The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-12-22


Nachitoches, left his colony, which
place he founded for the avowed
purpose OF opening commercial re-
latlons with new Spain, crossed
Texas from Nachltoches to the Fort of
Preside de Rio Grande. His journey
Is a beautiful romance, too long to be
related here. Having reached the Pre-
sidlo de Rio Grande, he was sent to
Mexico almost prisoner, but there
soon became the friend OF the then Vice
roy, Duke OF Linares, and impressed him
so much with the beauty and fertility OF
Texas. and particularly OF the present
site of San Antonio that another expedi-
| ton was sent to Texas under Captain
Don Domingo Ramon. who was ordered
| to leave twenty-five men In the Presidio
de Bejar, and take with him the Fran
0iscan fathers who desired to return to
| their missions.
The end of the year l7lj found the
Preside de TEXAS re-established.
In the year l7lG. the Marquis of Va
lero had hardly taken possession of the
Niceroyalty of Mexico, when he received
an express from TEXAS, by which Captain
Don Domingo Ramon informed him that
| the starvation of which they were ao-
| tually suffering In that province was so
| great that unless he received immediate
assistance he would be bound to aban-
| don the country with his soldiers and re-
| tire to Coahuila. The Marquis of Nalero
then ordered the Governor of Coahuila
to send subsistences, soldiers and ar
tesans to learn arts and trades to
| the Indians. This same year the
| Mission of San Antonio de Va
lero (the AlamO) and those Of our
| Lady Conception, San Juan Capistran
| and San Francisco de la Espada were
founded, all In the valley of the San An
| tonic river. The missionaries that came
| with the expedition of ZIG were from
| the college of the Holy Cross of Quere-
taro and of our Lady of Guadaloupe of
| Iacatecas; with them came the great
| Catholic apostle of Mexico, Fray Don
| Antonio Margil de Jesus, who founded
six missions in the northern part of Tex
ms, and whose arduous labor as n true
| apostle In not only outstanding but
| learning the Indians how to till the soil
| were so deserving that he was consd-
cred In Mexico ms II saint; his sermons
| would so impress his audiences that he
would reform the most perverted char
acters. The history of this good mans
life would be very interesting to read.
War being declared between France
and Spain, the French having captured
Pensacola. Florida, on the 18th of May,
| lil9. In the following month of June
the missionaries and their people retired
from the missions of Los Adaes and
Texas to the Fort of San Antonio de
Bejnr. In order to re-establish the
abandoned missions the same Niceroy,
Marquis of Valero, appointed the Mar
quis of San Miguel de Aguayo MS Gov
ernor of Texas and Coahuila, who tax
ing with him five hundred cavalry sold
iers, divided In eight companies, and all
the missionaries that had returned to
san Antonio marched to the Adaes with
out meeting with any opposition from
the French, they remaining quiet In their
forts of Cadodachos and Nachitoos.
The King of Spain being informed of
the above expedition, the Province of
Texas being entirely recovered. issued II
| decree that no further war should be
made upon the French, but that the
forts of the bay of Espiritu Santo should
be forfeited and the three missions of
Los Adaes re-established.
Rev. Father Antonio Margil having
returned to Texas, founded the missions
that became the most celebrated In
in Texas, that of San Jose de Aguayo in
| 1920.
The forts and missions of Texas being
restablished and protected by the Presi-
dos, settlers congregated around them,
| but nothing of Importance seems to
have taken place until the year 1880,
when great military expedition against
| the warlike Indians was organized at
the Preside de Bejar. Until the actual
| foundation of the present city of san
| Antonio took place, which event can be
related In the following way: Don
| Joseph Antonio de Nilla-Senor Y san
| chez, Comptroller General of the Royal
| Accounts of Quicksilver and Cosmo-
grapher of the Kingdom of New Spain,
| being ordered by the Niceroy of Mexico
| to proceed TO the Preside of San Anto-
| MO de Bejar and lay of the egidios or
| town tract and apportion and lay off the
| town lots for the settlers, speaks In his
report in the following way of Texas
| This immense country begins at the
Medina river that divides the Province
| of Coahuila from that of Texas; from the
| Medina to the Preside of San Antonio
de Bejar Is seven leagues of 1912 miles;
II is distant l22 leagues from that Of
| Monclova, chief settlement of Nueva Es-
tramaduro or Coahuila, and 1t Is the
capital of the Province of Texas or New
| Philippians. although vigorously the
| Preside or fort of our Lady del Pillar de
los Adaes should be the capital on ac-
count of it being situated nearer the
| frontier, the river Nachtoos, Red river)
| The fort of San Antonio de Bejar (where
| the military plaza is now has II garrison
| composed of a captain, one lieutenant,
one ensign, one sergeant and forty-seven
| soldiers for its defense. 1t is situated
adjoining and contiguous to the town of
san Fernando, the church of which is in
charge of priest belonging to the
diocese of Guadalajara. Its climate is
mild; 1t is situated in latitude 80 deg.
3 sec. and longitude PA deg. sec. This
| town was founded by his Excellency,
| the Marquis of Casa-Fuerte, Viceroy of
| New Spain, in the year 1871. Contrary
to the customs of his predecessors he
did not give his name to the town that
he founded but that of San Fernando in
honor of the heir to the crown, the Pri-
ner Don Fernando de Asturia To set
tie the town, colonsts were brought
from the Philippians Islands, and being
ordered to lay off the egidlos or town
tract and survey and put in possession
the settlers as already stated, faithfully
executed my orders.n
On the 10th of July, 1881, sixteen ap-
plioants, all Canary Island immigrants,
| petitlOned the Captain, Don Juan Anto-