Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
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commandant general who was responsible; the day would come when Salcedo would wish he had never issued such orders. He then proposed to surrender himself to Guadiana as a voluntary prisoner on condition that he be sent to San Antonio. He pledged his word of honor not to attempt to escape. If this offer was not accepted, he warned Guadiana that he would be obliged to have recourse to other means to continue his journey. 11 The astonished commander of Nacogdoches was at his wit's end to know what to do with the impetuous Frenchman. Finally, without awaiting further instructions, he agreed to the proposal, and wrote Cordero that he had decided to send D'Alvimar to San Antonio, because he thought that the governor was in a better position in San Antonio to prevent D'Alvimar's escape. He feared that the continued presence of the French emissary in Nacogdoches might arouse the populace. Again, D'Alvimar, driven to despair, might commit some rash act. Guadiana with a sigh of relief sent him to San Antonio under an escort of a corporal and six soldiers. At the same time he dispatched by special messenger a copy of D'Alvimar's letter for Cordero; and for Salcedo, a communication and a report of all that had transpired prior to the departure of the irate agent. 19 D'Alvimar's letter to the commandant general was impudent and insulting in tone. The Frenchman assured Salcedo that he had waited this long only out of regard for a subordinate lacking responsibility, and that the whole performance impressed him as a poor farce. He was aware of the severity with which the commandant general ruled the Interior Provinces, and hoped that he would not deal too harshly with the commander of Nacogdoches for accepting his proposal to be sent as a voluntary prisoner to San Antonio under escort. Only his sense of honor had restrained him from accepting the offers of Indians and citizens of Nacogdoches to guide him to Mexico City. He had decided to surrender himself voluntarily in order to continue the journey. He was convinced of the futility of remaining longer, because the evasive reply, which would doubtless be made to his request for permission to proceed, would but delay him the more. He concluded in an arrogant tone that he was willing to forget all the vexations caused him, if he was allowed to fulfill his mission without further inconveniences. It 11 D'Alvimar to Guadiana, August 29, 1808. Nacogdoc!,,s Archiv1s, XI, pp. 102- 103. 19 Guadiana to Cordero, August 29, 1808. Nacogdocl,,s Archives, XI, p. 103.
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