A ba11do11111e11t of East T e:ras
293
order to maintain communication with the Province of New Mexico, and to protect the large settlement and missions in El Paso, the viceroy was to appoint an army officer of accredited merit to organize the citizens of El Paso into a company of militia, to consist of Spaniards and others who were to be provided with the necessary arms at the expense of the royal treasury. The officer in command was to be assigned one thousand pesos a year. The duty of this company was to defend El Paso, escort supply trains and passengers going to or returning from New 1\-Jexico as far as the new post of Robledo, located twenty leagues to the north. This new post was to be garrisoned by thirty men from",the Presidio de Santa Fe. 30 San Saba was to be moved as soon as possible to a more advantageous position on the banks of the Rio Grande, where together with those of Cerro Gordo, Santa Rosa, and Monclova it was to form a new line of defense between La Junta (Presidio) and San Juan Bautista. Its garrison of one hundred men was to be reduced to forty-six to conform with that of the other posts. The new regulations provided for a thorough exploration of the intervening country along the Rio Grande to determine the best location for the proposed presidios, which was to be undertaken by the commander of Nueva Vizcaya and the Governor of Coahuila. 31 Nuestra Seiiora de Loreto at La Bahia was to remain in its present location. Its garrison was to consist of fifty-one men, including the officers. The fiye additional soldiers assigned to this presidio were in place of the ten Indian scouts allowed the other frontier outposts. 31 San Antonio de Bejar, being more than one degree north of the new line of presidios, and exposed more than any other point to the vindictive fury of the northern tribes, attracted by the perfidious Apaches, its garrison was increased to eighty men. The additional number of troops required for this purpose was to be taken from the garrisons of Los Adaes and Orcoquisac, which were to be suppressed as useless. The governor was to establish his residence in San Antonio. From the eighty men of this presiclio, twenty were to be detailed under a lieutenant to establish a permanent post on the banks of Cibolo Creek to protect the ranches of the settlers of San Antonio and safeguard communication with La Bahia. 33
SOReglame11to e i11str11ccion • •• 92-9 S, JI 0-1 JI. 31 /bid., 98-103. S%/ bid., Io 5. S3Reglamenlo e instrucdon ••• 106-108.
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