The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905 Page: 32

32 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
He would have succeeded in dislodging our Spaniards from all
the province, had not His Excellency the Viceroy, Marques de Va-
lero, accepted the worthy and laudable proposition which the
Marques de San Miguel de Aguayo made him, in offering his for-
tune and his person to carry on the war against the French.
With the appointment of the governor and captain-general of las
Nuevas Filipinas and Nueva Estremadura,1 approved by His
Majesty in Royal cedula of the 6th of May, 1721, the aforesaid
Marques de San Miguel de Aguayo started on his march to Texas in
the year 1719,2 with five hundred dragoons which he had levied at
his own cost, and two companies of cavalry,3 paying all expenses"
diers, terrified by a rum9r that the French from Pensacola were about
to invade the country, overruled "the determination of the missionaries,"
and all retreated to San Antonio.
'The Testimonio (Sec. 31) entitles him merely "governor of that prov-
ince [Texas] and Coahuila. The Diario del Viaje del Marquz de San
Miguel de Aguayo Esorito por el B. D. Juan Antonio de la Peia, Cape-,
Ilan Mayor del Batalldn, de San Miguel de Arag6n (Memorias, XXVIII,
fols. 1-61) also omits the term captain-general from the title. The names
Coahuila and Nueva Estremadura were at that time used interchange-
ably.
'Aguayo received his commission in 1719, levied and equipped eighty-
four men in Saltillo, and then went to Coahuila, where he continued his
preparation for the expedition. Owing to various delays, he did not
actually begin the march into Texas until the latter part of 1720 (Diario
del Viaje, fols. 2-6).
'As to the number of troops, and their organization, the Breve Com-
pendio is not supported by the Testimonio or by the Diario del Viaje. The
Testirmonio (Sec. 31) says he had five hundred mounted troops, divided
into eight companies; the Diario del Viaje, as has already been stated,
mentions five hundred and eighty-four in all. On folio 3 of the Diario del
Viaje, the statement is made that Aguayo formed a battalion of mounted
infantry, forming the five hundred men into eight companies. On folio
4, mention is made of "the artillery, and all the companies."
'Part of the expense, as a matter of fact, was borne by the govern-
ment. The Diario del Viaje (fol. 2) says that in equipping the eighty-
four troops from Saltillo he furnished 9,000 pesos in addition to the
12,000 pesos which the "viceroy had put at his disposal for that purpose."
After arriving at Coahuila, he informed the viceroy of the exposed condi-
tion of the country, whereupon His Excellency ordered a recruit of five
hundred men, and put at Aguayo's disposal 450 pesos-a year's salary-
for each soldier, and 25,000 pesos besides.