Our Catl10ltc Heritage in Tc.1:as
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Wisely, these men of God observed that if by any chance the Apaches should make peace with the Comanches and the northern tribes, the combined forces of this savage enemy, supplied with arms and ammu- nitions by the unscrupulous French traders, would completely annihilate the Spanish settlers and drive out every soldier in the province. The hostile natives far outnumbered the Spanish forces and the mission Indians in Texas. The more widespread use of firearms by the natives placed the entire province at their mercy. Thoroughly in sympathy with the proposed campaign against the northern tribes, the missionaries suggested at this time that it would be necessary to leave a competent force in all the presidios and missions to protect them from surprise attacks by roving bands while the campaign was in progress. They openly hinted that the Apaches themselves, aware of the weakened condition of the settlement, might take advantage of the circumstances to commit grave and serious depredations. The state- ment was signed by Fathers Fray Mariano Francisco de los Dolores, Fray Francisco Aparico, Fray Acisclos Valverde, Fray Jose Ignacio ;\faria Alegre, Fray Jose Lopez, Fray Pedro Parras, Fray Bartolome Garcia. and Fray Jose Guadalupe Alcivia, and represented the opinion of all the missionaries in San Antonio at this timc.u Frc11cle acti.•ity a111011g th,: 11ort/1em l11dia11s. The fears of the P(ldres were not entirely unfounded. The French cannot escape the responsibility of supplying the natives with firearms. In fact, there arc indications that if some of them did not actually take part in the sacrilegious murders at San Saba. they did obtain some of the spoils from the sacked missions. The commander at Natchitoches, Cesar Le Blanc, wrote to the Governor of Texas on August 19, 1758, to inform him that on the day before the sergeant from the Presidio of Saint Louis de Kcrlcrec had brought Messrs. Saint Quentin and Cronier as prisoners. These two traders had gone to the Tawakoni villages on the Cadodachos River (the Red) and there had engaged in trade with the natives. They brought back a number of articles that belonged to the recently destroyed Mission of San Saba, which they claimed they had obtained at great risk. Le Blanc informed the governor that he was ready to return these objects, but that he would expect the Spaniards to make some sort of recompense to the traders for their pains in obtaining them. Fortunately, the careful commander of Natchitoches sent a copy of
14A. G. I., Audi,mcia de Mh:ico (Cunningham Transcripts, 1763), pt. 2, pp. 2 I 7·224,
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