Our Catholic Heritage, Volume V

Om- Catliolic Heritage in T ezas

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and their sale suspended. Equally stringent regulations were made con- cerning the admission of foreigners into the king's dominions. 89 Jose Maria Guadiana, commander of Nacogdoches, reported he was doing everything possible to carry out his instructions in regard to foreigners. He had refused permission to Harold ( ?) Wiggins and Harry ( ?) Crow from Rapide, Louisiana, to hunt in the vicinity of Nacogdoches; he had ordered John Farrel, an American who had come with a passport from the commander at Natchitoches, to leave the province; and he was keeping an eye on Samuel Davenport, another American business partner of Eduardo Morfil of Natchitoches, and of William Barr of Nacogdoches. Barr had been licensed by Spanish officials to trade with the Indians, and Davenport enjoyed the same privilege as his partner. The latter was a native Philadelphian, whose family took him to Cumberland while a young boy and later to Natchez; from there he had migrated to Nacogdoches in 1794, as a loyal subject of Spain and a Roman Catholic. 90 Casa Calvo, of Louisiana, informed Elguezabal in March, 1800, that he had issued stringent orders to prevent the introduction of foreigners from the United States or Louisiana into Texas and to arrest imme- diately all unlicensed traders found among the Arkansas. He deplored the difficulties encountered in the enforcement of these regulations. The treaty of limits of 1795 had left the frontier along the Mississippi entirely unprotected for a distance of almost three hundred leagues. 91 It was evident that, if the restrictions against foreigners were to become effective, a larger force had to be stationed in Nacogdoches to patrol the frontier. Nava ordered Elguezabal in August, 1800, to reenforce the garrison with forty men from San Antonio, who would be replaced by an equal number sent from the Presidio de Rio Grande. But this increase proved far from adequate to accomplish the end desired. In an illuminating report made by Elguezabal in 1803, he wisely pointed out the futility of attempting to enforce a policy which circumstances made inadvisable. Nacogdoches, he explained, was "situated about one hundred and fifty leagues to the northeast upon the frontier of Louisiana, whence all the settlers obtain such articles as are necessary for the maintenance of life. Because of its proximity to Louisiana and because of the insuper- 19Decree issued by Juan Bautista Elguezabal, May 20, 1799. Be:rar Arc/Jives. 90 Guadiana to Munoz, January 3, 1799; affidavit of S. Davenport, June 16, I 809. Be:rar Archives. 91 Casa Calvo to Elguezabal, March 1, 1800. Be:rar Arc/Jives.

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