Indians (Relations)

Detailed military reports of Apache and Taraumara depredations around Durango (1788) including 1) damage descriptions, 2) results of hostilities, 3) steps taken to end depredations, 4) details of military movements. Relates Indian attack on armed exploratory group, robberies of silver, livestock, maize harvests, corn seeds, tools, guns and cloaks. Mentions kidnapping of women, murders and flayings, needless scattering of seeds and wasteful killing of livestock (thus sharpening food shortage). Notes drought. Detailed description of incident in which unidentified Indian group traps women in a house, sets house on fire, and strips those trying to escape. Cites village abandonment and disruption of carbon and seed trade routes as corregidor grants license to exterminate Indians. Notes Spanish burning and flaying of Taraumara captives. Virrey emphasizes need to increase confidence and hope in vecinos to avoid further depopulation; orders publication of Bando to this effect. Virrey also suggests reopening of military post at Noria to help defend Babonoyaba. Military concerns include augmentation of regular army by hacienda, Vecino and Indian auxiliaries. Special mention of Rancho owners supplying armed, mounted men for retaliation purposes. Attempt to set up efficient vecino-based campaign fails because of 1) laziness of vecinos and 2)sluggishness and ineffective leadership of Cassanova. Compania de dragones established for insolvents. Detailed record of inter-presidial troop movements. Precise numerical record of troop sizes and casualties. Repeated citation of failure to track Indians or to re-obtain stolen goods. Unsuccessful tracking blamed on tracks obscured by rain and laziness of vecinos. In general, documents in chronological order with a lot of content repitition due to sequential placement of original and copy. (S. Gibbs February, 1988)

Concerns remittance to Ugalde of logbook of military operations at San Christoval. Concerns capture of Indian Muniz. Indians behavior is described in terms of their obedience and work. They are said to have a natural disposition to lie, kill, and steal. Concerns capture of indio Moises and Pedro Jose; and reward for indio Pedro Jose's capture. (R.Gomez, July 1989)

Gumeli's petitions to go to Saltillo in order to recover from illness. Concerns Ugalde questions (Puntas y dudas) use of food supplies by the troops. Report on treatment by Echegaray of Indians around misiones de San Christoval commanded by Pedro Jose y Montes who won't accept peace proposals. Concerns misbehavior of Indians around Linares, and description of Indians' behavior (Indian groups not mentioned). (R.Gomez, July 1989)

Documents consist of providencias for government and new institutions in California, correspondence between viceroy and of San Diego mission; improved communication system between Mexico and frontier regions; deployment of troops from Sonora for maximum defense of Californias and eastern provinces; purposes for pacification of Indians. Ff. 419-432 detail recruitment, transportation, settlement and protection of 70 families of colonists from Sonora for Alta California, of alleviating poverty and idleness by recruitment in Mexico; safety and choices of routes in combination of maritime and land means for transportation of settlers; desirable areas for colonization in new territories regarding protection, agricultural production, provisioning, recreation, water supply yet to extend Spanish occupation, defense and pacification plans; formation of companias volantes and militia to combat Indian hostilities and need for new regulations to do so; improvement of agricultural techniques and manufacture of domestic industries; long sections on required rations of food and other necessities, allotments of cash, markets for purchasing, selling regional commerce, supply and production of cattle, horses and mules. Other folios refer to maritime transportation of mission and presidio supplies and schedules of Goleta la Sonora (Senora de Guadalupe) and Paquebot el Principe between Guaymas or San Blas. Acknowledgements of arrivals of vessels along Sonoran and California coasts. (j.m.johnson, February 1989)

Very important and detailed correspondence include (especially agricultural and religious supplies for 3 missions of the Santa Barbara Canal; F. 309 lists officers for 3 Principal California presidios. Serra reports on repairs to old and construction of new missions, emphasizing temporal and evangelical elements in conquest of souls. F. 312 details requirements for furnishing missions and religious objects for each mission. Provides salaries of religious personnel for each. F. 313 is a list of priests at each of 8 missions attached to Monterrey. Comments on bad examples for Indians set by troops and settlers in area. Neve discusses weapons and clothing supplies for California troops and settlers. F. 318 list of clothing necessary for people in missions and presidios. Ff. 319-320 refer to past methods in determining minimal subsistance of food and clothing supplies. F. 321 is chart of amount of bullets, gunpowder, flints and types of weapons by presidio needed for defense. Defines need for new regulations to correct deficiencies due to distances of king and real hacienda from California. Proposes improved military organization and requests greater numbers of soldiers, supplies and horses. F. 324 discusses military escorts, organization, personnel, time of year with estimated subordination of soldiers, military promotions, equipment for cavalry units. Census of military personnel, including tackle and rider's clothing for cavalry. Distribution of animals to each presidio. Ff. 332-333 provides detailed list of tackle and clothing by cavalry officer for Monterrey, San Francisco and San Diego. F. 336 is chart of higher officers and numbers of soldiers for same presidios. F. 339 distribution by type and number of weapons to same three. F. 341 numbers of mules and horses distributed to these presidios. Other topics of San Francisco, storage and distribution of weapons to prevent sales to Indians, rations of food to presidios and missions, references to past ordinances for founding missions, family life of soldiers in presidios, evacuation of families in case of attack, duties and types of craftsmen with necessary supplies for same for settlements. (J. M. Johnson, January 1989)

Copy of reserved instructions that Neve governor of Californias government should be to conserve peace in peninsula --treating of areas of Indians not yet made docile, including punishment of Gentiles for killing livestock in San Francisco to communicate all mission orders to Junipero or Hidalgo; other encouragement to avoid strife. Document also includes letter from Galvez regarding governor's salary. (J. Hiller, January 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)

Indians raided Horcasitas, Punta de Lampazos twice by night taking 70 horses--pursued unsuccessfully by citizenry; new militia (25) awaiting horses and weapons. 1780 provincial census listing location, caste and sex. Cabos Sanson, Guadarrama, Goruacio posted to dragones as sargentos. Regidors donativo of Albarcones, other haciendas; flight of capitan Chibato and others from misiones due to illness- deprivation-mistreatment experienced, plans to resettle -care for above at San Christoval and Concepcion; criminal penalties for Indian mistreatment; Garcia Davila censured for Indian abuse; order to arrest Ballesteros for theft of records; extradition and transport Indian prisoner Montes to Nuevo Santander. (J. Higgins. January 1989)

A Series of letters between Vaamonde and virrey conde that the San Christoval mission and Indian Lorenzo as recipient of money, petition for retirement filed by Garza and subsequent approval, receipt of index of letters 68-69, promotion of Frevino to Alferez, petition by Indians for new mayor (Salinas) and their complaints with Santa, audience granted to Indian Servantes to discuss the mayoral situation mentioned in preceeding letter. (O. Velez, January 1989)