Origins
Although Spain claimed control over the area now known as Texas, until the late 17th century the province was largely ignored. In an attempt to take advantage of Spain's disinterest, in 1685 France authorized Robert de La Salle to organize a colony in the area between New Spain and Florida. Although La Salle intended to locate his colony along the Mississippi River, poor maps and improper navigation decisions led the colonists to instead land near Matagorda Bay in Spanish Texas. Believing the French colony was a threat to Spanish mines and shipping routes, Spanish King Carlos II's Council of War recommended that "Spain needed swift action 'to remove this thorn which has been thrust into the heart of America. The greater the delay the greater the difficulty of attainment.'" After several years of searching, a Spanish expedition finally located the site of Fort Saint Louis in early 1689. Several months earlier, Karankawa Indians had destroyed the fort, killing most of the colonists. The Spanish expedition burned the remains of the French fort and buried the French cannons.
The leader of the expedition, Alonso De León, recommended that Spanish authorities establish presidios along the Rio Grande, the Frio River, and the Guadalupe River. Due to a shortage of funds, the Spanish government chose not to establish any presidios. From 1691 until 1693 several Spanish missions struggled in East Texas, but they finally failed, leaving Texas again ignored by Spain.
In the subsequent decades France established a presence in Louisiana, causing the Spanish to fear that France could become a threat to other Spanish areas. In 1716, Spain re-established missions in East Texas, this time accompanied by a presidio. After difficulties with France during the War of the Quadruple Alliance in 1719–1720, Spain became determined to increase their military presence in Texas. In 1721, the Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo, governor of Texas and Coahuila, founded Presidio La Bahia on the site of the former French fort. Nearby they established a mission, Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga (also known as La Bahia), for the Coco, Karankawa, and Cujane Indians. Ninety men were left at the garrison.
The priests at the nearby mission were unable to find an effective means to convince the Karankawa to submit to mission life or Catholic teachings. In April 1725 they requested that the mission be moved to a more favorable location. The following year, both mission and presidio were relocated 26 miles (42 km) inland, along the Guadalupe River in what is now Victoria County. For the next 23 years the mission and presidio remained in this location.
Read more about this topic: Presidio Nuestra Senora De Loreto De La Bahia
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