Our Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
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and deserved to be preserved and encouraged as the last vestige of Spanish power in the far-flung frontier of the north. 54 Rabago asks for promotion and suggests a new campaign. The inspec- tor general kept his counsel to himself and evidently made Rabago y Teran believe that he was well impressed in general with the state of affairs he had found. On August 12, the very day that Rubi made his secret report, the commander of San Saba wrote a letter to the viceroy recounting his services to the king since the time he first took command at San Xavier. In addition to his service at that post, he argued that for seven years now he had maintained the outpost of San Saba against the repeated attacks of the Comanches and their allies. As a reward for his long and faithful service to the king, he now petitioned the viceroy to secure for him the rank of Colonel in His Majesty's armies.ss He went on to explain that he had discussed with the Marques de Rubi the advisability of removing the presidio to the Valle de San Jose or some other location more suitable to the defense of the new missions. A new campaign against the Natages and Mescaleros, who continually harassed not only the Presidio of San Saba but all the outposts in New Mexico and Nueva Vizcaya, should be undertaken as soon as possible. The Marques de Rubi agreed with him, Rabago declared, that measures should be taken against this new scourge of the frontier. There was need of establishing not a new presidio, but a whole line of fortifications from Coahuila to New Mexico would serve to protect and encourage more acth·e trade and communication between the two provinces. The Presidio of San Saba could be moved to a location. where it would form an important link in the proposed line, when the frontier establishments were reorganized. 56 Renewed hostility of l11dia11s. But the Marques de Rubi l_eft and Rabago y Teran recei,·ed no reply to his new overtures and proposals. In the meantime with the coming of another winter. the Comanches and their allies made their appearance again. On December r o. r 767. a ·large party of hostile Indians swept down upon the presidio. surprised the guard. and drove off the whole herd of cattle. The dispirited garrison offered little resistance and contented themselves with manning the stockade. but made no effort to recover the herd. The Indians taunted them boldly. riding- close to the walls and jeering at them in a vain effort to draw them out. S4Marques de Rubi to the Viceroy, August 12 1 1767. A. G. /., Audiencia de Guadalajara, 104-6-13 (Dunn Transcripts, 1767), pp. 244-253. ~Rabago y Teran to the Viceroy, August 12, 1767. A.G. M., Historia, Vol. 94, pt. I, pp. 128-1 29 . .USam1: to same, August 12, 1767. Ibid., 130-131.
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