Our Catlzolic Heritage in Te:xas
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soldier in 1693, by joining an expedition organized by Governor Gregorio de Varona Salinas to take supplies to the missions in Texas. When in 1701 the garrison of San Juan Bautista was established, he was one of the first to enlist. He continued to serve here for fourteen years, beginning as a private soldier and being promoted first to sergeant and later to Alferez, the highest rank next to the captain in the absence of a lieu- tenant. From here he went to Texas on September 4, 1719, with the detachment of eighty-four men organized by Aguayo at the request of the viceroy, serving as lieutenant under Captain Cardenas. When in March of the following year the Indians of Santa Rosa de Nadadores revolted, Aguayo asked Flores to bring as many soldiers as possible from San Antonio to enable him to put down the uprising, with which request he complied and succeeded in joining Aguayo in time to help him defeat the Indians in April. During the expedition to Texas, he acted as scout or explorer and was of great assistance not only in the reestablishment of the missions, but in securing supplies from San Antonio on various occasions. When Aguayo went to La Bahia, he was left in charge of the construction of the new presidio outlined by the Marquis. During this time he discovered a new source of salt for the garrison. Shortly after the return of Aguayo, five Apache Indians stole fifty horses. Flores immediately set out in pursuit with ten men and, after an exciting chase, succeeded in recovering the stolen horses, bringing back to Aguayo as gruesome evidence of his triumph the heads of four of the Indians.' After the departure of Aguayo and his large expedition, things settled down to the same slow pace as before, and hunger, want and sickness visited the struggling missions once more. "Although for a while the poor missionaries saw many companies in Texas," exclaims the Reverend Father Espinosa, "they did not have the pleasure of seeing their missions increased by a single extra guard, nor did they receive any additional help in sowing the scanty grains which are essential for their suste- nance." In vain they tried to make their needs heard, he declares, by word of mouth, by letters, and by reports, explaining what the country needed in order that it might prosper. But the chief interest of the gov- ernor and the captains of the various presidios had never been to take a real interest in the conversion of the natives, he goes on to explain, sadly observing that the military have always left everything for the mission- 'Appointment of Nicolas Flores y Valdez as Captain of San Antonio de Bejar, April 30, 1722; Certificaci6n de servicios del Capitan Nicolas Flores. In A. G. N., Provincias lnter,,as, Vol. 32, Part 2, 1725-1731.
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