Our C at/10/ic Heritage in Texas
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declared that the small force which Balcarcel was bringing would be insufficient to chastise the rebels. 3 z By September, 1674, the controversy between Balcarcel and his oppo- nents had been satisfactorily settled and his authority as Alcalde 1Jtl ayor of .Coahuila had been finally recognized. In accord with his instructions, therefore, he set out from Saltillo to reestablish Spanish authority in the territory to the north of this outpost. He was accompanied by a group of soldiers and Fathers Juan Larios and Dionisio de San BueQaventura and Brother Manuel de la Cruz. After marching twenty leagues to the north he came upon the site of San Pedro y San Pablo, previously occupied but now abandoned. Here he found standing only the ruins of a hall. He took official possession of the land in the name of the king on November 18, and renamed the site San Pedro y San Pablo de Anelo. On the following day he heard Mass said by Father Larios in a shelter made of branches. He then appointed Fernando del Bosque "a Spaniard of great experience and thoroughly trustworthy" standard bearer. It was this Fernando del Bosque, who was to accompany Father Larios a year later into Texas. It is worthy of notice also, that among the officers who accompanied Balcarcel at this time was Ambrosio Cepeda, who it will be remembered accompanied Fernando de Azcue in 1665 in his famous expedition across the Rio Grande. 33 Continuing his march northward for ten leagues, he then founded Santa Isabel, on November 20. From here he traveled about thirteen leagues during the next two days and founded Santa Cecilia de Castano on November 22. The next day, three leagues beyond, he came to the abandoned site of old Almaden, it seems. "The place was deserted," he says, "and all covered with trees, among which there were some walls of houses in ruins, some with the rafters still standing." He found the remains of two silver smelters, near a small stream which ran from south to north. This was evidently the present site of Monclova. Here he found Indians of different nations who had gathered to wait for him, such as the Boboles, Yoricas, Xicoles, Guyquechales, Catujanes, and Jacases, num- bering in all about sixty. In the name of the king he took possession of the site and explained to the Indians that the Spaniards had come with the Padres to protect them and that the soldiers were not to make war 32 Juan Larios to the Commissary General, December 30, 1674 . MS., Sa11 Fra11cisco El Grande Archive, I , 141-149. 33See preceding chapter. The account of the entrada of Balcarcel herein summarized is based on the official autos of the expedition published by Portillo in his Apu11tes, 53-69.
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