The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959 Page: 127
617 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Book Reviews
to execute certain orders, and that he was willing to shy away from
the responsibility of making his own decisions. At other times, he
did not hesitate to speak out frankly and strongly, and he as-
sumed complete responsibility for acts taken on his own initiative.
Martinez' letters present a bleak picture indeed of Spanish
Texas. He persistently requested more financial aid, but when it
arrived, it was never adequate to cover his needs. Over and over,
Martinez lamented the hand-to-mouth existence endured by cit-
izens and soldiers of Texas. When he purchased supplies for his
soldiers, he often could only promise to pay later, when and if
he got money from a superior headquarters. The theme of finan-
cial want permeates his correspondence. Yet the arrival of financial
aid did not always solve his problems, for such natural calamity as
drouth kept the colonists' food production low; consequently, in
some cases Martinez could not have bought supplies even if he had
had the money.
Troubles assailed Martinez from every direction. Not only did
he find sluggish support from his government, but he watched
his own position rapidly disintegrate through the mounting deser-
tions of his soldiers, through rumors and invasion threats such
as the Mina expedition, and through the never-ceasing Indian
raids. The Indians, especially the Comanche, gave little respite
and probably contributed to Spanish anxiety as much as had any-
thing else. Indian attacks became so normal that they were often
taken for granted. Because of the accumulation of all of these
factors of dissatisfaction, the matter of troop desertions presented
a continuing disturbance to the governor. Not only was troop
strength reduced, but the deserters also took much-needed horses
and supplies with them. The governor realized the extremities of
the situation, and after reading a number of the letters one can
understand why so many of the soldiers deserted, but Martinez
could do but little with what he had. In order to suppress any
rebels or adventurers, he needed more soldiers; yet he could not
sufficiently feed and equip the forces he had. Martinez was hemmed
in by a multitude of events which he could not control, but he
nonetheless sent out punitive parties against the Indians and
attempted to snuff out rebellion and foreign encroachment when-
ever possible.127
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959, periodical, 1959; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101173/m1/149/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.