Our Catleolic Heritage in Texas
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American deserters. As early as September, 1805, Cordero had warned the commander at Nacogdoches against deserters from the United States Army seeking admission as refugees. No such persons, he had been instructed, were to be permitted to enter the province as settlers until a careful investigation of each case had been made. Those who were suspected of being spies were to be sent under guard to San Antonio to be cross-examined by the governor. 1 °' Spanish distrust of Americans, and particularly of deserters, increased after the Wilkinson and Burr affairs, even though these international incidents culminated in the Neutral Ground Agreement. Instructions were issued to take special precautions to prevent the entry of Americans under any pretext. Late in 1806, the commandant general advised the governor that deserters professing Catholicism were to be granted permission to settle on con- dition that they choose locations in Coahuila or Nueva Vizcaya, and those who were Protestants were to be kept under surveillance. 105 The alarm of Spanish officials in this respect, however, seems to have been unfounded. A special list of foreign deserters in San Antonio, made in 1808, shows that only nine had been admitted. An Irish Catholic, Thomas Starr, tailor by profession, ran away. Two carpenters, both Catholic, were James Orr, an Irishman, and Juan Estapelton (Stapleton), an Englishman. Another Englishman, Eduardo Hinks, professed no religion. Two other Englishmen, Anglicans, following no particular trade, were Benjamin Cant (Kant), who had gone to Monclova, and John Hicks. The ninth, a Canadian Catholic, Augustin Bernar (Bernard), likewise, had no trade and had gone to Monclova. 106 Furtlier immigration restrictions. Before the end of 1806, Salcedo had become alarmed at the rapidly increasing number of those applying for admission and at their irregular methods of gaining entrance into Texas by land and sea. The Burr conspiracy and the Wilkinson incident, in the fall of this year, made him more than ever suspicious of the intent of all American immigrants. He, consequently, issued orders on August 4 to all officials in Texas to be extremely careful whom they admitted as settlers from the United States. 107 These instructions he supplemented J04Cordero to Viana, September, 1805. Bexar Arcl,ives. 1ossalcedo to Cordero, December 9, 1806. Bexar Arcl,ives. J06Estado que manifiesta !os Extranjeros Desertores que existen en el [Real Presidio de Bejar] desde el afio de 1808. Bexar Arcl,ives. 101salcedo to Cordero, August 4, 1806. Bexar Archives.
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