illissionary Activity Among tlee Apaches, 1743-1758
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declared: "A presidio and mission for the reduction of the Apaches are dictated by the service they will render to both Majesties, by the spiritual and temporal welfare of those barbarous nations, and by the best interests of the commonwealth." Since a garrison of one hundred men was con- sidered indispensable, this could be secured by taking the fifty men assigned formerly to San Xavier and by adding the balance needed to make up the desired number from the garrison of San Antonio and those of the surrounding presidios. Such Indians as remained from the deserted missions could be removed to San Antonio, and the missionaries who would thus be relieved could be ordered to go to San Saba. No additional expense would be required for the erection of a presidio at the new post, since the money paid to Captain Felipe de Rabago y Teran for the construction of a fort at San Xavier was still unspent and could be applied to the new establishment. He further recommended that since the matter was of grave importance it would be well to call a general Junta de Guerra y Hacienda to consider it before final orders were issued. 13 The viceroy, as usual, referred the matter to the Auditor on October 6. But this official kept the subject under advisement until December 21, 1755, when he made an elaborate and illuminating report. After sum- marizing not only the genesis of the San Saba problem but the whole history of the San Xavier missions, he subscribed to the recommendations of the Fiscal with regard to the establishment of a presidio at San Saba, the removal of all property of the suppressed missions of San Xavier to the new site, and the reassignment of the missionaries. He took issue, however, in regard to the recommendations concerning the means by which the proposed garrison of one hundred men was to be recruited. Although fifty-one men from Presidio de San Xavier and twenty-five from San Antonio de Bejar could be utilized for the purpose, twenty- four more were still necessary to make up the suggested one hundred. It was easy to say that the latter could· be taken from the neighboring presidios. But this assumption was unfounded, particularly since it would be very poor policy to leave any section of the frontier temporarily unprotected or weakened in order to establish a remote outpost. Every presidio was clamoring for additional men. How could they spare anv under the conditions facing them? Los Adaes, with a garrison of sixty, 1 3Dictamen del Fiscal, October I, 17 55. In Testimonio . . . sobre . .. reduccion . .. A. G. I. Audiencia de Alexico, 92-6-2:i (Cunningham tr., 1763, part 3), pp. 97-1 I 6.
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