01'r Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
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essary for the performance of their duties. As the result of a memorial presented by Captain Matias de Aguirre, their commander, asking that the time for such be determined to make it less onerous, no regulations having ever been made since its creation, the matter had been referred to the viceroy. The practice heretofore had been for anyone going to Texas to demand an escort. It often happened that an escort had just set out when a new one was requested. This proved a great hardship on the small number of soldiers who constituted the guard and wore out their horses by keeping them constantly on the road to cover the one hundred and thirty leagues between Saltillo and the Presidio of San Juan Bautista on the Rio Grande. The viceroy ordered that all information on the creation of the guard and its services should be gathered and turned over to the Auditor for his consideration, who on November 5, 1727, suggested that Rivera be consulted as to the best times during the year when ·the escort should be available and as to the advisability of making any changes in the present arrangement. In view of the information on the subject, he declared that the guard had been created by the Marquis of Valero to insure the safe and prompt convoy of supplies to Texas which were threatened at the time of the Aguayo expedition by the rebellious Indians who had nearly annihilated the garrison of Coahuila (Monclova); that after the termination of the -expedition its immediate purpose had ceased, as declared by Aguayo him- self; but that the need for protecting the trains of provisions and supplies for the presidios and missions as far as the Rio Grande and hence to Texas still existed because of the presence of hostile Indians. It was essential to the best interests of the king, therefore, that this service be continued. He suggested, however, that since the garrison of Coahuila (Monclova) had been increased by ten men in 1721 by order of the viceroy to strengthen it against attack by enemy Indians, following their revolt, which hostility had now practically disappeared, it would be advis- able that the guard of twelve men kept at Saltillo be abolished and the service rendered by them in escorting travelers and trains conducting supplies to Texas be performed by the ten men who had been added to the garrison at Coahuila (Monclova). This post was located between Saltillo and the Rio Grande del Norte and could furnish the escort suggested both from Saltillo to Monclova and from Monclova to Texas by way of San Juan Bautista. To avoid the confusion and unnecessary hardships imposed upon the soldiers engaged in this service caused by the promiscuous demand for escorts
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