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Establishment and Early Progress of San X av-ier JJt/issions
sionaries came. The declaration of Pruneda was confirmed by Chief Geronimo. 21 Not until five days later did Fray Mariano receive a copy of the viceroy's order of February 14. He immediately called upon Captain Urrutia and requested that twelve men be sent from the Presidio de Bejar to protect the Indians gathered at San Xavier in accordance with the orders. Urrutia replied that conditions had changed since the issuance of the order; that the Indians had already disbanded, as shown by the declaration of Pruneda and Geronimo; and that under the circumstances it was unadvisable to weaken the garrison at San Antonio. In order to justify himself, he called a meeting of the Cabi!do and asked their opinion. On May 10, 1747, the Cabildo met and in a formal statement declared that the Presidio de San Antonio and the missions in its vicinity were at this time, and had been for several years, seriously threatened by the Apaches. These inveterate enemies had recently taken the horses from the Presidio of San Antonio, as well as those belonging to Missions Concepcion, Valero, and San Francisco. They had destroyed practically all the herds, with the exception of a few cows; and they were constantly raiding the vicinity. Under the circumstances it was unadvisable to take twelve men from the garrison. In previous years Governors Bustillo, Sandoval, and Franquis had been forced to keep additional troops at San Antonio from the other presidios to withstand the persistent attacks of the Apaches. Furthermore, they declared that the twelve men ordered from San Antonio to the San Xavier to protect the proposed mission and the Indians gathered there, together with ten from Los Adaes, would be insufficient to restrain the full force of the Apaches at that point. The report brought by Pruneda and Chief Geronimo had revealed that the place had, in fact, been already abandoned. In view of the circumstances, they requested Urrutia to suspend carrying out the order just received until the viceroy was consulted. 22 Captain Urrutia accordingly made a formal representation to the viceroy on May 19, 1747, and postponed carrying out the order until further instructions. 21Declaraciones de Eusebio Pruneda y el indio Geronimo, May 4, 1747. Arc/rivo del Colegio de la Santa Cruz (Dunn Transcripts, 1716-1749). 22 Escrito sobre los doce Soldados, que avian de hir a San Xavier del Presidio de San Antonio, 1747 as. Archivo del Colegio de lt1 Santa Crur: (Dunn Transcripts, 1716-1749).
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