Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas
to move to Texas with their families and possessions; Francisco Mercante! said that he had been born in Louisiana, and Sebastian and Maria Magdalena Benoit attested they had lived in Louisiana for nine- teen years. Juan Fear, another Irishman, resident of Louisiana for nineteen years, asked permission to settle at Orcoquisac with his sons-in- law, Patricio Gurnet and Juan Nevil. Fear assured the Spanish authori- ties that all twenty-six persons in the party were Catholics and loyal to Spain. 97 According to the records, some of the applicants were admitted on condition that they either settle at one of the villas already established or move into the interior of the province. The others-]ones and Gardner among them-were required to adduce further evidence of good character and loyalty to the king. None of them, however, except Sebastian and Maria Magdalena Benoit, seems to have actually settled in Texas. 90 In July, 1806, Father Domingo Joaquin de Solana, former pastor of San Bernardo de la Nueva Godoy, Louisiana, arrived at Atascosito. He had made the trip from New Orleans by water. Geronimo Herrera, the commander of the lonely post, considered his arrival short of miraculous and was only too happy to permit him to remain until his case was decided, "since Divine Providence had sent him for the spiritual comfort of the men and their families in these critical times when the soldiers and the small group of families at this post are suffering from an epidemic of fever." The priest presented his royal appointment of July 27, 1804, as pastor, the order for the cessation of his salary, and a pass- port signed by Casa Calvo. Father Solana, it appears, came as the agent of Juan Evalvez, a wealthy and highly respected Irishman of New Orleans, who desired to found a settlement at Orcoquisac provided he could secure lands for its establishment. 99 Salcedo replied in emphatic language that, in vie,v of the advisability of keeping foreigners from settling too near the American frontier, no one would ever again be given permission to establish a settlement at this post. The commandant general took this occasion to instruct Gov- ernor Cordero to notify Barr that his failure to fulfill the contract within the specified time of two years rendered his grant null and void. Father 97 Petitions of Jones and others, June 9-August 13, 1806. Be::r:ar Archives. 9 8 Salcedo to Cordero, July 1 s, 1806; Simon de Herrera to Cordero, September 20, 1806. Be::r:ar Archives. 99 Cordero to Salcedo, July 30, 1806. Be::r:ar Archives.
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