Aftermath of San Saba Jlfassacre
1 35
Presidio of San Antonio were a hollow shell. The garrison was ridiculously inadequate with only twenty-two soldiers to defend the post against the countless savages that infested the land. The settlement had a scanty sixty families. "This place," he said, "maintains itself only by the grace of God and the pleasure of the Indians." The natives, he declared, handled their rifles and guns better than the Spaniards themselves. San Antonio deserved a better fate. Its fortification should be improved. "Should the Apaches become vindictive and join the French or the English, the Spaniards, in Texas," he exclaimed, "are lost." If he wrote in this tone to the viceroy, what he said to Parrilla may well be imagined. Beset by this concerted demand for an increase in the garrison of San Antonio and fully convinced in his own mind of the justness of the request, Ortiz Parrilla ordered forty men to stay in San Antonio on his own responsibility until further instructions were received from the viceroy. On November 18, 1759, he wrote a long report to the officials in Mexico of the circumstances that had prompted his decision, sending copies of the petitions he had received. When the matter was referred to the Fiscal, he recommended on February 5, 1760, that the action taken by Parrilla be given approval by a Junta de Gtterra y Hacienda as provided by law. The viceroy called a Junta as suggested and the action of Parrilla in increasing the garrison of San Antonio by forty men was duly approved on February 16, 1760. The increase was to be temporary, however, and the men were to be allowed to return home after the end of March. The Jtmta was of the opinion that the danger of a surprise attack or reprisals by the northern tribes would be past by that time. 38 Apacltes still reluctant to settle down. In the meeting held in San Antonio in January 1759, it was decided that immediately after the conclusion of the campaign against the northern tribes the Apaches should be requested to fulfill their long deferred promise to enter mission life at San Saba. But days and weeks passed and no Indians came. On November .18, 1759, Ortiz Parrilla informed the vi'ceroy that he had waited patiently for the Apache families to come but no one had appeared. Almost a month had now elapsed since his return. During the campaign 31Diego Ortiz Parrilla to the Viceroy, November 18, 1759. A. G. /., Audiencia de Mexico, 92-6-22 (Dunn Transcripts, 1759-1761), pp. 182-190; Petitions of Fray Mariano de los Dolores (undated) and Cabi ldo, November 28, 1759, in ibid., pp. 179-182 ; Francisco de San Buenaventura, Bishop of Guadalajara to the Viceroy, December 26, 17 59, in ibid., pp. 197-200; Respue~ta Fiscal, February 5, 1760, ibid., pp. 190-194; Respuesta Fiscal, August 18, 1760, A. G. /., Audiencia de Aferico, 92-6-22 (Cunningham Transcripts, 1763), pt. 5, pp. 180-191.
Powered by FlippingBook