to virrey that Texas lacks sufficient troops and material to adequately protect residents from Indian hostilities. Includes inventory of troop strength at all Texas presidios to support plea for assistance. Concludes with verifications of receipt by tesoreria de Texas of 6 thousand pesos to alleviate situation. (A. Tukey, March 1989)

Gathered, transcribed documents discussing possible locations in Nuebo Santander, Coahuila for new presidios or relocation of old ones. Problem finding sites with sufficient water, defensible. Letters span 7 years but all very similar; lots of information on geography, distances between places, locations of Arroyos and Rios, places suitable for livestock, etc. (A. Dean, March 1990)

Ff.379-382 discuss establishment of presidio at San Fernando to protect pueblos, haciendas in area against Indians. Ff. 383-386 concern Boeta y Salazar's proposal to raise compania de realistas of 50 men at his own cost to defend Altamira. Ff.387-388 are posthumous retirement of Lopez; includes form signed yo el rey. ff.389-392 concern Villamil's promotion from gobernador de Nuevo Leon to gobernador Cumplido en america with increased salary. (A. Dean, December 1989)

Orders and documents from Castilla y Theran regarding various Coahuila matters including his own merits and Indian relations. Reason for Castilla y Theran's biography to be included not mentioned. Apparently when the king named marques de Zesma was named interim governor. Most of these documents deal with Indian matters. Mention is made on ff. 120 of a decision to wage a military campaign against indios enemigos who is was said were committing many inhumane cruelties in Chihuahua. Cuellar was to lead the campaign. Reference was made to an Indian attack on some Vaqueros at San Pablo ranch; after they had corralled some 400 horses, they were set upon by some 50 Indians. Two vauqeros and an Indian were killed. A few other such confrontations are mentioned. (S. Langmack, July 1990)

Series of correspondence regarding necessity of stepping up military on border with Luisiana due to U.s. aggression; artillery and infantry crucial to border defense plan offered by Bonavia; plan for troop mobilization and military supply routes climate, economy, population, terrain, cost of troop upkeep; question of what to do with anglos living on Spanish land as foreigners (deport them? Leave them alone?); interesting Series of documents. (D. J. McClelland, July 1989)

Primarily copies of correspondence between Bonavia, Cordero, Salcedo and virrey regarding defense of Texas border with Louisiana and plans to increase military personnel, artillery, bestias, almacenes, cuarteles, arms, etc. To effectively defend against U.s. land encroachment; included are various letters, to ship military supplies, discussion of local economies and how they will withstand such a population increase (Soldados), discussion of mistakes made by expedition of troops in 1806 and need for better planning and supplies this time, a brief discussion of factories to be established to employ various Indians in region; reference to four packages of gazetas de Nuevo Orleans and fact that communication with Louisiana is prohibited; one letter describes tribes of Indians in region and their way of subsistence (brief but informative); of particular (D. J. McClelland, may 1989)

Very interesting copies of correspondence between Salcedo and Bonavia regarding defense of land bordering with U.s. And much discussion of U.s. Military potential and mention of some U.s. aggression; at core of correspondence is concern that Spanish military not powerful or well organized enough to defend north provinces against americans; discussion of fidelity of Indians shifting to americans due to corruption by merchants; much discussion of logistics, statistics, hypothetical situations; it is agreed that artilleria volante desperately needed among 154, 158, 160-163. (D. J. McClelland, may 1989)

Vague but interesting correspondence of Bonavia regarding necessity of defense along border with Louisiana due to possible U.s. hostility and land encroachment; Bonavia expresses dismay that borders not defended better, problems and costs of defense mentioned, but its importance stressed; problem of drought as impediment to troop movement discussed; slight description of U.s. forces in Louisiana mentioned; population in border region discussed. (D. J. McClelland, may 1989)