San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-21

| the capital, the governor continued to
reside at the preside de los Adaes. In
1875, however, Sandoval moved to San
Fernando de Bexar, and from that
time on, the governor made it his
headquarters. II remained the capital
of the province until 1924. when the
national congress merged the province
of Texas and Coahuila into one. San
Antonio de Bexar continued. however.
20 be the head of the department of
Texas until 1925, when by tine decree
of February !. the department of
Bexar was established.
From the very early years. San An
tonic was constantly menaced by sud-
den attacks of Indians. The story OF
the Indian fights would fill several
volumes. The records show frequent
expeditions made against them and
give detailed accounts of different In
dian depredatons. In the first half
CT the eighteenth century the Apaches
were the chief offenders but in later
years the ComanchPs were the most
feared. The limits Of this paper do not
allow the treatment of this subject.
The development of San Antonio was
rather slow at first but By the close OF
the eighteenth century it began to
grow rapidly in size and Importance.
In 1900 it had a population of about
5000. BY 1923. the population had
practically doubled itself numbering at
this time over O0o.
The missions OF San Antonio max be
said TO come to an end in 1874 with
the order of Pedro de Nava. dated
April 10. 1894, for the seculayization
of the missions. The immediate result
of this order was the Partition and
the division of the mission properly
among the few Indians still surviving
and the vecinos of San Antonio. From
the records in the county clerks office
it is evident that many petitioned for
and obtained grants of land in the old
missions. In 1924 all property be-
longing to the missions was sold at
auction. including houses, walls and
even fences.
Scene of Revolutionary Battle.
During the Mexican revolutionary
period from 1910 10 1921. San Antonio
was an important outpost. 1t was
here that the agent sent by Hidalgo to
the United States was arrested. and ii
was here that the Gutierrez-McGec ex-
petition obtained its highest triumph
and met its final defeat in 1872 and
1918. On March 30. Gutierrez and his
forces after taking Bahia entered San
Antonio in triumph. The victory was
short-lived. for on August Is. 1918. the
rebels were defeated by Joaquin dc Ar
redondo in the battle of Medina. Ar
redondo soon restored order and con-
fiscated all the property belonging Ia
the rebels. This property was sold by
order of the real hacienda in 1919.
In 1920 an American appeared in
San Antonio de Bexar 10 solicit from
the government the right to introduce
families for the purpose of establishing
colony. This man was Moses Austin
He was kindly received by the COVER
nor. Martinez. who forwarded his petit
ton 10 the vceroy. Permission was
granted on January IL, 1921. but
Moses Austin died on his way home on
June 10. and left his son. Stephen. tC
carry out his proposed colonization OF
Texas. From this time on. many en-
presarios came to San Antonio II pre-
sent petitions for. colonization grants
and the city became the center for en-
terprising Americans. Since all com
munications addressed to the govern
ment had to be sent throu Il the jef'
politico at Bexar. the amount of cor
respondence on the different colonial
ton enterprises is quite bulky. The
iefe politico was man of tact. whC
understood the Americans, and die
much to smooth tn" relations between
the government and the colonists.
On October IS. 1884, convention
| was called by the ayuntamiento o
Bexar on motion of Erasmo Seguin
but it was not successful. for many o
thp settlements failed to send delegates
With the breaking out of hostilities II
1885, San Antonio became the mail
object of attack. Austin, upon beinG
made r-n-chief. immediately
started advancing toward san Antonio
but was forced to camp about eigh
miles from the city to await re-enforce
mcnts, On October -, the battle OF
, Concepc:6n was fought and the Texan!
were encouraged by their success. TIT
troons were anxious to march INTO sal
Antonio. but Austin did not think :
wise. He had to resign his commission
soon after and BurleSon succeeded hin
in command. After little moro than
n month. on December II. 1850. Cos
was forced 10 surrender and the Tex
ans entered San Antonio in triumph
where they remained until the captur.
|. of the CITY by Santa Anna ON March q
I, 1896. san Antonio remained in IN
hands of the Mexicans until after TN
battle of San Jacinto. when 1t wa'
again turned over to the Texans.
The defeat of Santa Anna at San Ia
c;nto on April 81. 1896. marks TN
close OF the Spanish and MeXicaI
rcriod OF occupation in Texas. VIII
if. the Spanish archives come TO al
end. 1t is. therefore. fitting place t.
close this short sketch of San Antonio
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