Our Cat/1olic Heritage in Texas
the families suggested, the auditor pointed out that it was not his fault but that of the officers of the royal treasury. 52 In the meantime, by the close of 1748, Captain Orobio y Basterra had been informed by Escandon of the plans for the removal of his presidio to Santa Dorotea. On December 5, the Count of Sierra Gorda wrote to the viceroy that the garrison, which consisted of forty men, had been greatly weakened by the assignment of thirteen of them as guards for the new missions on the San Xavier River. The captain had to detail two more to the mission of_La Bahia, leaving him a force of only twenty- five for the removal and all the attending duties. This was inadequate in view of the fact that there were four Indian nations living in the new location: the Tamiques, the Xaranames, the Cujanes, and the Karankawas. He asked the viceroy, therefore, to order the men detailed to San Xavier restored to La Bahia as an emergency so that the captain could accomplish the removal of the presidio and mission to Santa Dorotea.s.s The viceroy referred the matter to the Auditor who on December 20, rendered his opinion. He explained that the plight of the garrison at La Bahia was not as bad as was represented. Formerly it had supplied nine men as mission guards for San Antonio. These had been restored before the thirteen had been assigned to the San Xavier missions, so that in effect it was only four men short of its usual number. The removal of the thirteen soldiers from San Xavier at this time was not advisable. It would endanger the success of this new venture decided upon after three years of consultation and preparations. It would be better to wait until the Padres from Queretaro made a full report on conditions at the new missions before taking any action. The viceroy accepted the wise suggestion of his experienced counsellor and refused the request for the time being, leaving Orobio y Basterra to carry out the removal with the force at his command. 54 Just when the actual removal took place is not clear from the records available, b11t in the fall of 1749, both the Mission and the Presidio of La Bahia del Espiritu S~ere formaliy°~lished on the new llDomingo Baldree!, Dictamen, March 16, 1756. A. G. M., P-rovincias lnte-rnas, vol. I 72, pp. I 12-J I 3. SJ Escandon to the Viceroy, December 5, 1748. A. G. M., P-rovincias lnternas, vol. 179, pt. 2, pp. 466-67. S4Dictamen de! Marques de A!tamira, December 20, I 7 48. A. G. M., Provincias /#JerMS, vol. 179, pt. 2, pp. 469-470.
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