Destruction of tlee San Xavier 1Jt/issions
Eca y Musquiz made formal delivery of the post, guardhouse, and the miserable hut that served as commander's quarters on December 13, 1751. Rabago y Teran ordered the eighteen men that had remained to repair to their respective garrisons and assigned two soldiers to each of the three missions from the men he had brought. The missionaries objected, and demanded three, alleging that this number was necessary for them to be able to carry out their duties in helping to herd the stock, cultivate the soil, and aid the padres. Rabago protested such were not the duties of the soldiers, but granted the request for three soldiers for each mission to avoid dissensions, the arrangement to be temporary until he could hear from the viceroy concerning the matter. 36 Inspection of the missions by Rabago y Teran, December r4, r75r. Having previously requested the missionaries to gather all the Indians for inspection. the captain went to San Francisco Xavier de Horcasitas on December 14, in the morning, accompanied by Fray Mariano. He found there were forty-two men, twenty-eight women, and thirty-nine children of the Yerbipiame and Mayeye tribes in the mission, making a total of one hundred nine persons. Of these only the children had been duly baptized. Rabago then went to San Ildefonso, where Father Fray Joseph Gan- zabal informed him that there were no Indians in the mission because the~e had gone away several months ago, and although they promised to return they had not come back. From San Ildefonso he went to Mission Candelaria, accompanied by all the missionaries. Fray Miguel Pinilla, who had charge, brought out ten men, eight women, and seven children, making a total of twenty-five. It is evident that some of the neophytes had abandoned the mission since Eca y Musquiz had inspected it. Such was the state of the three San Xavier missions when Rabago y Teran took charge. Clioosing a site for the ,Presidio. On the previous day he had officially informed Governor Barrios y Jauregui of his arrival and the instructions he had received from the viceroy for the erection of the presidio. He apologized for his inability to pay his respects personally to the governor for lack of time. He was sending the letter, however, by two soldiers, Santiago Hernandez and Vicente Ferrer l\fontalvo. At the same time he sent an urgent request to Captain Urrutia of San Antonio to furnish him three expert surveyors to aid him in selecting the site of the new presidio and the civil settlement. 36Testimonio de los autos fhos., JI 9-3:i I .
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