Population

Gachupin acknowledges receipt of inspection reports from virrey. Citing Indian hostilities, Gachupin says avoiding Indians will reduce skirmishes. Reports Indians have damaged population, buildings, mines, commerce of presidios. Includes population information. Suggests reinforcement of presidios by Vecino recruitment alone will not improve defense. Advocates interpresidio cooperation against Indians. (S. Gibbs, July 1987)

Rich details of history and settlement of missions and presidios near San Fernando. Founding and abandonment of presidio of Texas. Details of Indian invasion of mission of los Adaes, French and Indian fighting against Spanish. Gives geographical limits of province of Texas, describes fruits cultivated, resources for pasturing, construction, water, wildlife, animals, commerce, mining. Discusses war with Apaches and inability to reduce them. Establishment of San Fernando and population figures. Request for troops in San Sabas; cattle, horses, provisions in Adaes due to Indians leaving missions, ranches needing to be reestablished, Indian war hindering exploitation of land, risk of families leaving. Ripperda responds that movement of troops will be held up until he can provide for detachment to San Sabas. (L. L. Woodward, February1988)

Letters concerning civil affairs. Includes: exemption from taxes as frontier location, increase of population in Papasquaro and imprisonment of Silva Pimentel. (T. Kahana, August 1988)

Concerns present condition and advisability of Bonilla's depopulation of province; failure of missionization; economic decline of missions under new Franciscan administration; decline in mission agriculture; decline of mining; decline of commerce; chaos of present spiritual and temporal governing of missions; detachment of Buenavista stationed at powder house at Guaymas; detachment of men from Altar stationed at Pitic; Lafora map; supply reforms; proposal for Colorado River settlements; arrest of Vildosola; poor condition of provincial horse herds; geographic problems created by presidial removal and creation of new line. An important document for history of Sonora. (J. Williams, April 1987)

In response to request by viceroy, Barreyro (aid to Rivera) provides informe on Nueva Vizcaya; notes earlier letter of Jesuits (ff 135-154); description of inhabited places & natives; deployment of royal and hostile forces; undeniable reasons why presidio garrisons should each be reduced to 24 men; explanation of why Jesuit missionaries are resisting new regulation; notes on Jesuit and Franciscan establishments; lists Jesuits and their nationalities; reflects on how province can be maintained in peace; various missionized natives; hispanic settlements; some statistical information on population; mission church construction; general mission progress; instruction in Spanish; stresses peace of region; notes convoy escorts; many details on tactics (including night attacks); limited military insights of missionaries; Tarahumara labor for Spaniards; operations of Huydobno; Barreyro defends Rivera and regulation, stressing that they have been unfairly criticized. (J. Williams, may 1987)

(L. L. Woodward, August 1988)

Concerns increasing sales tax by 2 and maintaining privilege of exemption of reventa. Virrey grants pardon for several imprisoned smugglers. Serna and Echeagaray reprimanded and released from prison by Castro. says needs housing for soldiers since shacks are subject to fire. Also, primera compania needs additional storage. Includes letter from guerra relating troop movement. says Camoteros are friendly but can't be convinced to aggregate to nearby mission. Suggests construction of new mission. Lack of soldiers prevents campaigns against Apaches. Suggests building bastion at presidio for more protection. Castro mentions formal recognition of Texas' Mineral wealth. Concerns annual report of recent measures taken to increase population, agriculture and roads. Concerns proper treatment and relations with Lipanes. Castro delegates request by virrey for audit of guerra and Serna's expenses to San Maxent. Includes San Maxent's evaluation and documentation of expenses. Acknowledges orders for building school in Granada, relieving governors of responsibility of paying Media anata and prohibiting minting of coins. (M. Dannemiller, October 1988)

Series of documents that trace movement within the account fond de gratificacion de hombres with beginning and ending balances, summary of charges, and a separate detailed accounting of charges. Also includes documents on families of soldiers in Quartel de la Villa de Santana which give number of men, women, children, and servants. Also documents that show the receivables and payables of each soldier. (O. Velez, September 1988)

Diary recounts numerous events including murdered pastor; stampeding horses; payment of troops; capture of Indians; Indian hostility; supplications for peace. Women mentioned as captives and in population count in one instance. References to Indians selling Chile and eating Mesquite at Limon. (D. J. McClelland, March 1988)

Very detailed report on current condition of missions of Nueva Vizcaya, and new political regime being implemented for their governing; includes notes on doctrinas and missions; religious services rendered to Indians; conduct of missionaries; crops grown; application of civil laws; various community rights; economic conditions; record keeping related to livestock, people etc.; apostates; immorality of Indians; idolatry and its relation to crimes; places apostates inhabit; settlement dispersal in province; congregation of Indians in select reducciones; passport for Indian travel; work of Indians outside missions; care required to prevent desertion of mission Indians; learning of trades; continued hunting and gathering; work of women; various kinds of contamination by outsiders; housing descriptions of mission and non-mission Indians; irrigation; household furnishings; Indian Christian customs; failure to fully acculturate; Indian custom of eating horses; diseases; work at mines; cessation of custom of having yndios de mita in forced repartamiento labor; vagabondage; Spanish language instruction; cesarean medical operation; desertion; pulque consumption; disease resulting in depopulation. (J. Williams, March 1987)