Return of R<ibago and tlte Founding of Caiio11 ,Jfissions
187
Inspector General, the Marques de Rubi was on his way to San Saba, engaged in a general inspection of the Spanish frontier from California to Texas. Like Rivera, he was to make far-reaching recommendations, and Teran's days in Texas were soon to come to an end. Added to the suspicions of the viceroy were those of Martos y Navarrete. His opposition to Rabago y Teran at San Saba was responsible in part for the reluctance of the viceroy to give his approval to the two new missions and the proposed new presidio for their defense. As early as 1756, the question of whether or not San Saba was in the Province of Texas had been raised. The gov«rnor could not look with indifference upon the creation of a new jurisdiction in the immediate vicinity, particularly when it was to have the largest garrison on the entire frontier. In the last days of his administration, Governor Jacinto Barrios y Jauregui had conducted a careful investigation at the request of the viceroy to determine whether the San Saba area was within the Province of Texas. In a long report, amply substantiated with testi- mony, Barrios y Jauregui showed in November, 1756, that the region was and always had been within his jurisdiction. The new governor, Martos y Navarrete, reasserted the claim in a letter to the viceroy on Apirl 26, 1765. Rabago y Teran, in his desire to establish an independent jurisdiction, denied the authority of the governor. The result was a lack of cooperation which ultimately resulted in the failure of the tw_o new missions. 51 O,pposition of tlte go11ernor. Interest of t/1e Governor of New Mexico. Through the Indians, who had a well established line of communication across the great plains and along the Pecos River, the Spaniards of New Mexico learned of the establishment of the Presidio of San Saba. Long before the formal attempt of Vial to find a road from Santa Fe to East Texas, Governor Tomas Velez, curious to find out more about the new presidio and anxious perhaps to establish his claim to jurisdiction over it, tried to open com- munication with this outpost. In the fall of 1763, Tomas Velez of New Mexico commissioned Francisco Romero and Joseph Antonio Miraval, two Indians from the mission at Pecos, New Mexico (the old Cicuye) to take letters to the captain of the new Presidio de San Saba. He also gave them instructions to discover a good route to First attempt to reacl, San Saba from Ne-.v Mexico.
51 Martos y Navarrete to the Viceroy, April 26, 1765. A.G. ,II., Hutoria, Vol. 91, pt. l, pp. 204-205.
Powered by FlippingBook