Our Cat/10/ic Heritage in Texas
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In his letter to Captain Gabriel Costales informing him of his decision. Franquis said: "The nine soldiers [formerly assigned to these missions] have served no other purpose than to act as overseers of the missions, engaged in agricultural labors, as if the king was paying them for such employment." He explained that since they were entitled to only one guard, he was returning to him the nine men formerly assigned in order that they might reenforce his reduced garrison. Hereafter the captain was to send only four men every month, with instructions to act only as guards and in a military capacity. The governor informed Costales that the new regulation was applicable also to the mission at La Bahia. 34 Widening tl1e breadi. Governor Franquis did not confine his activity in this regard to the missions in Texas. On November 19, he wrote a rather brusque letter to Captain Eca y Mt'.1squiz, at San Juan Bautista on the Rio Grande, inquiring on what authority he continued to station three guards in each of the missions in the vicinity of his presidio. The captain showed the letter to Father Sevillano, President of the missions on the Rio Grande, and asked him for advice. The good-hearted friar offered to answer it. 35 This was to widen the breach between the governor and the missionaries. In his reply Father Sevillano pointed out that the guards had been continued in the missions on the Rio Grande and the San Antonio River by special authority of the viceroy, who had issued a special despaclio (order) in view of a representation made before him by the missionaries, setting forth the reasons for the need of the soldiers in the missions. He assured Governor Franquis that a copy of the decree was in the archive of his mission. He gently hinted that perhaps Governor Franquis was exceeding his authority in giving orders to Captain Musquiz, who was in reality subject to the Governor of Coahuila. He said that he had heard that the mission guards had been removed in San Antonio, but that he had not received official confirmation from the Padres. If this was so, he declared that he would have to go to Mexico to take up the matter with the viceroy. "l assure your Lordship," he said, "I shall regret to have to take the trouble of going to Mexico, for at my age the trip is· very trying. But I will do it, in order that the Blood of Christ may not have been shed in vain for the salvation of those unfortunate Indians, l4Franquis to Captain Gabriel Costales, October I 2, I 7 36, in Ibid., pp. 698-699. UFranquis to Captain Eca y Musquiz, November 19, 1736, A. G. M., Misiones, Vol. 2 1, pt. 1, pp. 97-98.
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