don angel de martos y navarrete, lieutenant colonel of · don angel de martos y navarrete,...

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Don Angel de Martos y Navarrete, Lieutenant Colonel of

the Royal Armies, Governor and Captain General of this pro-

vince of Texas, New Philippines, its presidios, conversions

and frontiers; with the military command of Pensacola and

Coahuila and the support of the Kingdom of Nuevo Leon by His

Majesty (May God protect him).

I have found in the Archives of this villa a letter

from His Most Excellent Lordship the Viceroy of New Spain,

the Marques de Cruillas, written to the Municipal Corporation

of this Villa as follows: "In reference to your case I have

before me Your Grace's letter of August twenty-six in which

you particularly commend the merits of Colonel Don Diego Ortiz

Parrilla whose work with the Missionary ministers is alleged

to have brought about the conversion of many of the infidels

of that locality. May God Keep Your Graces many years. Mexico,

first of November of one thousand seven hundred and sixty years.

The Marques de Cruillas to the Municipal Corporation of the

villa of San Fernando."

It has also come to my notice that in the year sixty

[17603 the Chief Justice, Alcaldes and councilmen of the said

Villa of San Fernando as one man issued some blank signatures

which are said to have been forwarded to Mexico City and which

may eventually rebound to the detriment of one and all.

0In view of the above fact, I have summoned Lieutenant

Don Juan Galban who was commandant and Chief Justice at the

time that the said provisions were made and asked him if it

were true that such signatures had been issued. He answered

in the affirmative and said that the same had been.issued by

the Alcaldes and Councilmen of the said villa. I asked him

to make certifications to this effect and when he had done so

it was my duty and order to summon Martin Lorenzo, who was

first ranking alcalde; Don Marcos de Castro, who was second

ranking alcalde; and the following who were councilmen atlv

the time: Don Joseph Padrbn, Don //Alberto Lopez, Don Juan

Manuel Ruiz, Don Ygnaclo Lorenzo and Don Juan Granados, in

order that each one of them might consider this matter and

testify under oath as to whether the signatures in question

had or had not been made; to whom and for what purpose they

had been issued; and how long a time had elapsed since any

Indians had been added to these missions.

I so provided ordered and.signed on the nineteenth day

of the month of August of one thousand seven hundred and

sixty-two; and it was done before me as Juez asesor in the

presence of attesting witnesses because there was no notary

public present and in the present common paper because

there was none hereabouts with stamps as provided by law.

I so certify.

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Don Angel de Martos y Navarrete

Attesting: Francisco Antonio Solis

Attesting: Domingo Garcia

Commitment of Don Juan Galban, Lieutenant of the Royal Pre-

sidio of San Luis de las Amarillas, of.the River San Saba,

etc.

I hereby certify in legal form and declare it to be true

that I signed a blank document at the request of Don

Raphael Martinez Pacheco, cashier of Colonel Don Diego

Ortiz Parrilla. I did this on the promise that great

benefits would result for this Villa, of which promise

no results have accrued to date. If this signature re-

bounds to the detriment of this Royal Presidio, His Lord-

ship the Governor, this Province or the inhabitants there-

of.:I hereby declare it null and void and decry the sub-

stance of the letter which His Lord.ship the Governor has

received from His Most Excellent Lordship the Marques de

Cruillas. In reference to its contents I must say that

no Indians have.congregated in the missions on the margin

0of this River sI ince the soldiers were removed from the

Presidio; that their numbers, on the contrary, have been

diminishing daily because of the lack of troops to bring

them in. In witness whereof I give these presents on the

nineteenth day of the month of August of the year one thou-

sand seven hundred and sixty-two.

Ju.an Galban

In the Vi11a of San Fernando de Bejar on the twenty-first

day of the month of August of one thousand seven hundred

and sixty-two, I, the aforenamed Governor and Captain

General, in line with the foregoing warrants by me issued,2

summoned //into my court Bon Martin Lorenzo who was the

first ranking alcalde in the year seventeen sixty: I

acko.owledged from his person (which I certify to know)

the oath which he swore by God Our Lord and a sign of the

Holy Cross. Under this oath he promised to tell the truth

about what he knew or might be asked and to give careful

regards to the attestations of Don Juan Galban. He de-

clared that notwithstanding the fact that he was alcalde

at that time he had not issued such a signature to anyone

and had moreover never been solicited for such; that since

half of the company had been withdrawn no Indians had been

brought in to congregate-in the missions. This he gave as

his reply under the oath and reaffirmed and ratified it as

many times as the law demands. He said he was fifty-one

years old and affixed his signature.with mine and those

of the attesting witnesses with whom I act according to

law. I so certify.


Martin Lorenzo

Attesting Witness: Francisco Antonio de Solis

Attesting Witness: Domingo.Garcia

In immediate continuation of these proceedings I the afore-

named Governor summoned Don Marcos de Castro who was se-

cond ranking alcalde at that time and acknowledged from

his person (which I certify to know) the oath which he

swore by God Our Lord and a sign of the Holy Cross as,pro-

vided by Law. On this oath he promised to tell the

truth of what he knew or might be asked and to give care-

ful regards to the attestations of Senor Juan Galban. He

declared it to be true that he had given his signature

at the request of Don Alberto Lopes who was then a council-

man. The declarant had made inquiries as to the purpose

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of the required signatures stating that he would not

sign for anything detrimental. Lopes had replied that the

object was to enable His Most Excellent Lordship the

Viceroy to reinstate the troops.that had been withdrawn

from the Presidio to the great resultant damage to the2v

cattle of this Jurisdiction //due to Apache raids. He

had given his signature for that purpose only and

would nullify it for any other object. He declared

that since the troops had been removed no Indians had

congregated at missions because of lack of forces to

bring them in; and that his declaration was true by

the oath he had sworn. When it was read he reaffirmed

and ratified it as rriany times as the law required. He

said he was thirty-one years old and affixed his signature

with ours, the aforenamed Governor and witnesses. I so

certify.


Marcos de Castro

Attesting witness: Fra.ncisco Antonio Solis

Attesting witness: Domingo Garcia

0On the same day, month, and year as the abov'e, I, the same

Governor, summoned Don Alberto Lopes who was a councilman

at that certain time and acknowledged from his person (which

I certify to know) the oath which he swore by God Our Lord

and the sign of the Holy Cross by which he promised to tell

the truth of anything he might know when interrogated and

that he would use discretion in guarding my provisions and

the attestations of Don Juan Galban. He declared it to be

true that he had given his signature and that he had been

solicited by Don Francisco de Arocha.with the purpose of

arranging for the reinstatement of`Don Diego Ortiz-Parrilla,

on the pretext that the latter might be able to achieve the

return of the troops to the Presidio. He knows of no more

than three or four Apaches who had congregated at his mission

since the troops were withdrawn but none at the other mis-

sions. The Indians were, on the contrary, decreasing in

numbers because there were no forces to bring back those

that were deserting. He declared this to be what he knows.3

//When his declaration was read to him word for word he re-

affirmed and ratified it as many times as the law required.

He said he was more or less fifty-eight years of age and

signed with us, the aforenamed Governor and attestators. I

so certify.

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Alberto Lopes

Attesting Witness: Francisco Antonio

Attesting Witness: Domingo Garcia

In prompt continuation of these judicial proceedings, I,

the aforenamed Governor, summoned to my court Don Juan

Manuel Ruiz who had been a councilman at that time and from

his person (which I certify to know) acknowledged the oath

which he swore by God Our Lord and a sign of the Holy Cross

by which he promised to tell the truth about what he might

know or might be asked in reference to my provisions and the

attestations of Don Juan Galban. He declared it to be true

that he had supplied the expressed signature to Don Alberto

Lopes anticipating the well being of his Villa and Presidio

and that for any other object he would declare it null and

void. He does not know of any Indians that have congregated

in the missions on the margins of the Riv'er since the troops

had been withdrawn. He does know on the contrary that their

numbers are diminishing because many are deserting and without

the troops they cannot be urged to return. He declared this

to be the truth by the oath he had sworn and when his decla-

ration was read word for word he affirmed and ratified it

as many times as required by law. He said he was thirty-three

years old and signed with me, the aforenamed Governor.

3vDon Angel de Martos y //Navarrete

Juan Manuel Buis

Attesting Witness: Francisco Antonio Ruis z


In the same villa on that same day, month, and year as

above, I summoned Don Juan Granados who had been a Counci1-

man in past days and from his person (which I certify to

know) acknowledged the oath which he swore according to

law by which.he promised to.tell the truth about what he

knew or might be asked. In reference to the subject of

these proceedings and the cumulative attestations of Don

Juan Galban he declared that although he had been council-

man he had been absent at the time in question and for that

reason had not g;iven.his signature; that he had heard say that

the rest of the cabildo had signed; that since the troops had

been withdrawn no India.ns^came to congregate at the missions

on the margins of the river for which reason they remained

deserted since there was no one to go after the deserters;

that this is what he knows by the oath he swore. When his

declaration was read he ratified it as many times as the iaw-'

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required. He said he was thirty-one years old more or less

and signed with me, the aforenamed Governor and my attestators.

I so certify.


Juan Granados

Attesting Witness: Francisco Antonio Solis


In continuation of the above legal proceedings I, the Gov'er-

nor, in that same Villa and in the same day, month, and year

did summon Don.Y. Lorenzo who had been a councilman in the

year seventeen hundred and sixty and received from his per-

son (which I certify to know) an oath which he swore in cus-

tomary legal form. He promised thereby to tell the-truth

concerning that which he might know or might be asked in

reference to the object of these procedures and the attes-

tations of Don Juan Galvan. He d1+eclared that although he had

been a councilman during that //time he never found out why

they had not requested his signature along with the others.

The fact that he was always travelling might indicate why

those who solicited the signatures had missed him. It was

only since my arrival there that he had any knowledge of such

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signatures having been issued. In reference to the with-

drawal of the troops he does not know of any Indians who

have congregated at the missions on the banks of the river

since then; that they are, on the contrary, vanishing because

in the absence of trooPs'there are none to seek out and bring.

back those that desert. This he did declare to be the truth

by the oath he swore and when his declaration was read to him

he reaff'irmed and ratified it as many times as the law requires.

He said he was fifty-two years old and signed with me, the above-

named Governor, and with my attesting Witnesses. I so certify.




In the Villa of San Fernando de Bejar on the twenty-fifth

day of the month of August of the year one thousand seventwo

hundred and sixty-I, the aforementioned Governor and Captain

General summoned Don Joseph Padr6n who had been a councilman

in the days in question and from his person (which I certify

to know) received the oath which he swore by God Our Lord and

a sign of the Holy Cross by which he promised to tell the

truth concerning what he might know or might -be asked in

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connection with the subject proceedings and the attestations

of Don Juan Galva.n. He declared that he had not given his

signature for the object stated but that when Colonel Don

Diego Ortiz Parilla was leaving he did give him a confiden-

tial signature by which he had hoped to receive from his Most

Excellent Lordship, the Viceroy of New Spain, the title of

senior councilman. He has heard say that there were others

who gave their signatures but he does not know who these

others were nor for what purpose the signatures were given.

He declared that since the troops had been removed from the

Presidio no Indians had congregated at-the missions on the

banks of the river and that because there were no troops4v

//they had had no respite from the Apaches. He declared

this to be true by the oath he had sworn and when his dec-

laration was read to him word for word he reaffirmed and rati-

fied it as many times as the law required. He said he was

fifty years old and cigned with me the aforenamed Governor

and with, my attesting witnesses. I so certify.


.7oseph Padr6n



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•In the Villa of San Fernando de Bejar on the twenty-ninth

day of the above-mentioned month and year I, the a.bove-

mentioned Governor and Captain General, by virtue of the fact

that the present legal investigations are terminated and that

I have no Jurisdiction over them, have therefore ordered that

the rest of such investiga.tions as pertain to my official

tour of inspection be compiled into one complete report for

the Captaincy General of His Most Excellent Lordship the Vice-

roy of New Spain; and that certified copies of every procedure

be kept in this_my court. Thus did I provide, decree and

sign in the presence of my attesting witnesses.and on this

common paper for lack of paper with such stamps as are used

in legal practice. I so certify.


Attesting Witness: Bernardo de Miranda


This agrees with the original which was transmitted to the

Captaincy General. It is a true and faithful copy, corrected

and proofread. For witnesses there were Don Pedro Conytrillo,

Don Luis Menchaca and the attesting witnesses with whom I act.

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I so certify.

Don Angel de Martos y Navarrete.

Attesting Witness: Francisco Solis-.

Attesting Witness: Bernardo de Miranda

don angel de martos y navarrete, lieutenant colonel of · don angel de martos y navarrete,...

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