atascosa county historical commission ~ history symposiumgranaderos.org/images/sep2015.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
L A G R A N A D A
The Order of Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez – Founding Chapter SEPTEMBER 2015 w w w . g r a n a d e r o s . o r g SAN ANTONIO, TX ◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘
Atascosa County Historical Commission ~ H i s t o r y S y m p o s i u m ~
On Saturday, August 15th, we participated in the Atascosa County
Historical Commission History Symposium, held in Pleasanton. Rueben Perez, Roland Salazar and Joe Perez staffed a living history booth where we interracted with several attendees to get the message out about General Gálvez and Spain’s assistance in our American Revolution. We sold several books by Rueben Perez and Robert Thonhoff. This has far-reaching impacts as many people will read the books they purchased and learn more about this part of our American/Texas history. This is our first time participating in this annual event and we are looking forward to next year’s symposium.
IN THIS ISSUE: PG.
History Symposium 1 Upcoming Events 2 Birthday Wishes 2 Teresa Valcarce Honored 3 Gálvez Assistance 3 More Pics – Symposium 3 Presidios In The Line 4-5 Minutes of Last Meeting 6
Next Meeting
Wednesday, Sep 2 Royal Inn Oriental Cuisine
5440 Babcock Rd Dinner at 6:30 Meeting at 7:15
Guest Speaker: David C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Spanish Archivist “Everything You Need To Know About Bexar County Archives”
Order of Granaderos y Damas
de Gálvez San Antonio Chapter
Governor Joe Perez
Deputy Governor Ricardo Rodriguez [email protected]
Secretary
Briana Perez [email protected]
Treasurer
Elizabeth Perez [email protected]
Chairperson
Membership Committee James Salinas
Chairperson Bylaws Committee
Richard Whynot
Webmaster Roland Cantu
Upcoming Events
Saturday, September 5 10:00 Presentation to Los Bexareños Genealogical Society.
Friday & Saturday, October 9-10 Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez National Meeting in Washington, D.C. Saturday, October 24 10:00 – 4:00 San Antonio Founders Day celebration. We will staff a living history booth on Alamo Plaza.
Happy Birthday To Our September
Babies
9/5 ------ Dorothy Perez 9/17 ---- Abel Araiza 9/18 ---- G. Roland Vela 9/22 ---- Eileen Barrientos 9/23 ---- Lucila Flores 9/26 ---- Vangie Garcia 9/30 ---- Michael Rojas
Teresa Valcarce Honored Teresa Valcarce, who worked so
diligently to have a portrait of Gálvez hung in Congress, has been named an Honorary Citizen of Marachaviaya, the birthplace of Bernardo de Gálvez. Relentless in her efforts, she gathered widespread support for the cause by reaching out to organiza-tions throughout the country. The ground-swell of support surprised some journalists who reported on the event.
Teresa will be with us at our National Meeting in Washington, D.C. when we will be granted a special audience to see the Gálvez portrait in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting room. Below is a link to a youtube video regarding this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCgFHsv2-Uc&sns=em
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More Pictures From the History Symposium
At right is Joe Perez staffing the booth. This is the first time we have displayed our new framed piece showing the “Texas Cattle Drives During the American Revolution”. It has some narrative with a map showing the route of the cattle drives from Béxar to La Bahía then on to Nacogdoches, Natchitoches, Opalousas and New Orleans.
Below left are Joe Perez, Rueben Perez and Roland Salazar staffing the booth. Rueben sold several of his books and donated all the proceeds to our chapter. The middle photo gives a good showing of our display table with various historical items and books. We received many compliments on our display table.
Below right is John Scott Matty, a reenactor who stopped by. He is donning the uniform of a soldier who fought in the Battle of Medina.
Presidios in the Line
By Robert H. Thonhoff
During the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, it should be remembered, Spain discovered, explored, subdued, and colonized the most extensive territorial empire in the history of the world. Its empire extended around the globe and included most of the Western Hemisphere. At the time of the American Revolution, Spain owned or claimed all the land of present United States west of the Mississippi River plus the “Island of New Orleans. This vast area was a part of Nueva España (New Spain), which extended from Panama to the ‘arctic snows.” The institutions used by Spain in its colonization efforts along the frontier of northern New Spain were the presidio (fort) for protection, the mission for Christianization of native tribes, the villa for civil settlements, and the rancho to sustain them. In the latter half of the eighteenth century, frontier conditions in northern New Spain had deteriorated to such an extent that the Spanish crown found it necessary to order an examination of the entire frontier with the view of relocating presidios and making whatever other adjustments might be necessary to prevent further abandonment of the frontier settlements. Accordingly, in 1764-1765 King Carlos III of Spain appointed the Marqués de Rubí and José de Gálvez to perform inspection tours of northern New Spain. [Interestingly, José de Gálvez brought along his nephew, Bernardo de Gálvez, with him to New Spain, where Bernardo was commissioned in 1769 to go to the northern frontier of New Spain and soon became commandant of military forces in Nueva Vizcaya and Sonora.] As Visitador-General, José de Gálvez inspected colonial administration practices, mainly in California. The Marqués de Rubí, on the other hand, made a 7,000-mile inspection tour of northern New Spain from California to Los Adaes, then the capital of the Province of Texas. José de Gálvez’s recommendations resulted in the implementation of the Provincias Internas, which moved the capital of the Province of Texas from Los Adaes to San Antonio in 1773. The Marqués de Rubí began his investigation in 1766. Royal engineers Nicolás de la Fora and Joseph de Urrutia assisted Rubí by drawing plans of presidios and drafting maps of the area traversed. Rubí’s recommendations resulted in the Reglamento e instrucción para los presidios que se han de formar en la linea de frontera de la Nueva España, commonly referred to as the New Regulations of 1772. As a result of the Rubí recommendations, issued on September 10, 1772, a new line of defense was established, uniform fortification plans were prescribed, and numerous changes were made in regulations governing military personnel. The new line of fortifications was to be composed of some fifteen presidios situated about 40 leagues (or 120 miles) apart in a zigzag line that extended from the Gulf of California on the west to the Gulf of México on the east along what is now approximately the northern boundary of México.
As is illustrated in the following map, the Presidios in the Line were: Altar; Tucson; Terrenate; Fronteras; Janos; Paso del Norte; San Eleazario; El Principe; La Junta; San Carlos; San Vicente; Aguaverde; Monclova; San Juan Bautista; and La Bahía del Espíritu Santo, which was the last and easternmost Presidio in the Line.
Interestingly, Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, founded May 5, 1718, was not designated a Presidio in the Line, but it was authorized by the New Regulations of 1772, as was its outpost El Fuerte del Cíbolo, which existed 1771-1783 halfway between Béxar and La Bahía to protect the roads and the ranchos in the vicinity. Similarly, Presidio Santa Fé and its outpost of Robledo were likewise authorized but not designated as Presidios in the Line either.
Suggested Sources of Information to Learn more about Presidios
Robert S. Weddle and Robert H. Thonhoff, Drama & Conflict: The Texas Saga of 1776 (Madrona Press, Austin, TX, 1976). Robert H. Thonhoff, The Texas Connection with the American Revolution (Eakin Press, Austin, TX, 1981). Jesse O. Villarreal, Sr., Tejano Patriots of the American Revolution, 1776-1783 (Privately published by Jesse O. Villarreal, Sr., Austin, TX, 2011). Rueben M. Perez, Forgotten Chapters of the American Revolution: Spain, Gálvez, and Isleños (Privately published by Rueben M. Perez, San Antonio, TX, 2015). Max L. Moorhead, The Presidio: Bastion of the Spanish Borderlands (University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, 1975). Sydney B. Brinkerhoff and Odie B. Faulk, Lancers for the King: A Study of the Frontier Military System of Northern New Spain with a Translation of the Royal Regulations of 1772 (Arizona Historical Foundation, Phoenix, AZ, 1965). Odie B. Faulk, "PRESIDIOS," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/uqp09), accessed June 15, 2015.
Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association
Map courtesy of Robert H. Thonhoff
Order of Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez Minutes for the meeting held August 5, 2015 at the Royal Inn Oriental Cuisine
Restaurant Submitted by Secretary Briana Perez
Attendance:
Peter Baron, Eileen Barrientos, Sylvia Escamilla, Joel Escamilla, Dr. Francis Galán, Karla Galindo, Frank Galindo, Priscilla Hancock, Bob Hancock, Bonnie Kuykendal, Olga Lizcano, Manuel Lizcano, Priscilla Marrah, Briana Perez, Elizabeth Perez, Dorothy Perez, Rueben Perez, Joe Perez, Dr. Amy Porter, Susan Thonhoff Rodriguez, Elizabeth Salinas, James Salinas, Victoria Thonhoff, Judge Robert Thonhoff, Stefanie Wittenbach, Joe J. Zavala The meeting commenced at 7:20 p.m. Robert Thonhoff gave the Invocation and Rueben Perez led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Governor Joe Perez welcomed our guests Stefanie Wittenbach, Dr. Francis Galán, Bonnie
Kuykendal and Dr. Amy Porter. Joe suspended the meeting at 7:32 and introduced guest speaker Dr. Amy Porter, who gave a very
interesting presentation on her recently-published book “Their Lives, Their Wills: Women In The Borderlands 1750-1846”. Her presentation was very well received and she signed copies of her book. We sold eight books at the meeting.
Joe resumed the meeting at 8:28. Treasurer Elizabeth Perez gave the Treasurer’s Report for June and July (since we had no meeting in July). She reported that, for June, we had a Beginning Balance of $6,543.68, Expenses of $1,262.92, Income of $295.47 and an Ending Balance of $5,576.23. For July, we had a Beginning Balance of $5,576.23, Expenses of $668.91, Income of $274.45 and an Ending Balance of $5,181.77. A motion to accept the reports was made by Eileen Barrientos and seconded by James Salinas. After a vote, the motion carried.
Joe reported that Granadero Larry Kirkpatrick, who suffered a stroke, is recovering well and making improvements daily. Joe announced the success of the 31st Annual Fourth of July Patriotic Ceremony. He also mentioned three events: Peter Baron gave a presentation in uniform to a History class at Central Catholic High School; Jesse Guerra gave a presentation in uniform at a Youth Leadership Conference at St. Mary’s University and Joe staffed a living history booth at the Longhorn Museum in Pleasanton for the Yesteryear Festival. Joe also reminded everyone about our National Meeting to be held October 9-10 in Washington, D.C. and those who plan on going should make their reservations soon.
The meeting adjourned at 9:06 p.m.