The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899 Page: 308
[335] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
308 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
thought that they were to be made rulers of the Tejas, and forgot
His Excellency's express orders concerning the journey, which or-
ders provided that Capt. Alonso de Leon should go as commander
of the expedition that was to find out whether there were any
Frenchmen in that region, and that Leon and his men should escort
thither the priests who accompanied Fray Damian Mazanet. If the
Tejas asked for priests and desired baptism, the priests were to
remain there. And if the Tejas proved quite friendly and no dan-
ger was to be expected at their hands, no large garrison was to be
left behind; if, on the other hand, they proved troublesome, as
many soldiers should remain as seemed needful, according to the
advice and with the consent of Father Fray Damian Mazanet. It
was not in the least necessary for the safety of the priests to leave
soldiers among the Tejas, for from the very first they welcomed
us with so much affection and good will, that they could hardly do
enough to please us. Yet, in the face of all this, Capt. Alonso de
Leon made arrangements to leave fifty men, under the command of
Capt. Nicolas Prietto, an incapable and undeserving old man.
When the time came, the captain told me of his purpose in a
private interview, and I replied:-"You are under orders from His
Excellency, and if you mean to consult with me, the consultation
must not take place in private; call your captains and the priests,
and in their presence state what you wish to offer for considera-
tion." This reply deeply wounded Leon, for his passions had
blinded him. Be called the captains, and I called the priests, and
Capt. Alonso de Leon told us that he had planned to leave for the
protection of the priests forty or fifty soldiers under a leader, and
that he was holding this consultation because His Excellency had
ordered that, if soldiers were to be left, it should be with my con-
sent. To this I replied that it was not necessary to leave a military
force in the district, since the people were so peaceable and so
friendly. In case the priests should need assistance, I requested
that three soldiers whom I thought fit for the position should stay
there. If he chose to leave a greater number, well and good; but
with no consent of mine, for I did not wish more than three to re-
main. Leon was annoyed by my proposition, so was his friend
Capt. Nicolas Prietto, who was to remain as leader of the forty or
fifty soldiers. However, in the end, it was arranged that the three
soldiers recommended by me should remain there. They were
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899, periodical, 1898/1899; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101011/m1/312/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.