Military Personnel

Informe of Garza describing accident resulting in loss of fingers. F. 182-185 is an account of inspection passed by Calleja on tercera compania volante of N. Santander. Names of soldiers, Invalidos, quality of instruction, officers' conduct. All ok, but Echagary said to be of conducta relajada and Galvan de Mala conducta. F. 186-187 is a list of names, years of service, time remaining in service, and notes on quality and bravery and conduct. F. 188 is a list of Invalidos. F. 188-190 is a bio of the two Invalidos, Rodriguez and Sanchez. F. 191 is list of soldiers cumplidos U inutiles. F. 192 is a list of armaments pertaining to each rank and what is lacking in company. F. 193-194 is a list of creditos and debitos. And F. 195 is an account of payment of gratificacion to men in company. (P. Lenz, November 1989)

Injury of Rendon described due to lassoing a horse. Fingers lost from right hand. Letters from surgeon testifying to injury. Request of termination of military services as result of injury. Rendon's career accomplishments listed. His campaigns against Tancahue nation. F. 141 provides a chart of name, position, company and injury of Rendon. (P. Lenz, November 1989)

Documents concern economic affairs. Sending of money by Arce to Juez general of Guadalaxara and of money sent by Morales. Libranzas sent by them and others described. Documents also deal with the case of rendoz and his request of granting of status of invalido. Rendoz' loss of fingers due to lassoing of a horse is cited at length and his continuance in the militia is revoked due to said injury. (P. Lenz, October 1989)

Documents to, from N. Salcedo concerning perceived threat to security of northeast frontier of Provincias Internas. F.283 discusses hostile disposition of U.s. Ff.283-287 are description of M. Salcedo's travels in U.s.; F.284 mentions many sick with fever on parts of Arkansas River; ff.284-285 are descriptions of appearance, character, age, descent of american military figures (adair, Pike, Claiborne, Linch, Adams). F.286 Wilkinson arrives in N. Orleans with 6000 men in regular troops, reports of command by president to arm additional 20,000 militia; speculation on U.s. Military plans. F.290 discussing how far loyalty of inhabitants of borderland can be trusted. (A. Dean, may 1990)

Interesting correspondence primarily related to Father Hidalgo's uprising and military's response (documents incomplete); Lopez failure to pay troops for expedition and general mistreatment of them; discussion of gravity of non-cooperation among military officers (potentially harmful); letter about people being lazy in wartime when they should be resourceful; folios of particular

Series of correspondence regarding necessity of stepping up military on border with Luisiana due to U.s. aggression; artillery and infantry crucial to border defense plan offered by Bonavia; plan for troop mobilization and military supply routes climate, economy, population, terrain, cost of troop upkeep; question of what to do with anglos living on Spanish land as foreigners (deport them? Leave them alone?); interesting Series of documents. (D. J. McClelland, July 1989)

Very interesting copies of correspondence between Salcedo and Bonavia regarding defense of land bordering with U.s. And much discussion of U.s. Military potential and mention of some U.s. aggression; at core of correspondence is concern that Spanish military not powerful or well organized enough to defend north provinces against americans; discussion of fidelity of Indians shifting to americans due to corruption by merchants; much discussion of logistics, statistics, hypothetical situations; it is agreed that artilleria volante desperately needed among 154, 158, 160-163. (D. J. McClelland, may 1989)

Documents primarily concerning Comanche raids and subsequent military pursuit of Comanches, including detailed accounts of pursuit in letter and diary form; accounts of what exactly Comanches did, I.e. murder, mutilations and Robos; Bustamante is wounded in pursuit of Indians, tracks are lost due to rain; Indian hostility blamed on French and anglos; brief discussion of shortage of arms along borders, and list of supplies suggested; very interesting documents. (D. J. McClelland, may 1989)

Varied correspondence between virrey and others primarily regarding poverty of families of auxiliary troops stationed in Texas, requesting Socorro; complaint of priest that soldiers expected to provide for families and pay for troops supplies out of their own salaries, leaving them even poorer; interspersed among these are various letters and notes regarding food shortages among Indian and Ladino populations, capture of two doctors, one French, one Anglo (very informative), and an interesting rhetorical letter to virrey regarding poverty of above families and Indians, war with the French, prisoners mentioned above, population of Texas, etc. (D. J. McClelland, may 1989)

After more than a year without sons and husbands to help them, wives and mothers of soldiers in various companias serving in Texas as auxiliary forces petition virrey and governors to aid them financially by allotting part of soldiers' wages to families, or by sending them home; governors and virrey come up with plan requiring soldiers to allot certain fractions of salaries to be paid to wives and mothers each month; according to documents, plan is successful; of particular interest are March 1989)