The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 15, July 1911 - April, 1912 Page: 22
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Texas Historical Association Quarterly
lost sight of, almost completely, after the expedition, but was evi-
dently on the northern frontier, where, "for ten years, he has de-
fended the country from the attacks of the Indians, giving con-
tinuous help to the presidios and neighboring places, and contrib-
uting at the same time, with his kindness and gifts, to the pacifi-
cation of the revolting tribes."' The last we hear of him is that
he was appointed Mariscal de campo in 1743.
2. Instructions for the Expedition.-A year before the French
attack, June 11, 1718, the king had sent the viceroy a royal
cedula, whose specific instructions met exactly the demands of
such an emergency. This cedula had been written at the instance
of a letter from the viceroy, in which he reported the conditions
in Texas which had brought about the Alarc6n expedition, and of
letters from Gregorio de Salinas, of Pensacola, telling of the dan-
ger that the French would occupy Espiritu Santo Bay. The
king's cidula ordered that no French ships be allowed in any Span-
ish port; and charged the viceroy to exert himself to supply and
maintain the Texas missions, and to place the greatest number of
missionaries at San Antonio, on account of its being the nearest
settlement to Espiritu Santo. He ordered that at the latter place
there should be erected a fort, on the spot where La Salle's had
been; that to facilitate this work two ships should be sent from
Vera Cruz; and that for military and religious reinforcements,
soldiers and missionaries should be sent from the various presidios
and missions in Mexico where their service was not especially re-
quired. Particular care was to be exercised in selecting the leader
of the enterprise, and he was to be instructed that "if Frenchmen,
by land or sea, should attempt another entrada [he] should place
the commander in the Castle of Acapulco, and the rest in the
mines of Mexico."2 On November 1, 1719, the king issued an-
other order.' It can not be said with certainty that this was
Relaci6n de los Empleos, Meritos, y Servicios del Sargento Mayor Don
Martin de Alarc6n, in Colecci6n de Memorias, XXVII, 245-246.
'Reales COdulas, Febrero 11, 1729, Toimo 48, Archico General y Pfiblico,
Mexico, B. MS.
-Reales COdulas, June 11, 1718, Tomo 39, Archivo General, Mexico,
B. MS.
'This cdula has not been seen, but it is summarized in one of May 26,
1729. In this same oddula it is mentioned as that of November 19.
Reales gdulas, May 26, 1729, Toimo /18, B. MS.
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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/m1/26/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.