Las Provincias Internas

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Volume I Issue 3   5511 E. 3rd St.  Tucson Arizona 85711  Summer 1996

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The Situation at the Close of the Decade, 1787

Only 3,200 soldiers manned the frontier in 1787 with 3,000 officers and men effective, the rest being ill or on leave.

Two companies of Spanish regulars and 24 presidial companies held the frontier.

The frontier soldiers continued to be underpaid and responsible for much of their own equipment. this, of course, put considerable hardships on the families of the soldiers, demoralizing them.

Artillery had never been approved for the presidios. In 1786 commanders began to request the heavy firepower to protect the presidios. In nueva Vizcaya, mass Indian attacks were disturbingly regular and it was thought the cannon would be put to particularly good use.

On the bright side, local produce was growing in greater varieties and amounts. New Pueblos were gaining more settlers. The northern outposts seemed to be attaining a permanency.

The frontier was still a hostile place, and the soldados and their families continued to eke out an existence in a place where life was extremely difficult.

Las Cosas de la Frontera

_fron inventories and reports:

Barrels of almonds aboard the Spanish ship "Mercurio", opened during an inspection in 1763, were found to contain contraband. Playing cards, silks, lace cinnamon, and ladies stockings were among the confiscated supplies.

Chicekens, a surplus army tent, 1 wool filled mattres and pillows, Palencia blankets, a hemp mat,  Majorca biscuits, lemon syrup, brandy, and Rota wine were inventoried in 1789 at the missions in the Alta California region.

Padre Salazar, at Ures in 1768, mentions possessing a ream of paper, saffron, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, Mexican baize for a shirt, salt, mutton, candles, wine, butter, eggs, soap and lard.

Upcoming Events

Quest for Empire

Fulcrum Publishing, 1996, Golden, Colorado

This is an interesting book on Spanish settlement in the Southwest, written by two well known professors of history, Donald Cutter, Ph.D. and Iris Engstrand, PhD. The book traces the successes and failures of the Spaniards who introduced European culture to New Spain.

Page 2

Pike and Arquebus

Not only had the Spaniards won Italy; they had also founded a new school of infantry tactics which was to rule the battlefields of Europe for a century and make incredibly daring conquests in the new world. Although the battle of Pavia had been won as much by mobility as firepower, the agile combat groups of that victory were gradually replaced by the first phalanx of the age of gunpowder-solid columns of infantry known as battles. Various combinations of "shot and pike" were used, but usually the arquebusiers were drawn up on the corners of battles 25 ranks deep. After firing at the word of command, each rank withdrew to the rear to reload and gradually moved forward by successive volleys until its turn came again.

It was the function of the pikes to protect the arquebusiers while reloading. When the enemy's ranks were broken by firepower, the pikemen evolved from square into line and advanced, shoulder to shoulder in a massive charge calculated to sweep the field.

The tercio of about 3,000 foot was the basic Spanish tactical unit. Consisting of 12 companies of about 250 men each, the fighting strength in 1534 was divided equally between pikemen and arquebusiers. Cavalry was represented in one-twelfth of infantry strength, and artillery by an average of one gun to each 1,000 foot.

The value of tactics and discipline was illustrated during the reign of the emperor Charles V when small bands of Spaniards won amazing victories over barbarian hordes in Mexico, Peru and the island of the Caribbean.

The natives were not wanting in sacrificial courage, and their advantage in numbers compensated for inferiority in weapons. One Aztec might have been a match for a Spaniard in single combat, but a thousand Aztecs were routed by a hundred Spaniards because they lacked the tenacity instilled by discipline as well as tactical system and precision.

          Quoted from the Encylopedia Britannica 1996, pg 743-44