OM Catholic Heritage in Texas
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accordance with the instructions received from the viceroy, he placed the mission now being reestablished under the care of the College of the Holy Cross of Queretaro and that he gave the Indians now congregated, and such as might be congregated later, all the necessary lands and water for them to sow crops, to raise cattle, and to build a pueblo. He then took the missionary by the hand_and led him in and out of the church as he had done at Mission San Francisco performing the same ceremony with the chief of the Aynay Indians. All the natives who had assembled for the reestablishment of the mission then took the customary oath of obedience to submit to the missionaries in all things. Chief Cheocas having been officially chosen governor of the mission Indians, was formally given a silver-headed cane as the insignia of his office and dressed in a new suit of blue cloth, resplendent with gold and silver braid. Many gifts and especially articles of clothing were distributed to about four hundred Indians. 5 Refounding of San Jose de los Nazonis. After the reestablishment of the Mission of Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion, Aguayo and the troops retired to their camp, which was about three miles distant. The following day a detachment of soldiers under the command of a lieu- tenant was ordered to go with Father Fray Benito Sanchez to Mission San Jose de los Nazonis to rebuild the old church and dwelling house of the missionaries. This mission was about seven or eight leagues to the northeast of Concepcion. Its location has been identified as having been on one of the tributaries of Shawnee Creek, near the north line of Nacog- doches County. This tributary is now known as Bill's Creek. 6 On August 12, Aguayo, hearing that everything was ready, set out from his camp at the old site of the Presidio de los Tejas. He took along only one company of soldiers in order to give the remainder of the expedition an opportunity to rest in camp while he proceeded to refound the third Queretaran mission in East Texas. By the time he arrived, the Nazonis had been called together by the missionary and the church and dwelling houses had been rebuilt. The Indians welcomed Aguayo with unfeigned demonstrations of joy and appeared to be truly happy at the return of the Spaniards. On August 13, 1721, the formal reestablishment of Mission San Jose de los Nazonis took place. High Mass was sung by the Reverend Father spefia, Derrotero, F. I 7 vuelta; Dilixencias Executadas sobre el restablesimto .. .A. G. I., A111Uencia de Mexico, 61-2-2. 'Bolton, "~he Native Tribes," Quarterly, XI, 263.
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