Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
east of the Sabine. The garrison at Nacogdoches had been reenforced, the old site of Orcoquisac occupied, and a new post on the Trinity established. Spain had taken such measures as she could in order to maintain her claims as far as the Arroyo Hondo. But American sus- picions of ulterior designs had again been aroused, and feeling along the Texas-Louisiana frontier ran high. 79 It was at this time that Captain Sebastian Rodriguez, of Nacogdoches, undertook to reconnoiter the advanced line, and chose to accompany Marques de Casa Calvo to Natchitoches itself. Major Porter promptly became suspicious of the escort of Casa Calvo and ordered Rodriguez to return with his men to Nacogdoches. The four months' visit of Casa Calvo in Texas had aroused much speculation and was most inqiscreet, to say the least.• 0 To a subsequent request of Major Porter that Spanish troops retire west of the Sabine River, which the United States considered the western boundary of Louisiana, Rodriguez replied with arrogance that Arroyo Hondo had always been the eastern boundary of Texas and that he would continue to occupy the territory between the two streams. When on January 4, 1806, Cordero was advised of the incident, he ordered 50 men from the Trinity to reenforce Nacogdoches, called for the Yolunteer militia, issued a ringing proclamation, and requested 100 men from Coahuila to march to East Texas at once. 81 "Now indeed the fear of invasion seized both sides. The Americans trembled for Louisiana; the air was rife with tales of Spanish intrigues, and there were evidences of deceit and treachery." But whereas Cordero had become unduly alarmed, Salcedo kept his head, and on January 17 wrote the governor that he had been hasty In his proclamation and the call for volunteers, that there were no grounds for such alarm, that his action might justly create the wrong impression in Louisiana. He con- demned in particular the conduct of Captain Rodriguez. As a subordi- nate, he should not have so answered Major Porter; he should have been content to explain that he was acting under orders, that he had no authority to withdraw forces from the Arroyo Hondo, and that he would have to refer the whole matter to his superiors. Captain Rodriguez was, 79McCaleb, W. F., The Aaron Burr Conspiracy, 105-107; Filisola, Memorias -Jara la /iistoria de la g11erra de Tejas, I, 43-45. IORodriguez to Cordero, March 4, 1806; Casa Calvo to Cordero, December 8, 1805; Salcedo to Cordero, January 1, and 28, 1806. Bexar Arcliives. "Salcedo to Cordero, January 17, I 806. Nacogdoclies Arc/1ives, X, pp. 58-63.
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