Esca,uion and Settlement of Lower Rio Grande, r738-r779
189
Martyrdom of Fatlzer Fray Francisco Xavier Silva, July S, r749. Father Silva, of the College of Zacatecas, had been assigned to the proposed settlement of Vedoya on the Nueces. When the delay of the settlers prevented its founding in the summer of 1749, Father Silva, who was at San Juan Bautista at this time seems to have gone to San Antonio, perhaps to arrange for supplies for his new mission. On his return to the Rio Grande with an escort of eight soldiers, he was surprised by a group of Apaches five leagues north of the Rio Grande and brutally killed together with all his companions. Their murder might have remained unknown for a long time had it not been that shortly afterwards a party of mission Indians from San Juan Bautista, who were carrying mail to San Antonio, discovered the bodies and brought the news to the presidio. The zealous Zacatecan must have met death on July 5, 1749, while on a mission of mercy to secure supplies for the new mission of Nuestra Senora de Soto on the Nueces, destined to remain unfounded. 71 The establishment of the Province of Nuevo Santander by Escandon, which included that portion of Texas from Laredo to Brownsville and all the territory south of the Nueces River, gave rise to an interesting question of jurisdiction. Shortly after the founding of the first settlements, Escandon wrote to the viceroy that the lands of the new province lay in part within the bounds of the Archdiocese. of Mexico and the Dioceses of Michoacan, Puebla, and Guadalaj_ara. Since the missionaries stationed in the new settlements had to minister also to the civil settlers until parishes were created, they wanted to know from whom they should get their powers for the administration of the sacraments. Ecclesiastic jurisdiction. When the matter was referred to the Fiscal in February, 1749, this puzzled official suggested that the Guardian of the College of San Fernando in the city be consulted on the general powers of missionaries. The advice was accepted and on March 22 the question asked by Escandon was submitted to the officials of the College of San Fernando. The Discretorio (governing council) took the matter under advisement and reported with unusual promptness four days later. It declared that same, June 13, 1749, Publicaeiones del Arcl,ivo, XV, 291; same to same, August 1 , 1750, Provincias lnternas, v. 172, pp. 397·399, 411. 71 Fray Jose Buenaventura Cuellar including certificate of Fray Gaspar Gomez to the Commissary General, February 11, 1751. A. G. Al., Historia, v. 29, pt. 2, pp. 375-376.
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