Our Catl,olic Heritage in Texas
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ships be made ready without delay for that purpose.u The careful and detailed instructions, for the exploration of the first of these bays given to Alarcon on March 11, 1718, are significant when considered in the light of this consultation. 13 In the second letter of April 25, the viceroy informed the king that the governor of Pensacola, pursuant to his orders, had sent Captain Juan Manuel Roldan, who spoke and understood French, to Mobile to observe secretly the purpose which had brought three armed vessels to that port. This officer had found out that a new company had been organized in France to foster and promote trade in the Indies; that the three vessels had brought many soldiers and munitions of war for the colony of Louisiana; and that two other vessels were expected with settlers. All of this information pointed clearly to the ulterior designs of the French upon New Spain, the viceroy noted in transmitting this information, together with another letter from the commander of Veracruz, on the same subject. 1 ' These letters were submitted by the king to the Council of the Indies on March 27, 1719, with a request that this body make such recommendations as it might deem proper. Attack on Pensacola. It is not strange, in view of the antecedents just summarized, that when Governor Bienville received word of the declara- tion of war on Spain, in April, 1719, he should lose no time in preparing to attack the Spaniards both at Pensacola and Los Adaes and in trying to gain possession of the Bay of Espiritu Santo. War between Spain and France had broken out on January 9, 1719, as a result of Spain's occupa- tion of Sardinia and the invasion of Sicily.is Bienville was immediately ordered by the Company of the Occident, to which Louisiana had now been granted, to attack Pensacola without delay. 16 But Spain seems to have neglected to inform the viceroy of Mexico of the outbreak of hos- tilities. He was not to learn of the situation for some time. The first intimation of hostilities which the Spaniards had was the unexpected llSatisfaccion a la orden de V. M.... A. G. I., Audie11cia de Mexico, 61-6-35. 13Directorio que ha de observar, y ordenes que ha de Practicar el Sargento Mayor Don Martin de Alarcon. Provincias lnternas, Vol. I 83; a copy also in San Fran- cisco el Grande Archive, VIII, 217-225. The copy in Ristoria, XXVII, is defec- tive and undependable. 1'Satisfaciendo a la orden de V. M. con q se sirvio Remitir tres Cartas y vn testo. de! Virrey de Na. Espa. y Corregor. de la Veracruz. A. G. I., Audiencia de Mexico, 61-6-35. ISHassall, The Balance of Power, 171 5-1789. Ch. II. l6Heinrich, La Louisiane sous la Compagnie des lndes, r719-1731, p. 55.
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