Our Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
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the stream, while others went down along its banks. During the engage- ment the three missionaries had remained in the chapel of Mission Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe praying. Three soldiers had been assigned to guard them. After the battle, Lieutenant Tapia, who was then only a common soldier, was sent across the river to bring a Padre to hear the confession of a wounded soldier and he saw the missionaries come out of the chapel. Fearful of another attack, the small garrison sent a messenger with a soldier and a settler to the governor asking for reenforcemen ts. Early in September the governor sent Lieutenant Manuel Gomez de la Torre with one hundred men to pursue and chastise the Indians who had attacked the new presidio. These had taken refuge in the meantime in the mountains. They appear to have entrenched themselves along the high banks of Ruidosa Creek. After being attacked in their own strongholds on September 20, nine Indians were killed and forty-seven warriors taken prisoners. Many fled into the mountains. Messengers were sent to them to tell them to come and live in the missions peacefully and all would be forgiven them. Many came and they surrendered a chief named Jose Manuel, whom they blamed for the revolt. Since in addition to the forty-seven warriors there were more than one hundred women and children taken prisoners, it was not long before many of the Cibolos, to whose tribe the captives belonged, came to make peace. For the next few years tranquillity reigned again at La J unta. 21 In 1762, Francisco Xavier Paulin, agent of Captain Manuel Munoz in Mexico City, demanded the payment of two and one-half years' salary for the Captain of Presidio del Norte de la Junta de los Rios and the money for the presidial company now two years in arrears. In the claim it was stated that Munoz had succeeded Rubin de Celis on December 13, 1759, and that since that time he had not received his sum of six hundred pesos annually. An investigation was ordered and instructions were given for the payment of the just amounts due by the royal treasury. 29 Temporary abandonment of the Presidio del Norte de la ltmta de los Rios. The similarity in name with the Presidio del Paso del Norte has given rise to some confusion. But the records show that the presidio at La Junta continued in existence until the fall of 1767, when it was
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A G M Provincias /nternas, v. 102, pp. 22-25.
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