Letters describing Nuevo Santander -- tierra incognita full of rebels, Gentiles. Describes beginning of organization of troops, patrol areas, etc. F.307 mentions plan to place all Huastecos rebels on Tamatan Island. F.308 speaks of admiration for settlers managing to pacify frontier in short time despite lack of supplies, small pox epidemics. F.312 Torquemada distinguishes Indians into 3 classes, Chichimecas, Apostatas, Gentiles; converted Indians seem to be generally regarded as lowest caste of society, but above barbarians. (A. Dean, may 1990)

Documents contain information resulting in formal establishment of Padilla. Escandon and others conduct review of area. Description of well-drilling and associated difficulties. experiencing severe lack of rain. Discusses also land, climate, other advantages, need for mission, and distances to other Villas. Contains complete list of families and members of Escuadra including names, ages and property owned. Discusses conditions and obligations of residency. In general has sufficient water, good land, abundant timber and fish. Ciprian says need to give Indians corn, clothes, and tools to keep pacified because generally untrustworthy. says good idea to build separate mission where water plentiful. Reports by others contain similar information. Escandon gives instructions for upcoming year concerning Villa, Indians, cattle and property. Includes city plan with surrounding rivers. (M. Dannemiller, April 1989)

Concerns autos, plans and conditions for establishment of San Fernando by Escandon. Escandon, with assistance from others, conducts complete review of area including population, squad, land, climate, Indians and agricultural feasibility. says abundant Cal, Piedra, and sand for construction. Also, abundant fish and good pastures. Discusses treatment and education of Indians. Considering new mission establishment. says lack of food sustenance makes permanence difficult. List of all property in the town including horses, cattle and mules. Includes map of city with place for church, convent, and Plaza and illustration of rivers in around town. Mentions use of special paper for autos. (M. Dannemiller, March 1989)

Concerns autos, plans and conditions for establishment of Reynosa by Escandon. Area first populated to pacify Indians, become familiar with the land and to test feasibility of irrigation in area. Escandon provides instructions for agricultural methods until construction of well completed. Escandon conducts, with assistance of others, review of population, property, land, Esquadra and Indians. Asks for reports regarding probability of permanence of Indians in area and need for new mission. Contains list of families including marital status, name, age and property. Contains list of Esquadra with same information. States conditions for population and Esquadra and their obligations to the town. Provides information on all Indian nations, whether armed or not, name of capitan, where raised, if baptised and likelihood of remaining peacefully in area. Mentions food supplies and basic sustenance. Contains list of property in town including horses, cattle and mules. Includes detailed description of land and digging of well. Mentions which lands need irrigation, which are fertile. Indians working for Spanish are given clothing and dry-goods. Includes city plan with provisions for church and convent and drawing of rivers around location. (M. Dannemiller, March 1989)

Concerns all info regarding population and land pertaining to decision to formally establish Camargo. Date of establishment by Escandon. says people sent to area to pacify Indians, build azequias and plant crops. Perez suggests methods of agriculture pending construction of well. Escandon, assisted by others, performs inspection of land, climate, and Indians. Provides information on Indians congregated in area and probability of permanence at mission. Contains list of families including all names, marital status and age. Also, list of animals owned by each and Villa as whole. Describes different tribes in area, saying they are armed, some are baptised and most are peaceful. Contains list of Esquadra, their families and property. States conditions for residents and soldiers and their obligation to remain in Camargo. Description of land and availability of maiz and Trigo. Autos by others containing similar evaluations. Includes planned layout of city identifying Plaza, church, convent, distance from other Villas and surrounding rivers. Mentions use of special paper for autos. (M. Dannemiller, March 1989)

In a Series of letters Escandon requests several items that will salaries for new officials, funds to support the settlers until they reap their first crop, a variety of goods for establishing settlements (agricultural equipment, clothes for the Indians to be reduced, oxen, tobacco, hardware, gunpowder, etc.). He also requests the promotion of low rank military officials that participated in his first expedition, an explicit order directed to local authorities of the frontier for them not to interfere with his undertaking, and the establishment of severe punishment for Indians who flee from the reducciones. Several changes to found two more villages, more funds are necessary, etc. The authorities continue to support the enterprise enthusiastically. (A. Nielsen, November 1989)

Signed. Concerns defense of Escandon; begins with minimization of charges and a briefly history of Escandons' ascendant career, merits from king; Escandon was in arms and participating in the ejection of British in Laguna in 1720; 1728, was named by virrey as sargento mayor later virrey gave him the title of Coronel; November 15, 1741, Escandon was named as teniente general de la Sierra gorda he gave missions to Franciscanos religious from San Diego de pachuca and San Fernando; he founded and establish four villages with no cost to the royal hacienda; September 3, 1746 in a royal decree full of eulogys virrey gives to Escandon all responsibilities in the mission of pacification de los barbaros de la Sierra gorda and he is named lugar teniente de la Costa del Seno Mexicano; December 1748, founded the first village in area which by 1759 had 20 villages; on folio 182 details of population; in 1757 virrey sent comission to investigate colony; in 1765 virrey orders Escandon to found five new villages in strategic places to stop the continual Indians attacks; strongest defense allegation is envy of Resendi family against Escandon and their plan to get him out of the colony and appeal to the virrey for the titles for their family; in folio 229 is a Spaniards description of Indians; defense by Escandon who defends himself charge by charge; since Escandon was commissioned by the virrey y la junta real de hacienda, they knew that it was a project that was subject to failure, in other words he was not obligated to succeed in his attempt; in selecting captains Escandon never chose the most specialized but selected the ones that were dedicated to the well being of the village; all that the fiscal imputed to Escandon was never supported with real evidence only anonimous statements from someone who heard rumors but had no hard evidence; not even fray Garcia was found in his mission to testify against Escandon to the auditors Osorio and Palacio; in regard to the murder of Indians by Escandon's captains, the fiscal never found witnesses; some of the crimes were investigated by Escandon and he found that the actions benefited the pacification and well being of the village. Escandon repremanded the captain and notified the capitania general. The women and children were placed in missions when the men were murdered or sent to a presidio but never were they sold and sent to Querataro in a collera as the accusations assert; in treatment of criminals, Escandon always followed the royal laws which permitted pardons of criminals if they serve the king. These people were serving the king by risking their lifes in the establishment of the colony; in regard to his rejection of Apaches, he argues it is well known that Apaches don't want anything except trading, and that Spain suffers terribles consequences when it assumes Apaches will remain peaceful in missions. He argued that too often they will suddenly murder, rape and destroy a village. For this reason Escandon avoided Apaches. On March 29, 1763, the royal cedula expired which authorized captain trenda y el ingeniero de la Camara alta to make the first audit of Escandon and nothing wrong was found except for the plot of the Resendi family, 17800 question the official informe by saying that it was corrupted by la voz de oro y Plata de Escandon pudo mas; but in the second audit nobody knew about it, not even the fiscal o el auditor and the results were no different. Escandon is exonerated from all charges. Descendants of Escandon have the right to claim what Escandon left them. (D. Bautista, November 1989)

Series of charges against Escandon. First charge, folio 10, that Escandon did not reduce Indians peacefully and failed to populate the colony; second charge folio 60 that Escandon did not distribute the land between people, soldiers and Indians during twenty years; third charge, folio 77, that he did not take in to account the meeting of 1748 on election of captains and treatment of Indians; fourth charge, folio 88, failure to investigate the murder of several Indians; fifth charge, folio 90, failure of Escandon to investigate and punish captain Guevara's murder of a group of Indians; sixth charge, folio 90, no investigation of other murders by Unsaga; seventh charge, folio 91, Escandon orders killing of three Indians, one a minor; eighth charge, folio 93, a citizen of Aguayo complains to to Escandon about the behaviour of a captain, Escandon punishes the complainer and when the wife of the complainer goes to look for him and she was murdered by the Indians; ninth charge, folio 95, Escandon separates Indian men from their wifes and children, and sells Indians to other cities resulting in Indian retaliation and thus starting wars with Xanambres and Apostatas. He is accused of twenty years of fraud, despotism, trials without authority, misappropriation of land; 10 charge folio 98, Escandon sends 173 Indians to Querataro; eleventh charge, folio 100, Escandon kept three Indians working for him for fifteen years; twelfth charge, folio 103, Escandon abused his power to use the death penalty and forced labor in the presidio; thirteenth charge, folio 103, he used comissions to get Indians for his own service; fourteenth charge, folio 106, he failed to protect Indian health; fifteenth charge, folio 107, he used Indians to build his house and maintain his lands; sixteenth charge, folio 108, he failed to investigate or punish two sheperds who murdered an Indian; seventeenth charge, folio 110, Escandon populated colony with dangerous criminals getting the nickname of colonia Portugal de Nueva Espana; eighteenth charge, folio 114, Escandon forgives Indians that confess crimes and puts them in esquadras militares; nineteenth charge, folio 115, Escandon intimidated new settlers he did not like and gave instructions not to accept them; twentieth charge, folio 117, he appointed a murderer from Reinosa as captain; twenty first charge, folio 119, Escandon admitted a delinquent from Coahuila; twenty second charge, folio 121, twice Escandon destroyed the church of the Pisones Indians; twenty third charge, folio 123, has taken land from Indians of Santa Rosa; twenty fourth charge, folio 125, Escandon did not build a church in Laredo for the spiritual benefit of the Spaniards and Indians; twenty fifth charge, folio 128, for a period of 14 years Escandon remained minister of Santillana village; twenty sixth charge, folio 129, Escandon did not permit the redistribution of Diezmos from labranzas y crianzas in the colony for 20 years; twenty seventh charge, folio 131, Escandon renamed places; twenty eighth charge, folio 135, Escandon became rich and did not pay diezmos; twenty ninth charge, folio 138, Escandon gave a captain more than five Leguas at border of Rio Grande, other land and did not pay any diezmo to church of Guadalaxara; thirtieth charge, folio 141, Escandon was paying salaries to ministers in places that had no ministers; thirty first charge, folio 141, Escandon did not accept Indians in his village because he did not want to give them protection; thirty second charge, folio 144, he gave instructions to captain of Laredo not to admit Apaches; thirty third charge, folio 147, Escandon did not give 100 pesos to the colonists of San Carlos; thirty fourth charge, folio 148, Escandon refused to receive the bishop from Guadalaxara; thirty fifth charge, folio 151, he became a trader, knowing gobernadores were prohibited from trade; thirty sixth, charge, folio 158, Escandon permit exploitation of mines and use of silver without paying tax; thirty seventh charge, folio 160, since the year 1746 he had not reduced or pacified any Indians; last charge folio 162, complaints from capitania general related to Escandon's procedures. The next group of folios (166-319) are the defense of Escandon. (D. Bautista, nov, 1989)

Excellently detailed testimony on war between Comanches and Lipanes and persecution by Cabo Nabayra of Comanches for their hostile actions in frontier region. (J. Acheson, August 1988)

Letters from Gorraez to Bucareli about royal cedulas. Concerns Nuevo Santander; list of administrative expenses; mines established in Taumaulipa Nueva. Concerns town establishment of Burgos, Reinosa and Escandon with detailed information of these towns (presidio, spiritual administration). Lists numbers of Indians, natural christians, new conversion, teams of horses, mules, land and water, reduction of Indians, protection of Indians, mission finances, restriction and pacification of Indians. Concerns supplying meat to troops. Detailed information on town establishment. (J. Acheson, February 1988)