Aftermath of San Saba Massacre
127
Luis de las Amarillas, present Menard. The brilliant victory, just obtained without the loss of a single life to the expedition, would have fully justified the return to San Saba. Perhaps such a course might have been the wisest. Parrilla himself weighed the advisability of abandoning the campaign. Father Morfi, who is bitter against Parrilla and questions his motives in continuing the campaign, says: "Had he been satisfied with this victory and returned home, the campaign would have ended gloriously, the enemy would have been duly chastised, and a healthy fear of similar punishments would have resulted. The arms of the king would have covered themselves with victory, our ranks would have suffered no losses, and the royal treasury would have suffered much less expense." 31 Whatever motives may be imputed to Parrilla for continuing the campaign, we have his own statement concerning his reason for going farther into the enemy's territory. In his report to the king, he emphati- cally declared that he chose to go on in search of other places of refuge of the fleeing natives impelled primarily by the desire to explore the land and to inflict a more decisive defeat upon an enemy who had grown in daring and arrogance as a result of the Spaniards' ill-advised generosity .n A stinging defeat. Encouraged by the success over the Tonkawa village, the expedition moved on with sanguine hopes of new victories. A few days later, on October 6, Parrilla reached the Yicinity of present Spanish Fort, some twelve miles northeast of Ringgold. 33 where the Taovayas had a large ra11c/1eria. Here. it seems, the natives had gathered from far and near to make a firm stand against their pursuers. Shortly hefore noon the scouts reported the proximity of the enemy's village. The Yanguard advanced to a thicket of timber beyond which the village was located near the river. As they approached the timber, sixty or seventy warriors advanced from the brush and charged the Spaniards. After a short but lively skirmish the Indians broke and fled through the timber. The Spaniards rushed after them. As they came out of the brush on the opposite side they found themselves in a clear and open field that faced not a typical Indian village but a real fortress with a well-built stockade. Hundreds of Indians swarmed upon the stockade armed with rifles. Their 31 Castaiieda, Morft's History of Texas, Vol. 2, p. 390. 32 Consulta del Coronel Ortiz Parrilla, November 18, 1759. A.G./., Audiencia de Mexico, 92-6-22 (Dunn Transcripts, 1759-1761). pp. 228-240. 33 According to Parrilla's account the Taovaya pueblo was on the river, at the point where a small stream joins the main stream, making a fork. This description fits the vicinity of Spanish Fort, which probably owes its name to the old fortified Indian village. Cf. Bolton, Texas, 90.
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