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Reorganization and New Policies, 1770-1800
decisive blow to a large party of Lipans and Mescaleros. The messengers related how a few days before, Colonel Ugalde had encountered the enemy on the Pedernales, where after a brief skirmish, they had fled, leaving one warrior and one squaw dead and abandoning two little girls who had been captured. Spontaneous and instant was the response to the appeal for aid. Soldiers and settlers wanted to go· immediately. For two days the black- smith shops blazed, shoeing horses and forging swords, mending stirrups and casting lead bullets. On December 24 all the preparations were completed and fifty-two volunteers, all that could be armed, started for San Saba with eleven soldiers, Lieutenant Valdez, and his companions to join Colonel Ugalde. Martinez Pacheco later informed the viceroy in his report that many more wished to go but had been prevented by lack of arms and ammunition. They took the two thousand cartridges, some supplies, a bolt of white domestic for arm bands for the Indian allies, and a large flag bearing the royal arms of the king and an inscription: "Given by Ugalde to the chief of the Comanches, Soquine." 21 Battle of Soledad Creek. Reenforced by eleven soldiers and the fifty- two volunteers from San Antonio, Ugalde marched to Soledad Creek where the Lipans and Mescaleros had pitched camp on a large rancherfo. Besides the troops from Coahuila, he had a large number of Comanches, Tawakonis, Taovayas, and Wichitas who had joined the Spaniards. On January 9, 1790, Ugalde surprised the enemy, who offered stout resist- ance for several hours, but finding themselves completely surrounded and outnumbered, made a brave dash and succeeded in breaking through the line of the Indian allies. More than two score were killed and a large number of women and children were captured, as well as a large herd of horses and mules. The Indian allies were favorably impressed by the determined and vigorous charge of the Spaniards under the leadership of Ugalde. 22 The campaign had originally been directed against the Mescaleros of Coahuila. But shortly afterwards, these ,~ere joined by the Lipans who flocked to their ranks in the hope of loot. One of the parties left the vicinity of San Antonio where they had been visiting, under the guise of friendship, to ascertain the amount of help that might be given 21Diary of events by Rafael Martinez Pacheco, December 3-29, 1789. Nacogdoches Arcl,ives, VI, pp. 113-119. llRafael Martinez Pacheco to the Viceroy, March 1, 1790. Nacogdoches Archives, VI, pp. I 32-139.
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