A f tnmath of San Saba 111 assacrr
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the presidio. At this very time a train of sixty mules was on the road, loaded with supplies for the soldiers and their families. The commander had received information that the train had left San Antonio before the attack. The northern Indians, who had just taken the cattle and horses from the presidio ranch. might likewise surprise the supply train before it reached its destination. Such a contingency would be fatal to the garrison and the inmates of San Saba. Parrilla sent an urgent request to Governor Martos y Navarrete that if the troops from Nuevo Leon had arrived in San Antonio a strong detachment should be sent to overtake the train of supplies and to escort it safely to the presidio. That same day he wrote also to the viceroy, deploring the plight in which he found himself as a result of the surprise attack of the northern Indians. He pointed out that the attack had been executed by the same Indians almost a year to the day from the time of the destruction of the Mission of San Saba. He explained to the viceroy that the train of mules with supplies had set out from San Antonio six days before and was not far from its goal now. The enemy Indians were only five leagues away and were leisurely celebrating a huge funeral wail to honor their dead. Scouts had reported that there were many tribes, all well armed. Parrilla lamented his inability because of the lack of horses to attack the marauders in order to recover all or part of the stolen property and to scatter them.=~ Governor Martos y Navarrete, who was still in San Antonio awaiting the decision of the viceroy in regard to the proposed campaign against the northern tribes, took occasion to write a long letter to the viceroy in which the precarious condition of the entire province is eloqently revealed. He explained that he was powerless to give any aid whatsoever to the besieged garrison of San Saba. Of the personal guard that had accom- panied him to San Antonio from Los Adaes, he had been obliged to furnish an escort to Governor Jacinto Barrios y Jauregui when he departed for Coahuila. These soldiers had just returned but their horses were completely exhausted. From the few men remaining he had just recently detailed five to escort_ a train of thirty-six mules sent to Orcoquisac with a supply of corn for that post. The grain had been urgently requested since December. He had furthermore detailed ten men to secure two hundred horses which he intended to take back to Los Adaes on his return. At the present time he had a guard of only ten men at his disposal in addition to the reduced and ineffective garrison of San Antonio. 24 Col. Ortiz Parrilla to Governor Martos y Navarrete, l\farch 30, 17 59; Ortiz Parrilla to the Viceroy, same date. A. G. I., Audiencia de 1 /h:ico, 9:1-6-n (Cun- ningham Transcripts, 1763), pt. 4, pp. 14-19.
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