The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 6, July 1902 - April, 1903 Page: 21
401 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Louis Jucherwa de Saint.Denis.
the presidio of the Rio Grande, where Diego Ramon, the father of
Captain Domingo Ramon was in command. Here they halted for
a day to collect more provisions. The 20th was consumed in put-
ting across the river more than a thousand head of cattle and goats.
They were delayed at the Rio Grande until the 27th, waiting for
the friars, who had been detained by the illness of Fray Antonio
Margil de Jesus, chief of the Zacatecas friars. Here Isidoro Felix
de Espinosa, president of the missions around San Juan, joined the
company as director of the QuerBtaro friars.
Captain Ramon, while they were in camp at the river, made a
list of all the persons in his company. The religious party con-
sisted of five friars, one lay brother, and one lay friar,' besides
Espinosa and Hidalgo already mentioned. Captain Ramon, his
son and lieutenant Diego (grandson of the elder Diego Ramon),
and twenty-two soldiers formed the military escort. Of these sol-
diers five were married, and one married en route. The French-
men in the party were Saint-Denis, Jalot, and one other. In addi-
tion to the military and religious contingents there were two men
with their families, and thirteen unmarried men who were going
out apparently as prospective settlers and traders. These, with
seven married women, one girl, two children, a negro, and five
Indians constituted the company, which counted a total of sixty-
five persons.
On the 27th of April, Father Margil, being still unable to
travel,2 the company set out from the Rio Grande. Saint-Denis,
acting as guide, led the way over the northern and more direct
route, afterwards known as the Old Presidio Road. The details of
the journey need not detain us. On the 5th of May they halted to
celebrate the marriage of Lorenzo Mercado, a soldier, and Anna
Guerra. They camped on the 15th of the same month at some
1Their names were Benito Sanchez, Manuel Castellanos, Pedro de Men-
doza, Gabriel Vergara, Matfas Sanchez de San Antonio, Gabriel Cubillos
(lay friar), Fr. Domingo (lay brother). Derrotero de Ramon, Texas
MSS., 141 vuelta. Counting Margil there were ten friars. Bancroft
(North Mexican States and Texas, I 604) says twelve, and two laymen.
Bonilla (Texas MSS., 7) says "five friars of Querstaro and four of Zaca-
tecas, and three laymen."
2He must have recovered quickly and overtaken the company before or
shortly after it came to the Tejas Indians, for he was there soon after the
arrival of the party.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 6, July 1902 - April, 1903, periodical, 1903; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101028/m1/25/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.