01Hispanic Living History, reenactment

                                                                          Spanish Colonial Living History
                                                                                            Copyright © 1996-2001 all rights reserved

                                      Newsletters by Richard Collins

A SPANISH REGULAR AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Mark Santiago

Don Pedro Tueros provides a good example of a regular Spanish officer sent to bolster the defenses of New Spain, who ended up on the northern frontier. Tueros was born in 1739, in northwestern Spain. His family must have been prominent, for on April 1, 1760 at the age of 21 he was commissioned a Cadet in the Regiment of the Spanish Guards. Only gentlemen of the nobility were enrolled in the Royal Guards which were regarded as the elite of the Spanish Army. Two years later Tueros saw action during the invasion of Portugal when Spain entered the Seven Years War. It was as a result of Spain's disastrous defeat in the conflict that King Charles III began an empire wide series of military reforms designed to prevent similar losses in the future. Large number of Spanish regular officers were dispatched to the New World to recruit, equip, and train new military units composed almost totally from American troops. Serving under the auspices of Lt. General Villalba, Tueros was one of a large number of Spanish officers sent to the Viceroyalty of New Spain in 1764. Upon arrival, he was made a Lieutenant in the newly raised Dragoon Regiment of Mexico. In 1771 Tueros was appointed the military governor of the newly discovered gold mines at La Cienguilla, near the mission of Caborca. After ten years of service in the Regiment of the Dragoons of Mexico, on January 28, 1775 Tueros was promoted to Captain. In 1777 Tueros transferred to presidial service when he assumed command of the Royal Presidio of Santa Gertrudis del Altar. Two years later, Tueros was named Interim Military Governor of Sonora, after Lt. Col. Juan Bautista de Anza had moved on to the Governorship of New Mexico. In 1779 Adjutant Inspector Roque de Medina arrived in Sonora to review the military garrisons in the province. As part of his official duties, Medina compiled a service record (hojas de servicio) on most of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the presidios. Excerpts from Captain Tueros' record reveal the following: " His age: 39 1/2. His country: the bay of Biscay. His character: Noble. His health: robust...Valor: He has it. Application: Accredited. Capacity: much. Conduct: distinguished. Status: single." Inspector Medina also noted that up to that time, Captain Tueros had participated in only a single foray against the Apaches, but had failed to contact the enemy. Nevertheless, Tueros had not only performed competently as Interim Military Governor, but he had also overseen the royal interests in the rough and tumble mining boom at the Real de la Cieneguilla, "to which he continuously marches and countermarches.

In concluding his report the Inspector concluded that Captain Tueros could expect regular promotions "for his notorious zeal and love of the royal service." In 1783 Tueros was appointed governor of Coahuila where he continued to campaign against Apaches and other Indians hostile to the Spanish. In 1791 he was named castellan of the fortress at Acapulco, but died several months after taking office. (SOURCES: (Medina, 1779 "Revista de Inspeccion...Altar"in AGI. Guadalajara, 277; Francisco R. Almada Diccionario de Historia, Geografia y Biografia Sonorenses; Luis Navarro Garcia, Don Jose de Galvez y la Comandancia General de las Provincias Internas del Norte de Nueva EspaZa

Reenacting the Spanish Military in Missouri

The Spanish were in Missouri?

That is a question members of our unit are often asked. While many people are familiar with the presence of Spanish authorities and military in other parts of North America, they are surprised to learn of the important role they played in the Midwest.

Why were they here? First, a little background information. Following the French and Indian War, France turned control of theLouisiana Territory over to Spain with the hopes of keeping the British out. For administrative purposes, the area was divided into upper and lower sections, with St. Louis being the seat of government for Upper Louisiana. Government officials and military personnel were assigned to St. Louis, a town of about 700 populated mainly by citizens of French descent. The regular military contingent was quite small for the large area it controlled. Their most severe test came in May of 1780. A trader brought word to St. Louis that a British force had been organized for the purpose of attacking the town, thereby gaining control of the Mississippi River.

Lieutenant Governor Fernando de Leyba called in the militias from the surrounding area and immediately set about constructing defenses. All told, the Spanish mustered thirty regulars and about 280 militia. The plan of defenses called for four stone towers connected by entrenchments that would surround the town, but time and resources allowed for only the partial completion of one tower (called Fort San Carlos) and most of the entrenchments. Five artillery pieces salvaged from an abandoned fort a few miles north were placed on the tower. The attack came on May 26. The British force was a mix of about 1200 soldiers, Canadian woodsmen, and Native Americans. The alarm was raised by some local citizens who were outside the defenses tending to fields and livestock. The regulars and the militia manned the trenches and the tower. De Leyba, who was quite ill (he died a month after the battle), went to the tower to direct the artillery. The British force had expected to find the Spanish unprepared and were quite surprised and dispirited by the ferocity of the defense. The attack soon lost its momentum, and the British and their allies retreated northward killing some unfortunate citizens still in the outlying areas. In his report to Galvez in New Orleans, de Leyba commended the militia for the manner in which they stood the test of battle.

Today, our unit, the Milicia de San Carlos, portrays the militia that served with the Spanish. We are a family oriented group based in St. Charles, Missouri. We have men, women, and children reenacting military and civilian life of the late Eighteenth Century. The military contingent consists of a small infantry company portraying regular Spanish soldiers and militia men. We also have a 4-pounder smoothbore cannon which is manned by an artillery crew. The unit hosts a military encampment each spring, with units from the French and Indian War through the War of 1812 participating. On Memorial Day Weekend each year we are part of a ceremony in St. Louis commemorating the Battle of Fort San Carlos. We also participate in military encampments at Fort de Chartres and Fort Massac in Illinois and Fort Madison in Iowa.

Although none of the members of our unit are actually of Spanish descent, we recognize the important role the Spanish played in our area. We try to bring that role to life for the public through our reenactment activities. For more information about the Milicia de San Carlos, contact: Bill Brecht 805 Longview Dr.

They have made fertile and fecund a portion of land they found as uncultivated wastes. Neve to Reyes, 1783, commenting on the Franciscans California Missions

Wise Saying

Un Loco Hace Cien. Only a fool argues with a fool.

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