Indians (Reduccion)

Administrative correspondence re: receipt of letters, bandos. Declaration of war with England makes it necessary to guard Soto la Marina port; discussion of building bateria and arming with cannons; reconnoitering of port. Ff. 332-350 contain listas and extractos from monthly troop revistas listing military positions and salaries for various companies. Ff. 1 366-395 contain various diaries re: campaigns against Indians. Map of area between Soto la Marina and Tampico on unnumbered folio between ff. 394 & 395 showing rivers, mountains, towns.

Very important document on instructions and rules for founding new missions, presidios and towns. Neve expresses need for equalization of salaries for same rank/position among military, religious and civil personnel. Document divided into titulos, transportation, accountability, rations; crops; horses, mules; craftsmen. II. - lists of officers at each mission, presidio; description of terrain, Indian settlements for planning defensive positions; military escorts to establishments at Santa Barbara channel; salaries of officers/soldiers at four sailers and craftsmen on blandra Pilar, lanchas Lauretana and San Juan hepomuceno. III. - clothing; canons. IV. - armour distribution, types, purposes and accountability of funds; procedures for filling vacancies; evaluations by service reports. Ix. - requires monthly status report of each company. X. - Indian treaties. Xi. -gubernatorial functions regarding (ff. 386-390). - details on selection/training of habilitados (paymasters); accountability to real hacienda, Naval/military superiors and settlers; F. 390 consists of inventory and production data of small animals, cattle, horses, mules. Xiv. Settlement and use of land; supplies; irrigation and crops; house construction; cattle; taxes; regulations re. Establishment and defense in Canal; optimum placement for defense and religious organization along frontier and Camino real. (J. M. Johnson, February 1989)

Describes his visita, state of each mission, Villa; records Indians speaking Castillan, some industriously planting fields or cleaning churches, some who need to be taught how to work. mentions rations of corn, meat, tobacco; problems with water supply; baptism of Indians, giving Christian names. (A. Dean, July 1989)

Two Cotanames of Rio Grande band arrive in Reynosa with news that population of Rio Grande presidio had moved to mission to guard salt mine there. It seems Indians gathered for reduccion had been forced into labor at mine. (A. Dean, July 1989)

Concerning reduccion of Reynosa, Camargo, other Indians in facilities designed by Valberde to sustain 1000 people. Missions to be along coast, Cordillera del Norte. Excellent description of ideal Spaniards hoped to achieve with reduccion. (A. Dean, July 1989)

Correspondence includes letters concerning: 'visitas' to various towns, amount of 'alcavala' collected and from whom, that agricultural towns excused since little currency available; strategies of how to stabilize relations with Indians and facilitate 'reduccion' near missions and towns, specific discussion of 'reduccion' of Xanambres in Llera, also how to isolate 'bravos' in sierra; need at new missions for more 'ornamentos' and 'vasos sagrados' in order to continue 'reduccion'; mariscal de campo criticism of system of 'reduccion' and conversion, finding it inadequate method of controlling Indians (folio 467); details of escape by 'capitan reformado', mention that his 'concubina' questioned; issues discussed at junta between officials of 'batallon de Tampico y Panuco' as recounted by Alarcon; Indian who converted but continued to rob and murder; military finances and salaries, including 'promptuarios de oficiales y soldados' of squadrons stationed in Nuevo Santander, listing salaries, wages 'vencido,' 'recivido,' and 'refulta.' (L. Kerr, October 1988)

Correspondence concerning: receipt of revistas; discovery of mines at San Nicolas; construction of mission; financial and administrative business, particularly regarding rentas; departure of ship bound for Spain carrying silver and fruit; search for pelicans per superior order of virrey, but response is that none were sighted; conflicts with many Indian groups, description of attacks on missions, haciendas, rancherias; who involved in military actions, whom killed, number of horses, mules killed or stolen by Indians; description of pursuit of Indians by military, efforts made to reduce population or to negotiate. (L. Kerr, September 1988)

Various correspondence concerning conflicts with Indians, Comanches and others, pursuit of raiding groups, reduction of number near missions; also, letters regarding homicide. (L. Kerr, sept.

Series of documents dealing with the pacification of the Mescalero Apaches. Discussion of methods to assist them in sedentary agricultural life, and Apaches complain they like to move around in their hunting and gathering ways of life. There is also discussion of restricting Indian movements by requiring travel permits. there is also discussion of the revolt of some Mimbrenos and Mescaleros in which some soldiers were killed; Ugarte mobilizes his troops and some Indian auxiliaries in attempt to control rebel Indians. In some letters there is also discussion of fomenting animosity between the different Indian groups so they can be better controlled. (J. Tapia, September, 1987)