I , I
Our Catltolic Heritage in Texas
238
in by the soldiers. The amount of piloncillo (brown sugar loaf), soap, tobacco, and cigarettes consumed by each man was excessive and called for restriction. 49 The astonbhment of Rubi reached its limit when he arrived in Los Adaes in September, 1767, the capital of the province and residence of the governor. Martos y Navarrete was absent on leave by order of the Viceroy Marques de Croix, who had requested him on July 15 to report in Mexico City. Sergeant Major Hugo Oconor was governor ad interim, having taken command on August 7. There were sixty-one men and one hundred seventeen horses. Of the latter, however, forty-nine were totally useless and only twenty-five fit for service. When the men formed in line for inspection, the exacting Marques de Rubi could not restrain his utter amazement. Only two rifles of those inspected were found serviceable. The whole company of sixty-one men had seven swords that could pass inspection. Although each man was supposed to have a shield, there were only six in the entire garrison and only a few soldiers had powder horns. Military uniforms were things of the past. The little ragged band resembled beggars more than soldiers. Nearly every soldier inspected lacked hat, shirt, and shoes. Their families were no better off, some of them having to remain at home for lack of clothes to cover their bodies. When the accounts of the absent governor were examined, however, the books showed that he had reaped a profit of eight thousand four hundred pesos in eight years from the supplies furnished to his men. This was in addition to his salary and to the returns from the products of his private farm and ranch, maintained and operated by the soldiers for his benefit. Until very recently ·this presidio had been Spain's most advanced outpost, charged with the responsibility of defending the interests of the king against the encroachments of the French. The absent Governor Martos y Navarrete had not only made a profit of one thousand per cent on many of the goods sold to the garrison, but he had purchased all his supplies during the last five years from the neighboring post of Natchitoches in violation of all regulations. In this way he had saved paying imposts and the excessive expense of transpor- tation from the rem.ate centers of commerce of New Spain. Flour. lard, corn, beans, coffee, dry goods, and clothing, everything had been bought at a reasonable price from the French at Natchitoches. On one occasion
49Jnspection of San Antonio by Rubi. A.G. I. Audie11cia dt Guadalajara, 104-6-13 (Dunn Tr., 1767) pp.211-243.
Powered by FlippingBook