The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906 Page: 75
ix, 294 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Spanish Abandonment and Re-Occupation of East Texas. 75
indicated hereinbefore.1 What he found in 'Texas, which is our
chief concern here, was, when viewed as the results of three-
quarters of a century's occupation, discouraging enough. Beyond
San Antonio de Bexar toward the northeast the nearest Spanish
establishment was the mission at Nacogdoches, across the Neches2
River, administered by one missionary, but without a resident
Indian, either converted or under instruction. A few leagues
further on was the mission at Los Ais, with a few ranches round
about. Here lived two missionaries in the same inactivity as those
at Nacogdoches, without a single Indian upon whom to "exercise
their calling."8
On the Louisiana frontier, seven leagues from Natchitoches,
were the mission and presidio of Adaes. At this mission, like
the others without neophytes, were two missionaries. The presidio
was garrisoned by sixty soldiers, who, with the Indians in the
neighborhood peaceful and Louisiana a Spanish province, had
-nothing to do. Round about the presidio in a village and on ranches
was a declining population of some thirty families. Toward the
south, on the eastern bank of the Trinity, "amid a thousand mis-
fortunes and inconveniences," was the presidio of Orcoquisac, with
a company of thirty-one soldiers and an imaginary mission with
two padres. Though an attempt had been made to establish a
colony there, the place had no citizen population. Finally, north
of B6xar, at San Saba, now outside the limits of Texas, was a small
garrison of soldiers, at the mercy of the Comanches and their
allies, as had recently been proved.
Here, then, said Rubi, was a stretch of country beyond Bexar
several hundred miles wide over which Spain claimed dominion,
in "Quaderno que Corresponde," Vol. 51, Secci6n de Historia, Archivo
General (see bibliographical note, page 67). This is the only part of it
that I have seen or have been able to locate.
'Bancroft, North Mexican States and Texas, I, 585, 629-630.
2It may be a matter of interest to know that the favorite and almost
invariable form of spelling the name of this river in the documents on
which this study is based is Nechas.
8Reference to page - will show that a few baptisms were made at these
missions as late as the time when Rubf made his inspection.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906, periodical, 1906; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101036/m1/79/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.