Mission Defense

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)

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.

Cancio on assuming office of gobernador discusses topics presidios, particularly Sacramento and Bejar; discovery of new mines, San Jose de la Sierra Madre, near Santa Rosa presidio most productive; Lucas y Laraga appointed administrator of mines, discussion of economic, defense and technological problems of silver mining, including long section on drainage; Mescalero attacks and theft of livestock; F. 242, letter from Ximenez to Cancio describing Apache attack on San Sava and thanking him for defense of missionaries and Indians; ff. 249-251, detailed lists of food, supplies, equipment, clothing received as emergency aid to presidio families and soldiers; office of governor turned over to Ortiz Parrilla. (J. M. Johnson, January 1987)