Om· Catleolic Heritage in Texas
was instructed by the commandant general, however, to remain in Texas as long as necessary to acquaint the new commander with the duties of administration and the principal problems confronting him. Bonavia, after Nemesio Salcedo himself, was the ablest officer on the northern frontier. He had played an important role in putting into effect many of the reforms of Charles III on trade and commerce. As early as 1788, he had been named governor of Texas, but due to the need of his services on other frontiers, he was not then able to serve in that capacity. When the Texas-Louisiana boundary dispute became acute in 1806, he, with the governors of Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, had been ordered transferred to Texas. Again he was unable to join his comrades- in-arms, because he was urgently needed in Durango. 58 Absolutely con- vinced that free trade was the greatest incentive to the development of all activities, Bonavia immediately joined Simon de Herrera, Cordero, and M. de Salcedo in their efforts to foster immigration and trade rela- tions between New Spain, Texas, and Louisiana. On March 24, 1809, before Bonavia arrived in Texas, the commandant general had written a long letter to the new commander of defence to acquaint him with his plans and to request him to study certain docu- ments and consult with the three governors already in the province to learn as much as he could about its population, its Indian tribes, and its boundaries, in order to enable him to formulate an effective plan and offer such suggestions as he might deem best to improve conditions and strengthen the defences. Nemesio Salcedo's defence plans. Commandant General N. Salcedo explained that his plan of defence, conceived several years before, in- cluded the development of Villa de Salcedo as a base for the troops on the farthest frontier; the assignment of an adequate number of troops to the crossings on the San Marcos and the Guadalupe rivers, in order to insure safe and rapid communication between San Antonio, Villa de Salcedo, and the other outposts on the Texas-Louisiana frontier; the fortification of San Antonio as the province's principal stronghold to which, in the event of invasion, the troops could retire so as the better to check the further advance of the enemy until reenforcements could be rushed to their aid; and additions to the garrison at La Bahia, which was to become the base of operations for the detachments as- 58N. Salcedo to M. de Salcedo, March 24, 1809. Bexar Arcliives. For his services in connection with the commercial reforms of Charles III, see Priestley, H. I., Jose de Galvez, 32-27; 312-390.
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