01" C at/1olic Heritage in Texas
Pena, the official chaplain and chronicler, to whom we are indebted for the detailed and careful diary of this important undertaking. st While still on the Rio Grande, Aguayo received news from Captain Matias Garcia, of the Presidio of San .Antonio, that St. Denis was holding a convocation with many Indian nations on the Brazos River and that he intended to attack the presidia. Greatly disturbed by this information, the Governor called a council of war to discuss the situation. It was decided to send one hundred and sixteen men at once to the aid of the threatened post on the San Antonio River with Captains Tomas Zuribia and Miguel Colon, under the command of Lieutenant Governor Almazan. 52 Ramon sent to occupy Espirit1, Santo. At the same time Aguayo ordered Captain Jose Domingo Ramon to set out with forty men to occupy the Bay of Espiritu Santo in order to prevent its falling into the hands of the French. Both parties seem to have traveled together as far as San Antonio, from where Ramon set out on March 10, 1721, to carry out his orders. Three and a half weeks later, the very day the Marquis of Aguayo entered San Antonio with the main body of the expedition, Ramon took official possession of the bay and all the surrounding country in the name of the king. This was on April 4, 1721. When Aguayo learned of the accomplishment of one of the chief aims of the expedition, he celebrated the news with great joy on April 18. 53 Fathers Margil, Gabriel Vergara, Joseph Guerra, and Joseph Rodriguez and Brothers Joseph Albadejo and Joseph Pita, 54 who had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Aguayo in San Antonio in order to return to the abandoned missions in East Texas, lost no time in joining the expedition immediately upon its arrival. The rumors of St. Denis' activities had been found to be unworthy of credence and the men being_in need of relaxation before continuing their march, Aguayo decided to stay in San Antonio for a while to give them a rest and permit the proper observ- ance of Holy Week. During his stay he was not idle. He inspected the
SlPeiia, Derrotero, 2-3. 52 /bia., J. »/bid., 6.
UBrother Pita was killed by a party of Apaches before the expedition reached East Texas. He was with a detachment escorting a supply of provisions at the time it was surprised by a group of hostile Indians. Aguayo to Auditor de Guerra in Autos sobre diferentes puntos consultados por el Governador de la Provincia de los Texas ... Ano 1724.
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