Indians (Reduccion)

Receipt of testimonies regarding Serrano request for mission in San Carlos and location of possible construction. Mention of friendly Indians who sell fruit and deer skins and return the horses they find. Chosen location does not have enough water for present cultivation, suggestion and advantages for cattle and rainfall agriculture of location near Gabia. Indians of Rancheria Tira la Piedra accused of robbing travelers and Mule drivers, inspite of large corn production. Discussion of combining 3 rancherias to populate mission and necessity of Indians population to work nearby mines. (L. L. Woodward, may 1989)

Palacio and Osorio's visit to Nuevo Santander to investigate Escandon's conduct, operations, state of colony. Discusses measures taken to protect colony from Indian horse thefts and murders. Discussion on Manuel de Escandon's merit and success in defending and populating settlement compared with that of his Father Joseph Escandon. Manuel Escandon given title conde de la Sierra Gorda due to inheritance and merit. Brief description of Joseph Escandon's service record including reducciones. Description of estate and lands of Escandon to be left to descendants and free of Media anata. Escandon's success at liberating Nuevo Santander from Chichimecs; establishment of 14 settlements, missions. Miguel Escandon accompanied Father on campaigns at age 16 as teniente; service record described. Total of 24 settlements established by Joseph Escandon with 1245 Spanish families. Manuel Escandon's detachment sent to Potrero de Campana to retrieve stolen horses and punish rebel Indians. (L. L. Woodward, November 1988)

Sketch with key shows area where proposed mission of Horcasitas to be located. Discussion of availability of water, wood, agricultural possibilities, area promises good harvests, free from hostile frontier Indians. Testimonies of inhabitants as to fertility of land and rainfall for corn production. Fray Lopez outlines lands to be included in mission for Palalhueques. Provides numbers of vecinos in surrounding parages and amount of land owned and how exploited. 148,000 pesos for tools and equipment. Need to get soldiers ready to defend and help with work; salaries for the 6 soldiers to be 20 pesos monthly. (L. L. Woodward, November 1988)

Summary of testimonies about Escandon's record in completing orders to pacify and reduce Indians and settle Nuevo Santander by officers and settlers and their charges against him. Funds spent, mistreatment of Indians, assassination of 5 capitans, use of Indians to work Escandon's land, build his Palace, and increase his wealth. Real cedula ordering pacification of Nuevo Santander delayed in its completion. Activities of Escandon include use of military funds, Indians reduction, founding of 14 settlements with population count of number and families and troops in each (f.8); plus 6 more settlements founded which were not in original budget of 115,000p. Complaint of not achieving increased agricultural production in spite of having fertile land, water; availability of minerals and salt. History of Escandon's earlier military record, reopening of missions. Problems resulting from drought. Espenses of military salaries and sinodos to missionaries. Annual costs in pacification process. Cost of settling 15 families from canary islands in Texas (ff.17). Organization of troops and distribution among settlements; distribution of lands. Difficulty of defending property under Indian hostilities. Complaint that Escandon's soldiers instead of gathering Indians together killed them inhumanely when they asked for peace. Murder by capitan trasieria and soldiers of slave and silversmith not punished or investigated by Escandon; Escandon named capitans and paid them salaries of 500p. (ff.33). Alvares' attempts at populating Rio Verde, movement of people, costs, problems with hostile Indians, mosquito plague (ff.56) order not to let Laredo capitan admit Apaches even though they offered peace (ff.57). Escandon prohibited commerce; payed soldiers in goods. Mining of silver without paying royal fifth (ff.63). Escandon has made few or no reducciones since 1746. List of 9 places on coast where Escandon says he has reduced total of 1,258 Indians and gives names of ethnic groups and number baptised in each location (ff.64). Service record of Escandon since he began service in Yucatan, distinguished service in Sierra Gorda as sargento mayor, teniente until 1746 (ff.68). Provides total inventory of livestock in 20 settlements. Movement of Escandon (Villa), Reynosa, and Burgos settlers to new Parajes (nuezes, Tetillas, Encinos). Molina reinstated as capitan; Barbara Resendi's complaints against Escandon (ff.83)(ff125). Charges against fray Garcia as being hipocrite receiving double salary (ff.91) description of reason for failure of mission for Cocos in San Saba due to murder of missionaries (ff.112). Apaches do not want to be reduced, only want peace and commerce with Spanish (ff.113). Even when they offer peace, Escandon gives them motives to be insolent. Murder at Rancheria of smallpox infected and other Indians by capitan went unpunished (ff.120). Massacre of Janambres on road to Horcasitas (ff 121). Paz not punished for murder of Indians (ff.122). Guevarra's murder of reduced Indians of mission of Santander unpunished. Cordova's mistreatment of Indians in Rio Frio (ff.124). Use of Indians Sihui, janambre as work force, Indian death due to hard labor (ff.125). Attempt to reduce Pames threatening to drive them to the coast. Indians paid 4p month plus rations for corn growing and also grew their own crops (ff.131). Escandon allowed people exemption from debts in order to populate settlements. Escandon's appointing as capitans convicted murder. Escandon refused to release Sanches Borriego who was involved in riot of Coahuila to Serma. Two destructions of Pizones' church in Santa Rossa and Taumave missions. Taking of Indian lands to give to Carmelita priests for 10 years. No payment of Diezmos for farmland; Diezmos payments of hollas, Mier, and Revilla. Escandon nor captain Vasques Borrego payed Diezmos for their large cattle haciendas. Gives cost of campaign against Indians of north and Apaches who attacked Taguacanas. Defense of Escandon's choice of capitans and families to populate settlement in that it is difficult to find cultivated people like those from the capital--they must come from the provinces. Description of Tanambre November 1754 destruction of mission Ruvoroso near Escandon; only 4 escaped including missionary. Complaint of Tanambres robbing, Murdering. Escandon captured tamambre rebles and sent them to Querataro prison. Tamambres and Tonases sent to Querataro as labors, servants and for convents. Marcos Molino's case in which he worked for Hidalgo for 15 years without payment. (ff.163) use of hard labor as punishment as well as death sentence. (L. L. Woodward, November 1988)

Series of documents on military actions against Indians. Thanks are given to Murgier for bringing Indians under control. Fray gives appreciation for what has been done to pacify Indians. Notice about Indians who left mission of Croix. Regards sent to Murgier for controlling Indians. Indians left to the Sierra of Tamaulipas to hide away. Suggestion is made that Indian rebels should be hung and their heads cut off as an example to others. Transfer of prisoners to another prison by Puga. Diaz expresses compassion for Indians in Croix. Escandon reports illness due to hard Weather conditions. Murgier is praised by Bujanos for personal commitment to his soldiers. (M. Marroquin, March1989)

Concerns Indians addressing the viceroy so they can be released from formal prosecution against them. Murgier jailed Indians for no reason. Series of testimonies provided on accusations against military official. Teniente Puga is defended by his lawyer arguing his client was only following military orders. Allusions made about Indians being killed in cold blood by Puga. Military service records of both Murgier and Puga provided. (M. Marroquin, March 1989)

Diary of Munoz 1773 speaks of past local Tepehuane revolts in Zape, tizonara, which did not involve entire Indian nation. Arms pacified revolts, restored peace. Briefly mentions other reduccioners provoked by Indian petty crimes and depredations-emphasizes that entire nation not affected. States that converted Apaches are responsible for San Bartholome and Cosiguriachi raids--not unconverted Apaches. Queipo de Llano, noting that 90 Indian prisoners cannot realistically be dealt with, suggests punishment of ring leaders alone and publication of castigation to Tarahumaras as a warning. (S. Gibbs, September 1989)

Documents concerning arrival of Chiquito and his request to have some of his relatives go free; request granted on condition that he will participate in campaigns against enemy Apaches. (J. Tapia, October, 1987)

Series of documents dealing with killing and capture of enemy Apaches by peaceful ones; more Apaches seek peace as result of this raid; several Opata auxiliaries participated in attack. Discussion of buying horses for peaceful Apaches to encourage them to continue hostilities against enemy ones. Copies of these actions sent to different officials. (J. Tapia, October, 1987)

Documents dealing with Apache group seeking peace before being attacked by soldiers; Apaches taken to Bacuachi. There are plans to attack and reduce more rancherias. (J. Tapia, October, 1987)