Our Catholic Heritage, Volume I

351

Establis/1me11t of i11issio11s in East Texas, 1689-1693

likes to take credit for everything, declares in his letter that he himself personally applied the torch to the old fort. As there was a lively wind blowing, in a short while, the dry ruins of the French settlement were reduced to ashes. 15 Governor Leon went down to the San Marcos (Lavaca River) two leagues beyond and explored the bay, where he noticed what appeared to be two buoys marking the channel of the river. As these were a good distance from shore and he had no boat or canoe, it was not possible to determine the exact nature of these objects. During the next few days, the country in the vicinity of the old French settlement was diligently explored in the hope of finding either Frenchmen or some Tejas Indians, but to no avail. Finally on May 4, a Tejas Indian was found, who declared there were some Frenchmen living among his people. After receiving two horses and other presents, he agreed to take a message to the chief of the Tejas to inform him of the return of the Spaniards. De Leon ordered the camp to march to the north, in the direction of the country of the Tejas. On May 10, while near the Colorado, two French boys. one twelve years old, called Pierre Talon, and the other twenty. named Pierre Meusnier, were captured. Continuing to the northeast, the Colorado was reached and named Espiritu Santo, on May 14. Four days later, near the Trinity River, they came upon the Indian messenger accompanied hy fourteen Tejas Indians, among them the chief, who appeared very happy to see his friends again. After marching eighteen leagues to the northeast, the first ra11c/1erza of the Tejas was found near the Neches on May 22. It stood in a valley, surrounded by planted fieldc; of corn, beans, pumpkins, and watermelons. A quarter of a league beyond, there was a second ra11c/1erza. To the first they gave the name of San Francisco Xavier, and to the second San Francisco de los Tejas. That afternoon, Governor Leon accompanied the Tejas chief to his home, where he was received by the wife, daughter, and many friends of the Indian ISThe diary of the expedition is found in Hisloria, Vol. 27, and in Provincias /nlernas, Vol. 1 82. There is another copy in San Francisco El Grande Archives, Vol. 9. A fourth copy is found in Testimonio de Autos en orden a las dilixs y resulta de ellas pa la entrada pr Tierra a los Paraxes de la Vahya de! Spiritu sto, A. G. I., Audiencia de Afexico, 61-6-21 (Dunn Transcripts, 1688-1690). In this e:r,Pediente there are many related documents such as letters from Massanet and De Leon, which have never been used by historians of this incident, other than Dunn For a secondary account see Clark, Beginnings of Te.ras, also see Hisloria de N11 Leo11, (Garcia, Documents, Vol. 25, 381-390) .

Powered by