Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, now better known as

Presidio of San Sabá The Presidio of San Sabá was the second presidio established at the site of present-day Menard, Texas on the San Saba River. The first was the Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, established by Colonel Diego Ortiz Parrilla in April 1757, the sam ...

, was founded in April 1757 near present-day

Menard Menard may refer to: Places Canada *Menard River, a tributary of the Wawagosic River in Quebec, Canada United States * Menard County, Illinois ** Menard, Illinois * Menard County, Texas ** Menard, Texas * Menard–Hodges site, archaeological s ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

to protect the

Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá was one of the Spanish missions in Texas. It was established in April 1757, along with the Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, later renamed Presidio of San Sabá, in what is now Menard County. Located along the San ...

, established at the same time. The

presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...

and

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

were built to secure Spain's claim to the territory. They were part of the treaty recently reached with the

Lipan Apaches Lipan Apache are a band of Apache, a Southern Athabaskan Indigenous people, who have lived in the Southwest and Southern Plains for centuries. At the time of European and African contact, they lived in New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, a ...

of the area for mutual aid against enemies. The early functioning of the mission and presidio were undermined by

Hasinai The Hasinai Confederacy (Caddo: ) was a large confederation of Caddo-speaking Native Americans who occupied territory between the Sabine and Trinity rivers in eastern Texas. Today, their descendants are enrolled in the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma an ...

, also allied with the Spanish, attacking the Apaches. The mission was located three miles downstream from the presidio by request of the monks at the mission to ensure that the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

soldiers would not be a corrupting influence on the

Lipan Apache Lipan Apache are a band of Apache, a Southern Athabaskan Indigenous people, who have lived in the Southwest and Southern Plains for centuries. At the time of European and African contact, they lived in New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and ...

s the monks were trying to convert to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

. The original presidio and mission were built out of logs. On March 16, 1758, a band of 2000

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

and Wichita Indians, bitter enemies of the Lipan Apache, attacked Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá. The presidio sent a small force to aid the mission, but the soldiers were driven back. Two of the three priests at the mission were killed and the mission was destroyed. The Indians did not attack the presidio. More than a year later, a force of 600 men from the presidio set out to find and punish the Indians responsible for the attack on the mission. The Spanish force was repulsed with heavy losses and the presidio commander was relieved of command. The new commander replaced the log stockade with a stone compound and was renamed, Presidio de San Saba’. The post was abandoned in 1768, reoccupied briefly in 1770, then permanently abandoned. A portion of the presidio was rebuilt as a

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

project for the Texas Centennial in 1936.

History

Foundation

In June 1753, Lt.

Juan Galvan ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

and Father Miguel de Aranda were sent on an expedition to explore

Apacheria Apachería was the term used to designate the region inhabited by the Apache people. The earliest written records have it as a region extending from north of the Arkansas River into what are now the northern states of Mexico and from Central Tex ...

, and selected a spot on the San saba river for a mission, marking the spot with a large wooden cross.Weddle, R.S., 1964, The San Saba Mission, Austin: University of Texas Press, a subsequent expedition by Pedro de Rabago y Teran and Father Jose Lopes in Dec. 1754 to the same area named the site "Paso de la Santa Cruz", and recommended a stone and mortar fort with four

curtains A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain), water. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theatre that separates the stage from the auditoriu ...

with two guns each. On 18 May 1756,

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

Marques de las Amarillas ordered Col.

Diego Ortiz Parrilla Diego Ortiz Parrilla was an 18th-century Spanish military officer, governor, explorer, and cartographer. Early life Diego Ortiz Parrilla was born in Villa de Lúcar, Almería, Spain to a family of distinguished nobility. His exact date of birth ...

to assume command of the San Xavier Presidio and transfer it along with the missions there to the San Saba site, the new presidio to be named after the Viceroy. Parilla was to take 50 men at the San Xavier garrison, and augment them with 22 from

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

and 27 new recruits. Parilla was the former governor of

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

and

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

, captain of the Presidio de San Miguel de Horcasitas, and made a colonel in 1755. On 5 April 1775, Parrilla left 39 soldiers in a temporary camp with his livestock and supplies, and marched with 22 soldiers plus 6 Franciscan friars under Father Alonso Giraldo de Terreros, for the San Saba site, reaching it on 17 April. After the soldiers and supplies from the temporary camp arrived, the mission and quarters with irrigation ditch, plus barracks and family quarters for the soldiers and their 237 women and children, were built from logs and separated by three miles on opposite sides of the river. In June, a band of 3000 Apaches arrived under the leadership of ''El Chico'' and ''Casablanca'' passed through on their way to attack the Comanches further north, but did not stay long on their return trip. With no Indians to teach, only the Queretaran Mission was built.

Attack

On the night of 25 Feb. 1758, while Joseph Antonio Flores was Sergeant of the Guard, the Presidio's livestock was stampeded by Indians, resulting in the loss of 59 horses.Nathan, P.D., translator, 1959, Deposition of Sergeant Antonio Flores, in The San Saba Papers, San Francisco: J. Howell-Books, A detachment of 6 men under Corporal Carlos de Uraga was attacked on the

Pedernales River The Pedernales River ( ) is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in Central Texas in the United States. It drains an area of the Edwards Plateau, flowing west to east across the Texas Hill Country west of Austin. The name "Pede ...

the next day, while on their way to warn Lt. Juan Galvan's supply train en route from San Antonio. Parilla reinforced the supply train of 50 pack animals with 22 men, and provided 8 soldiers, with two cannons, to the Mission on 15 March when Father Terreros refused to seek sanctuary at the Presidio. Three hours after sunrise on 16 March, Joseph Gutierrez arrived at the Presidio, having been sent by the Mission steward, to tell of "the arrival of the Indians and their bad behavior", the Indians armed with "French firearms, bullet pouches, and very large powder horns...others had pikes, and still others, bows and arrows; but most of them had muskets and cutlasses..." Parilla then sent Sergeant Flores and four men to reinforce the Mission., where he discovered "the road for almost three quarters of a league crowded with hostile Indians, and the Mission stockade completely surrounded by Indians firing their muskets." Still attempting to enter the Mission, Flores' men advanced but the "Indians formed a column and marched rapidly toward the Presidio...as soon as the Indians had advanced to within musket range, they fired a volley at the squad of soldiers", wounding three. Flores estimated 1,500 Indians were moving forward to attack the Presidio, when he saw 3 San Antonio Mission Indians who "brought the news that the Texas and Comanche Indians had set fire to the stockyard and the houses at the Mission..." Parilla held a

council of war A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. Under normal circumstances, decisions are made by a commanding officer, optionally communicated ...

, where it was decided "the surprise assault on the Mission was now an accomplished fact and its destruction verified...the Presidio lay exposed to a similar attack...the Indians...could easily overwhelm any detachment sent out from the Presidio." Parilla collected all 59 of his remaining men (41 were on assignment elsewhere), plus the 237 women and children, into the Presidio at sunset, and then sent Flores to determine the situation at the Mission. Flores discovered "all the dwellings and other Mission buildings were in flames..." Several were able to escape however, including Father Miguel Molina as "the Indians were intent upon pillage and plunder, presuming that no one could escape alive through the flames raging everywhere." Lt. Juan Galvan's supply train force of 22 soldiers and

muleteer An ''arriero'', muleteer, or more informally a muleskinner ( es, arriero; pt, tropeiro; ca, traginer) is a person who transports goods using pack animals, especially mules. Distribution and function In South America, muleskinners transport ...

s arrived at the Presidio on 17 March. The next day, the Indians were observed to be marching north. The Indians had slain 8 persons, including Fathers Terreros and Santiesteban, while 17 of the Indians were killed. During the summer a large band of Apaches near the Presidios were attacked by northern Indians, killing 50 plus, and in Dec., another 21 were killed by northern Indians, all armed with muskets. On 30 March 1759, Indians stole 700 horses, mules and cattle belonging to the Presidio, killing the detail of soldiers assigned to guard them, leaving the garrison with only 27 horses.

Vengeance

On 27 June 1758, the Viceroy Marques de las Amarillas approved a campaign to punish the northern tribes. Parilla held a special council in San Antonio, on 3 Jan. 1759, with the governors of Coahuila and Texas plus the frontier officers, in which they recommended a force of 500. The Viceroy approved the plan on 30 March as did

King Ferdinand VI , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy , birth_date = 23 September 1713 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Villavici ...

. Parilla's campaign force left in August and consisted of 50 men from his Presidio's garrison plus 360 additional soldiers from San Antonio, Presidio del Rio Grande and Presidio del Reyno, plus included 176 Indian allies (134 Apaches acted as scouts and guides). Parilla attacked a

Tonkawa The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe indigenous to present-day Oklahoma. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the federally recognized Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. ...

Village along the

Clear Fork Brazos River The Clear Fork Brazos River is the longest tributary of the Brazos River of Texas. It originates as a dry channel or draw in Scurry County about northeast of Hermleigh and runs for about through portions of Scurry, Fisher, Jones, Shackelford ...

on 2 Oct., and then a Taovayas (

Wichitas The Wichita people or Kitikiti'sh are a confederation of Southern Plains Native American tribes. Historically they spoke the Wichita language and Kichai language, both Caddoan languages. They are indigenous to Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. ...

) village along the Red River on 7 Oct. in the

Battle of the Twin Villages The Battle of the Two Villages was a Spanish attack on Taovaya villages in Texas and Oklahoma by a Spanish army in 1759. The Spanish were defeated by the Taovaya and other Wichita tribes with assistance from the Comanche. Background The Sa ...

The Tonkawas lost 55 killed and 149 taken prisoner, but led the Spanish on to the larger Wichita village in "French country", which included a stockade and between 2,000-6,000 Wichitas and Comanche allies. According to Parilla, "the enemy considered themselves secure in their fort. Those outside, with the help of those within, began to fire..." from a thickly wooded area and then "First one then the other flank gave way." Parilla's twin cannons had little effect on the fort, and by nightfall, retreated to his camp, leaving the cannons and suffering 19 dead, 14 wounded and 19 missing, but claiming to have killed "the chief of greatest acclaim among the Indians" and 50 others, wounding many more. Parilla waited three days before leading an orderly retreat back to the Presidio, reaching it on 25 Oct.

Aftermath

Marques de Cruillas took over as Viceroy from Marques de las Amarillas in 1760, assigned Parilla the governorship of

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

and installed Capt. Felipe de Rabago y Teran as commander of the Presidio. Within a year, Rabago rebuilt the stockade with

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, including rooms built into the walls, a blockhouse and a moat, bringing the garrison up to full strength and well mounted. Rabago explored the

Concho River The Concho River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. ''Concho'' is Spanish for "shell"; the river was so named due to its abundance of freshwater mussels, such as the Tampico pearly mussel ('' Cyrtonaias tampicoensis''). Geography The Con ...

and sent an exploratory expedition west to the

Pecos River The Pecos River ( es, Río Pecos) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico ...

in the spring of 1761. On 16 January 1762, Rabago established Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz with Father Diego Jimenez along the El Rio de San Jose (upper

Nueces River The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, about long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande. ''Nueces'' ...

) for Apache Chief Cabezon's tribe, manning it with 20 men under Lt. Manuel Valdez. Nearby they also founded Mission Nuestra senora de la Candelaria nearby for El Turnio's tribe, and protected it with 10 soldiers. Yet in June 1762, the Presidio once again was raided by the northern Indians, killing 2 soldiers and taking 70 horses. In 1764, Rabago reported a "severe attack on the Presidio", and in 1765, a detachment of 3 soldiers were killed in a

Frio River The Frio River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. The word ''frío'' is Spanish for ''cold'', a clear reference to the spring-fed coolness of the river. Geography The Frio River has three primary tributaries; the East, West, and Dry Frio Ri ...

Canyon ambush. Rabago noted in 1767 that the Comanches had made five attempts on the Presidio since Oct. of 1766, including three attempts on his supply trains.

Inspection

King

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

sent his

Inspector general An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

Marques de Rubi, accompanied by Nicolas de Lafora, on a tour of

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...

in 1766, after the acquisition of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

following the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. Rubi visited the Presidio in July 1766, reporting it served no purpose or advantage, "It affords as much protection to the interests of His Majesty in New Spain as a ship anchored in mid-Atlantic would afford in preventing foreign trade with America." Of the 24 presidios along the northern frontier, Rubi recommended the Presidio and 8 others be abandoned, forming a new frontier line from San Antonio to Santa Fe to the

Gulf of California The Gulf of California ( es, Golfo de California), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Bermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja Ca ...

Abandonment

The Comanches stole the Presidio's entire herd of cattle on 10 Dec. 1767, Indians attacked again on 2 Jan. 1768, stole horses outside the wall on 14 Jan., then captured and tortured to death Lt. Joaquin Orendain and three other soldiers on 29 Feb. Then the garrison was afflicted with

scurvy Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, feeling tired and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, decreased red blood cells, gum disease, changes to hair, and bleeding ...

, ''Mal de Loanda'', forcing Rabago to abandon the Presidio for the Mission San Lorenzo in the Valle de San Jose (El Canon) on 22 June. On 1 April 1769, Rabago was replaced as commander of the Presidio by Capt. Manuel Antonio de Oca, who took the garrison back to San Saba but retreated again to El Canon in early 1770. By 8 June 1771, Jacobo de Ugarte y Loyala, Governor of Coahuila, removed 29 men to San Antonio, and on 21 June 1771, the Viceroy called for the removal of the garrison entirely and the abandonment of the two missions at El Canon. In 1772, King Charles III issued a decree abandoning the Presidio, leaving East Texas entirely, and making San Antonio the new capital of Texas.

San Saba Silver Mines

A mine was started in August 1752 by five Spaniards from

in an area identified by

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

s containing

gossan Gossan (eiserner hut or eisenhut) is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein. In the ''classic'' gossan or iron cap all that remains is iron oxides and quartz, often i ...

, ''Los Almagres'' to the Spanish.Patten, R.B., 1970, Miranda's Inspection of Los Almagres: His Journal, Report, and Petition, in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 74, July 1970 - April 1971, Denton:Texas State Historical Association This pit, ''cueva'' in Spanish, was later identified to be "Boyd's shaft" in "Boyd's Pasture" along the ''Almagre'' or Honey Creek, a tributary of the

Llano River The Llano River ( ) is a tributary of the Colorado River (Texas), Colorado River, about long, in Texas in the United States. It drains part of the Edwards Plateau in Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin, Texas, Austin. Two spring-fed tributa ...

. This range of hills where gossan is found, lies between the former presidios of San Saba and

San Antonio de Bexar ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, in southeastern

Llano County Llano County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,243. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River. During the American Civil War, the c ...

, today's Riley Mountains. No ore of value was discovered but the governor of Texas, Jacinto de Barrios y Jauregui, on 26 Nov. 1755, appointed Bernardo de Miranda y Flores ''

Teniente General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

'' of an expedition to this and another deposit of ''almagre''. Miranda kept a journal of his twenty-three man strong expedition from 17 Feb. to 10 March 1756, followed by a report to Governor Barrios on 29 March 1756 and a petition to the

on 15 Feb. 1757. On 26 Feb., his journal noted he put his men to work so that the "pit could be cleaned out and examined to see if any

ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...

veins could be found", "a tremendous stratum of ore was observed", and he named the pit of ''almagre'' San Joseph del Alcazar. In his report to the governor, Miranda stated, "The mines that are throughout the ''Cerro del Almagre'' and all its slope are so abundant", ten claims had already been filed, "that I guarantee to give a mine to each of all the inhabitants of this province of Texas...at many of the mines the owners will be able to install ''

haciendas An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...

''" (''de fundicion'' and ''de beneficio'' for smelting and chemical reduction respectively). Miranda reported he could not travel to another "''Almagre Grande''", as "many Spaniards would be needed" because of the threat of

Indians living there. In his petition to the Viceroy, Miranda noted he had "crudely removed some ore, which is what was assayed". This three pound sample of ore, and Miranda's report, were sent by Barrios to Manuel de Aldaco in Mexico City, who had it assayed by

smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a ch ...

and amalgamation. Smelting assayed five ounces of silver per hundred pounds of ore, too poor for smelting, while no silver could be extracted from amalgamation. Aldaco's report asked for thirty ''cargas'' of ''almagre'' for further testing. In Miranda's petition to the Viceroy regarding this requested thirty loads of ore, he requested "these expenses be paid from the account of the royal treasury", promising to "execute all that is prescribed in the referred report" and "I will make other discoveries". Otherwise, Miranda proposed to "pay all of it through my industry and perservance with the condition that I be the captain of the soldiers", noting "a presidio of at least thirty men to restrain the Indians" was required. The

commander, Capt. Diego Ortiz Parrilla, had seventy-five pounds of ore smelted, which yielded an ounce and a half of silver, prompting him to suggest the presidio be moved to ''Los Almagres'' in 1757. Yet, the destruction of Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba by the Comanches in 1758, and increased Indian depredations made the area difficult for the Spanish and location of the mines was eventually forgotten. In 1789, five miners working the Los Almagres mines, near the

, were murdered in their sleep by Lipan Apaches on their way to confront Col.

Juan de Ugalde Juan de Ugalde (December 9, 1729 – 1816), later referred to erroneously as Juan de Uvalde by American settlers, was the Governor of Coahuila, now in Mexico. He was also a commanding general of Texas, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Nuevo Santande ...

Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...

's replaced "Presidio of San Saba" on his 1827 map with "Silver Mines" on his 1829 edition. Austin's 1831 pamphlet on Texas stated on the San Saba River, "traditions say a rich silver mine was successfully wrought many years since, until the Comanche Indians cut off the workmen." Visiting the ruins in the 1840s,

Ferdinand von Roemer Carl Ferdinand von Roemer (5 January 1818 – 14 December 1891), German geologist, had originally been educated for the legal profession at Göttingen, but became interested in geology, and abandoning law in 1840, studied science at the Univer ...

noted, "According to legends still told in Texas, the Spaniards were supposed to have worked some rich

silver mine Silver mining is the extraction of silver from minerals, starting with mining. Because silver is often found in intimate combination with other metals, its extraction requires elaborate technologies. In 2008, ca.25,900 metric tons were consumed ...

s here, and the old fort was supposedly erected to protect a mine nearby. We therefore first looked for smelting ovens and heaps of slag...when we failed to find any traces of either, we made examinations to determine if the geological conditions were the kind which would indicate the presence of precious metal. The presence of silver

in unchanged, horizontal

and

marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

of the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

formation would be without precedent...it is not improbable that the changed Transition rocks, containing quartz, which appear about forty miles downstream near the mouth of the San Saba, as well as the granite rocks which appear particularly between the San Saba and Llano, contain ore, although observations on our journey did not furnish direct proof for this."Roemer, F., 2011, ''Texas'', Copano Bay Press, , originally published in 1849 at Bonn as ''Mit besondere Rücksicht auf deutsche Auswanderung und die physischen Verhältnisse des Landes nach eigener Beobachtung geschildert'' On the main portal of the fort, Roemer found the following names: Padilla, 1810; Cos, 1829; Bowie (con su tropa), 1829; Moore, 1840.

Comanches and the German Colony

Near the fort was the site of a council meeting between Comanches chiefs and representatives of the

Adelsverein The ''Mainzer Adelsverein at Biebrich am Rhein'' (''Verein zum Schutze Deutscher Einwanderer in Texas'', "Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas"), better known as the ''Mainzer Adelsverein'' (, "Nobility Society of Mainz"), orga ...

, including

Buffalo Hump Buffalo Hump (Comanche language, Comanche ''Potsʉnakwahipʉ'' "Buffalo Bull's Back") (born c. 1800 — died post 1861 / ante 1867) was a War Chief of the Penateka band of the Comanche Indians. He came to prominence after the Council House Figh ...

Santa Anna Santa Anna may refer to: * Santa Anna, Texas, a town in Coleman County in Central Texas, United States * Santa Anna, Starr County, Texas * Santa Anna Township, DeWitt County, Illinois, one of townships in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. ...

, Mope-choco-pe, and John O. Meusebach, which eventually led to the Meusebach-Comanche Treaty. "As Neighbors and his companions were traveling through the prairie, the party suddenly saw through the mesquite trees the walls of the old Spanish fort looming up in front of them..."Neighbors, K.F., 1975, ''Robert Neighbors and the Texas Frontier, 1836-1859'', Waco: Texian Press

Gallery

File:San Sabas.jpg, 1769 map depicting Presidio "San Sabas" in relation to San Antonio File:San Saba.jpg, Urrutia's map of the Rio de San Saba area showing the presidio on the north bank and the Acequia para regadio (irrigation canal) to the south File:San saba 4.jpg, The presidio looking in from the southeast bastion File:Presidio san luis de las amarillas.jpg, The ruins of Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas in 2010. File:San Saba 3.jpg, Historical marker