Haciendas

Rodriguez Gallardo's deposition and remarks to informe written by visitor of Jesuit missions in Sonora. Issues discussed include consolidation of dispersed pueblos de indios; military escort for religious entradas into frontier areas; definition of indios vagantes; reasons for Pueblo desertion. Cites various articles from recopilacion de Leyes de las indias concerning reduction of Indians to mission life. author suggests that 2,000 pesos be sent to governor of Sinaloa to combat Apaches and that Barrancas of Sierra Madre be cleared of small Tarahumaran rancherias, and Indians gathered to be settled in larger pueblos. Also discussed are issues of election of Indian civic officials, regional officials to oversee Indian communities, Indian labor at missions, and punishment of mission Indians. Included is definition of siembras de comunidad versus siembras de Iglesia; number of Indians needed for a Pueblo to be legally recognized. Also, suggestions concerning land tenancy, education and repartimiento system in Sonora. (J. H. Ochs, November 1987)

Letter by Escandon mentions contents, dates of testimonios he authored, many of which form other expedientes in this volume. Mentions testimonios about pacification of Reynosa; descriptions of Camargo; saca de Agua in Mier; rangeland of Basquez; Santander Indians forming hacienda and growing corn; Indian pacification at Igollo; land dispute in Labrador resulting in castigation of Alcalde mayor. Functions as an index for expedientes 1-11 in this volume. (S. Gibbs, October 1989)

Concern expressed by Moreno that housing expensive and food short as it is eaten by horses; Mendinueta recommends seed be made available at low price so soldiers do not desert; Wall of cavalry quarters in ruins, soldiers uncomfortable, horses damaged; discussion of (high) price of corn in region; price for corn gone from four to nine pesos per carga because of lack of rain; desertions continue as troops unhappy; soldier in Hospital incurring costs; haciendas asked for grain; baker stops making bread for regimento for lack of wheat; 25,000 pesos already given over from real Caxa of Durango; request that either horses be moved out to pastures away from the city, or 500 fanegas of corn be made available so corn is left for people in city; request for virrey to support Coronel in forcing Hacendados to keep prices low; testimony of Hacendados concerning their (lack of) grain; argument between Moreno and virrey concerning establishment of blame for shortages; certification that corn once selling for 4 pesos per carga now selling for 12 to 15 pesos per carga; lack of housing seen as resulting from increased number of shops; request for 12,000 to 14,000 pesos from real hacienda; Hacendado records the augmentation of 50 on his ranch because of lack of rain in other areas; bishop points out danger of leaving horses on haciendas outside city because of wild Indians; regimento is packed up for Querataro; royal decree that regimento retreat from Durango; regimento withdrawn from Durango for lack of grain; very repetitive; many copies. (p. Coyle November 1989)

Viceroy establishes regimento de dragones at Durango in response to Indian hostility; seeks information about local resources; infomation about local haciendas, towns and buildings in which to establish soldiers; some Argue for placing soldiers in outlying towns, others Argue soldiers should rent private houses in Durango in order to save money with which to buy equipment and pasture for horses; grouping includes volume index no. 5. (p. Coyle oct, 1989)

Concerns letters dealing with factura de generos sent to San Antonio de Bejar. Judicial action taken by governor Sandoval, to recuperate money own to the government by captain Urrutia. List of generos presented in document (fabric, bretanas, virretes, guangoches etc.). (M. Marroquin, September 1989)

Travel diaries written by Borica while conducting a military thru 1-18-1791; sends message to subdelegado ordering him to conduct visitas in his jurisdiction; population in Cienaga primarily Indian; condition of Bernardino and Cruz pueblos better than most he has visited; suspends visit to Ysabel due to cold Weather and snow; requests that Lagardo be present in Andres or Bachiniba because he wants to make use of his expertise on Indians; dispatches Garcia as teniente general to Cruz and Bernardino pueblos in order to conduct visitas; sends 4 men to Chihuahua with the visita records for a number of jurisdictions; visited Pueblo de Andres where he named the Indian Domingo Valles teniente general; due to cold Weather horses were not able to continue and had to request new horses and 20 men from Cordero in order to continue in March or April; due to delay relays message to subdelegados in Cosiguriachy prohibiting the suspension of services for the Indians so they won't be affected by his delay; includes in this last order missions run by Franciscans and secular ministers but not those running the missions in Guadalupanos who operate different orders; prohibited as well the pursuit of Indians escaped from missions; visits Pueblo of Nombre de Dios where he meets Cordero and Apache Indian captain Ojos Colorados and Turegoslan discussed the plan to attack the Rancheria of Manta Prieta put sargento Reyes in command of 30 men Charged with the attack; Pueblo of Nombre de Dios made up of two Indian groups Taraumares and ?; named Indian Espinosa teniente general of San Geronimo and gave him guidelines by which to govern; named Juan de Lamas (Indian) as teniente Coronel; letter introducing the diarios de comision from 1-19-1791 thru 2-4-1791; explains that depending on the severity of the cold Weather and the condition of the animals he may have to suspend temporarily the continuation of the visitas; he personally is suffering the effects of the cold Weather; had two Indians from Nombre de Dios and Cuebas pueblos resettled to their towns found on the hacienda de Dolores; gave permission to Indian Juan Nicolas and his family to remain settled in Tulimes despite an absence of twenty years; named teniente Coronel the Indian Andres Conchos de Santa Cruz put him in charge of Tulimes, San Pablo, and San Pedro, found Indian Joseph Cervantes with woman sent her away, found another Indian from Chubica named Antonio, notes how Indians were forced to work the lands of Bustamante instead of their own with the result that they experienced food shortages, also used Indians as cooks, water carriers, and sweepers in weekly rotations without pay and giving them only meals, Borica prohibits this from occurring again, names Berroteran as teniente general, notes abundance of corn in jurisdiction of Chihuahua, receives information from subdelegado of Batopilas on naming of Indian Jose Julian as teniente general de Navagame. (O. Velez, March 1989)

Concerns 'cuentas y gastos' of compania volante assigned to escort 'collera' of Apaches, held as prisoners of war, to Mexico City. Documents out of sequence; begin with Varela requesting funds for compania's return to Chihuahua, request granted, Varela ordered to turn money over to 'habilitado' of compania. Documents from earlier in year concern compania's receipt of some 108 Apache men and women of all ages (numbers vary); 'estado' included lists age, sex of 'piezas de Apache,' daily amount of 'reales' allotted to each; sargento comments that Apaches from New Mexico might join group. Sargento becomes gravely ill, Varela and Sartorio placed in charge. Bulk of expediente includes oficios from ranch owners and merchants in towns indicating receipt of payment for goods sold to compania, such as 'fresadas,' meat, corn, firewood, 'toros, Bueyes, Mulas,' and 'semitas.' Chavero, a rancher, sells compania 40 Mulas. 'relacion' of number of Apaches added to 'collera' along way, number who died or were too ill to continue; request fulfilled to bury several 'parbulos Apaches' in Chihuahua cemetery; gentile Apache buried in 'campo'; fray relays that dying Apache woman requests baptism. Returning to time period of beginning of expediente, virrey reviews compania finances and finds everything in order, except 'juramento' of officers involved missing. (L. Kerr, April 1989)