011r C atl1olic Heritage in Texas
even before he reached San Antonio, dispatched a force to occupy this important site. The expedition crossed the Neches on August 3 and on the 5th reached the site selected by the missionaries for the reestablishment of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, which was now located on the east bank of the river, in the Neche village, close to the mounds, and about three miles from the crossing. The mission was now renamed San Francisco de los Neches. 70 But the reestablishment of the East Texas missions will be the subject of the following chapter. There, full details will be given of each one of the missions. The narrative in the remainder of this chapter will be con- fined to the principal events of the Aguayo expedition until it reached Los Adaes and its return to Coahuila. Mardi from tl1e Neclzes to Los Adaes. From San Francisco de los Neches, Aguayo sent out a small detachment to Mission San Jose de los Nazonis. On the 13th, having been notified that everything was in readi- ness, he immediately set out with a part of his troops, leaving the main body of the expedition to rest at Concepcion, and proceeded to reestablish this mission on its new location, about fifteen miles northwest of Concepcion, near the north line of Nacogdoches County. Upon his return to Concepcion, he officially installed Captain Juan Cortinas and a company of twenty-five soldiers in the old Presidio of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores, situated about a league from the mission. On the 1 S th of August he set out with the entire expedition for Nacogdoches, where on the 18th he reestablished the Mission of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. From here he proceeded without loss of time to refound the Mission of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores, and, after three days of travel, camped on a spot one-fourth of a league beyond where the former mission had stood. On the 21st he established the mission on this spot, which has been identified with that of modern San Augustine. Three days later Aguayo started for Los Adaes. After six days' travel in a general east-northeast direction, he camped half a league beyond the site of the old Mission of San Miguel. The place was deserted and not an Indian was anywhere in sight. Scouts and messengers were sent in different directions to call the Indians. On September I, they ,oor. Bolton, after a personal investigation on the grounds, reached the conclu- sion that the mission was doubtless located on Bowles Creek, not far from the present crossing of that stream by the o!d San Antonio Road. Buckley, op. 'cit., XV, 45, note J.
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