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The Beginning of Formal Colonization
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received a solar on which they built a house, and land for their 40 head of cattle, 13 horses, 3 mares, and 97 sheep. Pedro Gallego and his wife, Maria Michela, with their daughter, Maria de los Angeles, and a herder, Luis Villarreal, came from Boca de Leones with 45 cattle, 2 yoke of oxen, and 5 horses. Jose Maria Carrillo had his wife and three children with him. He and his servant, Trinidad Montoya, drove 16 head of cattle, 1 yoke of oxen, and 2 horses from Boca de Leones. La Bahia, noted for its cattle herds, contributed Juan Almontes; his herder, Jose Maria Garcia; and a servant, the widow, Maria Prudencia. His stock consisted of 2 droves of mares, 28 horses, 5 donkeys, 11 head of cattle, and 3 yoke of oxen. Manuel Landa, a native of Camargo, who had helped Portilla drive his cattle, lived on the Portilla ranch 12 leagues down the river. Shortly after the establishment of the new settlement, a bachelor, Jose Estevan Garcia, left Camargo to join the pioneers. It seems that he did not find much employment for his talents as a teacher in this community of cattle raisers, and left San Marcos before the end of the year to try his luck in Salcedo. 113 The new villa had a population of 82 persons. Its establishment cost the royal treasury much less than did Salcedo, only 79 pesos. But it appears that Governor Cordero personally invested a considerable sum in the enterprise, possibly for some selfish reason. According to the census records, the cattle and horses brought by Portilla belonged to the gov- ernor. He had agreed to finance another group of settlers, but was forced to inform Portilla in December, 1807, that he would be unable to fulfill his promise until he had received additional funds from Saltillo. After the establishment of the Villa de San Marcos de Neve, Portilla contracted for the transportation of six more families from Nuevo San- tander. Four of these families could boast servants; the other two, only numerous children. Cordero agreed to send an escort to meet them on the Nueces to accompany them to the new settlement.11' But it seems that they never came, for no new names were added to the list of settlers. The details of the subsequent history of the villa are, indeed, meager. We catch only glimpses of hardships and tribulations. Shortly after the establishment, the poorer members of the settlement appealed to the Gov-
113 Padr6n General, July 12, 1809; Prieto to M. de Salcedo, December 4, 1809. ll'Portllla to Cordero, August 29, 1808. Bexar Arc/rh•1s.
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