The Members of the Ramon Expedition of 1716

 

By Steve Gibson

 

 

On August 22, 1715, the viceroy of New Spain, Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva, Duque de Linares, was presented with the situation concerning French and Spanish attempts to occupy and settle the province of Tejas.  It was decided, that Domingo Ramón, the son of Capitán Diego Ramón, should organize and lead an expedition that was to reestablish Spanish presence in East Texas, thereby countering French influence from Louisiana.

 

On February 17th of 1716, at the Villa of Saltillo, in the jurisdiction of Nueva Viscaya, Capitán Domingo Ramón, under orders from the Duke of Linares departed for the Rio Grande and began his formidable journey to the Province of Tejas.  The entourage, guided by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, included twelve priests or friars, eight representatives from the College of Zacatecas, which had been founded at the beginning of the century and five missionaries from the Franciscan colleges of Santa Cruz de Querétaro.  Three Frenchmen, including St. Denis and several dozen civilians where also part of the entourage.  Seven of the soldiers were married and brought along their families; their wives the first recorded Spanish women in Texas.  The expedition, including equipment, supplies, and livestock, departed the Rio Grande on April 27, 1716. 

 

The friars were left behind with an escort of six soldiers and where to join Ramón and his company at a later date, which they did by March 3rd at the Puente de Macatas.  The Alferez Pedro de los Santos had joined them with the horses from the post of Ycamole.

 

 

 

 

The following list of the members of the Ramon Expediton is taken from

“With the Makers of San Antonio” by Frederick Chabot, pp. 41-42.

 

There were 65 members in all: 25 soldiers, the Alferez Maldonado with his family, and Pedro Botello and his family; Sargeant Lorenzo Garcia and five other men; seven women and a single girl engaged to be married; a boy of six, and a girl of four; Capitán Don Luis de San Denis, cabo comboyador, Don Juan de Medar (Jalot), and Pedro Largen (these three of the French nation) thirteen mule drivers; one negro, Juan de la Concepcion; two Indian guides; and three Indians for the goats.

 

The following are the 65 persons who accompanied Domingo Ramón on the Expedition to the Missions of the Interior Presidios, as listed in Capitán Ramón’s diary of the expedition:

 

1.          Our Very Rev.  Father, Fray Ysidoro Felis de Espinosa, President.

2.         Fray Fran.  Hidalgo.

3.         Fray Mathias Sainches (Saez or Sans) de San Antonio.

4.         Fray Benito Sanchez.

5.         Fray Manl. Castellanos.

6.         Fray Pedro de Mendoza.

7.         Fray Gabriel Vergara.

8.        Fray Gabriel Cubillos, a lay-brother.

9.         Fray Domingo, a lay-brother.

 

The reason that the Very Rev.  Father, Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus did not start at this time was because he was sick.  To the great sorrow and distress of everybody the said father was left at the presidio (San Juan Bautista) and we were left to grieve over our misfortune.

 

1.          Capitán Domingo Ramón,

2.         Alferez Diego Ramón (his son)

3.         Sargeant Domingo Ramón.

4.         Don Antonio de Espronzeda.

5.         Fran. de Revillar.

6.         Jph.  Guerra (Garcia).

7.         Domingo Ximenes.

8.        Juan de Sertucha.

9.         Nicolas de los Santos Coy.

10.     Juan Valdes.

11.      Diego Valdes Ximenes.

12.     Jph.  Galindo.

13.     Antonio Flores.

14.     Bernardo Pruto (Brito).

15.      Domingo Flores.

16.     Agustin Telles.

17.      Marcial Saucedo.

18.     Jph. Guerra (Garcia), Jr.

19.     Lazaro Quirino (Chirino).

20.    Antonio Cadena.

21.     Joseph Cadena.

22.    Lorenzo Mercado.

23.    Juan de Castro.

24.    Manl.  Maldonado.

25.     Fran. Betancour.

26.    Domingo Gonzales.

 

These are all the soldiers of the company.  In addition to these the following persons accompanied me:

 

27.     Alferez Maldonado, with his, family. ( Joseph plus 2 )

28.    Sargeant Lorenzo Garcia.

29.    Pedro Botello and his family.

30.    Jacinto Charle.

31.     Jose del Toro.

32.    Jph. de la Fuente.

33.    Alejandro Morales.

34.    Lucas de Castro.

35.     Ma Anta.  Longoria.

36.    Antonia de la Zerda.

37.     Antonia Valdez.

38.    Ana Maria Ximenes de Valdes.

39.    Maria Anta. Ximenes.

40.    Juana de San Miguel.

41.     Josefa Sanchez.

42.    Ana Guerra.

43.    A boy of 6.

44.    A girl of 4.

45.     Capitán Don Luis de San Denis, cabo comboyador.

46.    Don Juan Medar.

47.     Don Pedro Largen, the last three of the French nation.

48.    Mule drivers:

49.    Joseph Garcia.

50.    Jose de Montemayor.

51.      Antonio Gonzales.

52.     Sebastian Guerra (Garcia).

53.     Valentin Mendoza.

54.     Blas Ximenes.

55.     Joseph Saez.

56.     Juan Rodriguez.

57.     Juan Peres.

58.    Juan Diego.

59.     Migl.  Flores.

60.    Cayetano Peres.

61.     Fran. de la Cruz.

62.    Juan de la Concepcion, a negro.

63.    Two Indian guides and three Indians with the goats.

 

It is interesting to note that Joseph Galindo accompanied by the Sargeant, went over to the presidio where he married, on the 21st, a young girl accompanying her parents on the expedition, Ana Maria Ximenes de Valdez.

 

Sources:

1)   Frederick C. Chabot, With the Makers of San Antonio,  Artes Graficas, (Copyright 1937)

2)  Frederick C. Chabot, San Antonio and Its Beginnings 1691-1731,  Naylor Printing Company, (Copyright 1931)

3)  "RAMON, DOMINGO." The Handbook of Texas Online.  http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/view/RR/fra24.html

4)     Donald E. Chipman, Spanish Texas 1519-1821, University of Texas Press, (Copyright 1992)

 

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