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Our Catl,olic Heritage in Texas
approach of the soldiers. For a short time the natives abandoned the mission and gathered to defend themselves, uncertain of the force sent to attack them. This gave the besieged survivors their chance of escape. Only four were still alive and one, Juan Antonio Gutierrez, was too weak to leave the church. Nicolas, a mule driver, was the first to creep out. He was followed by a soldier who claimed that he carried Fray Molina on his back, but the friar in his statement concerning the episode makes no men- tion of this fact. According to his story after gaining freedom, he set out toward the south alone, the other two having already left, and after wandering through the most hidden paths, and making a long detour, reached the presidia on March 18. Panic reigned in the presidia, where an attack was still expected momentarily, and not a soul dared to step beyond the stockade. 98 Burying tl,e dead. The garrison in the Presidio of San Luis de las Amarillas continued under arms until the 20th. The Indians had remained prowling about the fort after the destruction of the mission in the hope of surprising the Spaniards. The entire countryside was laid waste. The growing fields had been trampled and the stock outside of the fort had been killed. Finally, the half disappointed horde of savages, who had hoped to kill the Apaches in the mission and to drive out the Spaniards, departed to the north and east. On March 20, Colonel Parrilla decided it was safe to investigate the damage done at the mission. Charred remains l\nd ashes marked the spot where Fray Alonso and his companions had braved the tortures of martyrdom rather than abandon the site of their labors for the safe refuge of the presidia. Near the place where the gate once stood they found the body of Father Fray Alonso with two bullet wounds and a ghastly lance thrust in his breast. Not far from him lay Jose Garcia. The remains of Enrique Gutierrez, Lazaro de Ayala, Asencio Cadena, Andres de Villarreal, and Juan Antonio Gutierrez were found scattered around. But nowhere was the body of Fray Santiesteban visible. Not undl three days later was the headless trunk discovered beneath a pile of ashes. Diligent search for the head unearthed it in a different part of 98Relaci6n de Fray Miguel de Molina acerca de la muerte de Fray Giraldo and Fray Santiesteban, San Frat1cisco el G_ra,,1e Archi~e'. Vol. 12, pp. 16-1?; Dictamen Fiscal, May 29, 17 58, A. G. I. Aud,encta de ~ex,co, ~2-6-22_ (C~nmngham Tr., 6 t ) Pp 72 _ 129 . The fullest account 1s found m Teshmomo de Ios autos 1 7 3, P · 2 ' . · h h' . 1 P 'd• 1 It attaque que los Ynd1os Commanc es 1c1eron en e res1 10 de San sobre e asa o Y D n· o · p · Luis de las Amarillas qe. esta a cargo del Colonel n. 1ego rt1z arnalla. A. G. I. d . • d Me'~ico 92 -6-.22 (Cunningham Tr., 1763, pt. 1), pp. 1-94. Au tenc,a e ... ,
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