117
Aguayo Expedition and San Jose IYfission, I7I9-1722
Fathers Margi} and Espinosa, might retreat to the farthest ranches of the Tejas on the Trinity River, where they were to wait for reenforce- ments. In the meantime the two presidents were to return to Concepcion and stay there to appease the Indians. Captain Ramon hesitated to carry out this decision for fear of punishment. But the two missionaries gave him a written statement to relieve him of all responsibility, in which they declared they were staying voluntarily. While the disheartened band made its way to the Trinity River, Fathers Margil and Espinosa bravely retraced their steps to the now deserted Mission Concepcion. Here they remained hoping against hope for reen- forcements to arrive. On July 2, they dispatched a letter to the viceroy from the Angelina River, giving the details of the attack on Mission San Miguel and of the measures adopted in view of the contingency. This account written at the time of the events described is an invaluable source for this truly pathetic episode. The missionaries were too human not to take this opportunity to tell the viceroy they had previously warned him. They pointed out that their former petitions, warning the officials of the danger from the French, had been disregarded; that their request for fifty men to settle the Cadodachos had been ignored; that their present plight was the direct result of Alarcon's failure to carry out his instructions; and that while the French had steadily advanced during the last three years the Spaniards had made no progress because of the failure of the government to support the missionaries properly in their labors. The crops had given greater promise this year than any other, but were now to be left to the ravages of the disappointed Indians. The letter closed with a passionate appeal that the viceroy "remembering the blood of the Son of God, shed for these poor gentiles, will moisten his pen· in it to write with his own hand what may be best for the good of their souls, the service of the King and Lord, and the consolation of these afflicted missionaries." 20 They also sent an urgent call for help to the captains of the presidios of Bejar and Rio Grande and to the Governor of Coahuila, stating that if reenforcements were sent, the missionaries would return to their missions and the soldiers would repair to the presidio. Hearing that Captain Ramon and the rest of the party, now encamped near the Trinity, were about to retreat farther, the two Padres at Concepcion were forced to follow them regretfully. By the middle of July the two presidents had joined the rest of the fugitives. The party doggedly remained in camp on the Trinity until
20Quoted by Buckley, op. cit., XV, 13.
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