The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905 Page: 33

Bonilla's Brief Compendium.

occasioned by this expedition. He came without opposition to the
Adaes country, as the French had retreated to their posts of Cando-
dachos and Nachitoches, and the general convocation of the In-
dians which San Denis had assembled, had disappeared.'
The King, being notified that this expedition had been prepared,
ordered in the above-cited royal cedula of the sixth of May, 1721,
that when the Province of Texas was once recovered, steps should be
taken to fortify it, and that war should not be waged against the
French.2 Accordingly, all acts of hostility were suspended.
'Before Aguayo had left the Rio Grande a dispatch came from San
Antonio de Bexar telling of a report brought by some Samas Indians that
Saint-Denis and other Frenchmen were holding a convocation ot many
Indian tribes, about thirty leagues from the presidio. Aguayo thereupon
sent a detachment to protect San Antonio from possible attack. A scout-
ing party sent out soon after the detachment reached San Antonio brought
no more definite information than that they had reached the forks of the
Brazos, but had been unable to cross; that they had seen smoke on the
other side of the river, from which they had inferred that the convocation
was being held between the branches of the river, as had been reported
by the Indians.
Aguayo afterward got information from an Indian that Saint-Deni.'
had held this convocation with a view to getting possession of Espiritu
Santo Bay, and afterward attacking San Antonio de Bexar (Diario del
Viaje, in Mem. XXVIII, fols. 6, 7, 40).
Saint-Denis, at his own suggestion, came to see Aguayo after his arrival
in Eastern Texas (July 31). The two commanders held an amicable con-
ference (August 1), agreeing that in view of the truce lately effected be-
tween Spain and France, Saint-Denis with his men should retire to
Natchitoches and leave the Spanish in undisputed possession of the whole
province as far as the Adaes country (Diario del Viaje, 35 vuelta, 37).
On the first of September, however, a letter came to Aguayo from
Rerenor, commandant at Natchitoches, informing him that Saint-Denis
had gone to Mobile immediately after returning from the conference with
Aguayo, to report to the governor of Louisiana. The letter further stated
that Rerenor had no orders to allow the Spaniards to stay at los Adaes,
and that Aguayo must therefore suspend operations pending the gov-
ernor's decision. Aguayo replied, however, that he intended to hold
to his purpose of re-establishing the mission and placing a presidio in
that region. Thereupon Rerenor made no further protest, and the Spanish
were allowed to go on with their work unmolested (Ibid., 47 cuelta, 48).
2"His Majesty, being notified that this expedition had been prepared,
ordered in royal c6dula of the sixth of May, seventeen hundred and twenty-
3-Q