The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905 Page: 287
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Municipal Government of San Fernando de Bexar. 287
policy was undertaken. For the time, almost the entire atten-
tion of the government was directed toward the foundation of
presidios garrisoned by a much larger force than had ever before
been used. Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo was entrusted with
this work. He restored the presidio in the Texas country, founded
those of Adaes and Bahia, and moved that of B6xar to a more
satisfactory location. As in the previous expedition, however, the
mission and a modified form of the civil settlement were also used.
Aguayo was accompanied by representatives of both the College
of Queretaro and that of Zacatecas-to the number of nine-and
the following missions were established: San Jos6 de Aguayo, San
Xavier de Naxera, and Espiritu Santo de Zufiiga. The first two
were at B6xar, the last, as its name would indicate, was at Bahia.
Aguayo also settled families of soldiers at Adaes. He left the
province garrisoned by a force of two hundred and sixty-eight sol-
diers-one hundred at Adaes, ninety at Bahia, twenty-five in the
Texas country, and fifty-three at B6xar.1
The policy of the military occupation of Texas was not followed
up. In 1727, when Pedro de Rivera made his tour of inspection
into that country, he decided that the missions had proved inef-
fectual in inducing the natives to settle in pueblos, and that dan-
ger from French invasion was not so imminent as to demand the
presence of a strong military force in Texas. The number of sol-
diers stationed in the province was, therefore, much reduced, and
the presidio in the Texas country was abandoned.2
The mission alone, and the mission guarded by the presidio hav-
ing proved ineffectual, the government resorted to actual coloniza-
tion, thus trying the last means known to the Spanish system.
The padres were the first to realize the necessity for this step, and
had long before suggested the plan to the government. In fact, the
idea was developing throughout the whole period in which military
Guerra y Hacienda, Mexico y Deciembre 2 de 1716 aiios, ibid., 209-223;
Directorio 6 Instrucciones para el Viage 4 la Provincia de Texas, ibid.,
228 vta.-235; and Relacion de los empleos Meritos, y Servicios del Sar-
gento Mayor Don Martin de Alarcon, etc., ibid., 235 vta.-248 vta.
'For Aguayo's work see Espinosa, Ch'ronica; Bonilla, Brief Compendium;
and Diario del Viaje del Marquez de San Miguel de Aguayo.
2'For Rivera's work see Bonilla, Brief Compendium; Espinosa, Chronica.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905, periodical, 1905; Austin, Texas. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101033/m1/294/: accessed April 28, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.