The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 15, July 1911 - April, 1912 Page: 14
382 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas Historical Association Quarterly
year before, promised to be better, but they must now be left to
the ravages of the Indians; the tools and implements which had
been secured at the cost of money, time, and labor, must be aban-
doned. In order to appease the threatened wrath of the sav-
ages, who so objjected to the Spaniards' retiring that they stole
the horses and cattle, they had promised that they would retire
but a short distance and return as soon as they met assistance-
adding that it was only on account of future danger that they re-
tired at all. The fathers closed their letter with a passionate
appeal that the viceroy, "remembering the blood of the Son of
God, shed for these poor gentiles, will moisten his pen in it to
write with his own hand what may be best for the good of their
souls, the service of the King and Lord, and the consolation of
these afflicted missionaries."
The best evidence we have that the missionaries were truthful
in their claim that they wished to remain, and that they did not
abandon their missions precipitately to the plunder of the In-
dians-doubted as it is by somet-is that the presidents actually
did remain alone about twenty days at the mission of Concepci6n.
Seeing, however, that the rest of the force continued to retreat
beyond the specified distance, they followed. Their first camping
place was within the limits of the T6xas Indians, but moving later
on, they stopped on the boundary of the Texas country. Here they
remained through July, August, and September.2
5. Evidence that a Real and not an Imaginary Advance of the
French Caused the Retreat of the Spanish.-Leaving the refugees
camped near the edge of the Texas country, let us turn to con-
sider some points that have arisen in regard to the events just
narrated. First, it has been seriously doubted whether the French
made any demonstration against the Spanish, and whether the
missionaries had any real or tangible danger from which to flee,
it being maintained that their flight was due to imaginary fears.3
'Bancroft, North Mexican States and Texas, I, 615; Garrison, Texas, 76;
Cox, The Louisiana-Texas Frontier, in TIIE QUARTERLY, X, 12.
2Espinosa, Chronica, 454. This source says they made their first halt
in June. This is evidently a misprint for July, for just after this the
statement is made that they remained in camp three months, including
August and September.
3Garrison, Texas, 76; Cox, The Louisiana-Texas Frontier in THE QUAR-
TERLY, X, 12.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 15, July 1911 - April, 1912, periodical, 1912; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101056/m1/18/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.