Military Organization

Loreto, Monterey, Santa ana, la paz. December 12, 1767 to October 29, 1774. 132p. Instrucciones. Reglamentos, index. Informe. Letters, original, signed. Copies. 10-28-1774 from berri to new governor neve outlining duties in change of command. Invites consultation and outlines accompanying documents which should be returned to archive in south (Loreto ?). Observations of civil-military-religious relations in province. 2) ff. 126-135 Galvez' instrucciones of 1769 to barri. Discusses duties of governor and importance of stern but just punishment of indians for economic independence from missions. Discussion of governor's administration of pearl fishing, with reference to leyes de indios, previous reales ordenes and cedulas to prohibit foreigners. Better fiscal management of mines and defense to establish more missions and presidios in province. Copy consists of 26 sections, dated 9-30-1774. 3) ff. 142-144 index of 19 documents Barri sends to neve of Galvez' visita to antigua California of 1769. Brief description of each document. Dated 9-30-1774. 4) full texts of Galvez' visita/expedition of 1769, copies from 1768 to 1770. Overall impression of carefully prepared, detailed planning for military-civil-religious coordination in province. Attention to fiscal-administrative matters to establish good relations between Spanish and indians (although typically condescending towards abilities of latter group) for economic-geographic expansion in Californias. Overall idea for governing broken families to Loreto, agricultural and religious training, artesan and pearl fishing industries, rights and inheritance regulations of lands after secularization (temporalidades) from missions, specifications for architectural plans of church, plaza and homes, wages and formations of indians into militias. Production from salinas, transportation of these by canoe sacramento and paquebot la concepcion, salaries, equipment and supply rations for all levels of workers and managers, diezmos (taxes) and royal fifth on production. Coordinated defenses by military and militia of missions, neighbors and presidios to continue outward expansion to new territories. Realtionship of provincial income/outflow to real hacienda in Guadalajara, including pricing, collecting of diezmo and quinto for ramos of playing cards, gunpowder, mercury, papel sellado, and tobacco and pearl fishing and mining industries. Of special note are great details in ff. 159-160 of maritime transportation of products to and from lower California from north and to continent, and ff. 161-162 of ordenances, supplies and rations to be in effect for each type of vessel used. (J. M. Johnson, April 1988)

San Antonio de Bejar. March 2, 1735-May 29, 1735. 20p. Letters, informes. Originals, signed.

Monterrey, Mexico. October 10, 1791-December 03, 1791. 70pp. Approximate. Letters. Originals. Accusation that military campaign against indians has been slow and inefficient, goes into detail describing steps and strategies he has employed, attests to fact that he has also followed the virrey's orders to mount offensive campaign near Rio Grande (northern part), asks for reestablishment of two companies abolished by ugalde so that they May be transformed into 12 units, argues that the presence of these added troops would help encourage additional settlement and thereby add to sums collected in the form of diezmos, attack on presidio of punta de lamparos, indians attack yguana as one unit and then split up into two units and remain in area; vaamonde explains letter written to virrey in which virrey interpreted as being insolent, major point of contention being vaamonde request that two companies mentioned earlier be reestablished, cites the fact that indian attacks have increased because of the absence of the companies and that the area is a frontier and needs troops in order to establish the uncontestable reaches of the province, argues that the organization of these troops into 12 units of 29 men each would in some cases make for more successful settlements because the settlers would have as their primary concern things other than indian attacks, strategy he would have liked to use with the troops at his disposal would have been to keep them on the move continually so the indians would not be able to plan attack but small number of men and illness have made implementation of that strategy impossible. For that reason he seeks reestablishment of aforementioned companies; letter explains that the two companies abolished by ugalde without consultation with the preceeding governor Gonzales de santianes, says that when he requested the reestablishment of these from the current comandante general de armas Ramon de Castro he was severely rebuked and told that Coahuila was in dire need of said troops, makes same request of virrey and includes proposals on how this company would be paid -excise taxes, cites depopulation and poor agricultural output as consequences of settlers fears and divided attention, successful settlements would also improve the commercial integration of all of New Spain since these areas produce some important commodities, excise taxes to support troops would then be cost effective since vaamonde reasons producton in area would go up as well as consumption from added settlers; letter to virrey from vamonde telling of events in area as related to him by Ramon, information on troop movement in area of punta de lamparos and speaks of orders given to Ramon directly from Castro; letter from virrey to vaamonde mentioning his order on the subject of the reestablishment of the companies mentioned, will advise him on his decision. (O. Velez, September 1989)

Monterrey, Mexico. August 27, 1791 - September 17, 1791. 28pp. Approximate. Letters, noticias. Copies. Was killed, needs strengthened militia in area in order to defend settlements or else will be forced to abandon; indian attack in which Spanish settlers were taken prisoner; speaks of indian attack that was successfully repelled by settlers in which wounded indian was heard to say that he wanted confession. On way out of village indians took captives including children; need for better horses and weapons to fight off the indians, complete letter by justicia mayor describing situation of hostilities in area; scathing letter from Revilla gigedo to vaamonde admonishing him for his insolence in regards to some comments he had made previously on the organization of the two companias Volantes as being reason for the inability to effectively neutralize indians; report documenting indian attacks between August 5, 1791 and August 19, 1791; letter from vaamonde ordering that militias of 15 men be set up in order to explore their surrounding areas for 15 days and people of the area should provide the munitions and supplies needed for these expeditions; letter from vaamonde explaining his idea of reorganizing the two companias Volantes and the compania del punto de lamparos into 12 groups; letter telling of the arrest of indian Pedro Jose. (O. Velez, September 1989)

Monterrey/Mexico/Santa Rosa (valle). January 13, 1791 - August 27, 1791. 46p. Approximate letters. Copies, originals. Contingent of soldiers to conde de Revilla gigedo, preparing for a visit from conde de Revilla gigedo; nava informs of peace or better said armistice reached with lipanes vaamonde relays this info to conde and requests further instructions; detailed explanation of the peace convention reached between lipanes and Spanish with articles posed by the Spanish and indian responses to them. Articles touch on subjects of captives, geographic demarcation of settlement, land, lipane responsibility for making sure that all in their population are within the reduccion, alliance with Spanish, judicial jurisdiction, Castro orders contingent of men and details quantity of munitions and supplies to bring to go to Rio Grande area in order to battle indians; copy of letter that first appeared in file 162ah, i between ff.448-454 describing attack on Castro by escaping lipanes; further information on contingent of men requested by Castro; vaamonde writes to conde de Revilla gigedo presenting a case for the reinstitution of the two companies that were disbanded by ugalde in nuebo reyno de leon; vaamonde writing on the state of affairs with regards to military situation in nuevo leon, makes mention of failed efforts of his predecessor ugalde to reach a durable accord with Apaches, inability of military to properly defend the area, request for weapons. (O. Velez, September 1989)

Chihuagua. July 8, 1790. 24p. Approximate informes. Originals.

Saltillo, parras. December 17, 1790-September 20, 1791. 80p. Informes, representacion, letters. Signed, unsigned, originals.

Saltillo. September 25, 1789-October 9, 1790. 72p. Diligencias, letters, oficios. Signed, unsigned, copies, originals.

Saltillo, parras. January 14, 1788-November 6, 1790. 100p. Oficios, letters, testimonios. Originals, copies, signed, unsigned.

Provincias Internas. December 3, 1787-June 20, 1788. 78p. Letters, decreto, ordenes. Signed, unsigned, originals.