01,r Cat/10/ic He,-itage in Texas
One of the Irish settlers, John McGee, requested that he be granted the lands on which he had built a flour mill and planted an expected yield of I ,200 bushels of corn. His lands were located about five leagues north of Salcedo, on the San Francisco River. He also asked for a town lot on which to build a family residence. In the endorsement of the petition sent to the governor, Arrambide testified that the McGee family was already living in the villa, that McGee was cutting timber for his home, and that his mill, which was small and had iron grinders, was to be enlarged in anticipation of the large wheat crop. The three leagues of nonirrigated land were granted by Cordero. 69 Upon learning that Cordero, in his enthusiasm for new towns, had burdened Lieutenant Colonel Simon de Herrera, the military commander of the frontier, with the duties of admitting prospective settlers and of attending to the general supervision of the villas, Commandant General Salcedo became quite displeased. He wrote Cordero a curt note on July I 3, instructing him to relieve Herrera of these additional duties, and reminding him that the chief purpose of Herrera's mission on the eastern frontier was the military defence of the province and that nothing should be allowed to interfere with this important duty. 70 Jose Alderete, one of the San Antonio band first settling in Villa Salcedo, became sick that fall. Early in October, he decided to return to Bexar; but by the time he arrived in Mission San Juan Capistrano, he was so ill that he could go no farther. He died at the mission on October 5, without having made a will. 71 In founding the new villa, the royal treasury had to bear only the cost of a small chapel and rectory. Cordero reported to Salcedo on December 3, 1806, that he had just ordered 1,152 ,pesos to be paid out of the Mestefia Fund for this purpose. Payment was made on December 7 by Jose Antonio Saucedo. 72 In December, 1806, the villa barber, Domingo Delgadillo, ran away with the horse of one of the soldiers, Jose de Jesus de Lima. Delgadillo appears to have come to the settlement with Carrasco. At any rate, he was there when Arrambide took charge late in May, as Arrambide assigned him a soldier's pay for taking care of the tonsorial needs of the troops.
69 John McGee to Cordero, August 30, 1806. Bexar Archives. 7 0Salcedo to Cordero, July 13, 1806. Bexar Arc/1ives. 7 1Report on death of Jose Alderete, October 5, 1806. Bexar Arcl,ives. 72 Cordero to Salcedo, December 3, 1806. Bexar Arcl,ives.
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