Martín de Alarcón

[1] Nothing came of this idea, and later in 1707 Alarcón authorized an expedition into Texas, primarily to dissuade the Indians in the area from becoming friendly with the French.

[4] In early 1716, the Spanish government authorized a second attempt to convert the Hasinai tribe of East Texas to Christianity.

Several of the soldiers assigned to the presidio brought their families with them, marking the first Spanish women recorded to enter Texas.

[10] As Alarcon journeyed to San Juan Bautista, the launching point for an attempt to resupply the missions, he received a letter from Father Olivares, alleging that Frenchman Louis Juchereau de St. Denis had established an illegal trade network along the Rio Grande.

[11] St. Denis was jailed during the four-month investigation, but Alarcon was unable to find proof that the presidial soldiers had–actively or passively–allowed illegal trade to flourish in the area.

[12] By the time the investigation ended, winter had begun, making it impractical for Alarcón to immediately proceed into Texas.

Given a status higher than a village (pueblo) but lower than a city (ciudad), San Antonio became the only villa in Texas, and the colonists who settled there relied on farming and ranching to survive.

They appointed two members, representing both the missionary schools of Querétaro and Zacatecas, to carry a personal appeal to Spanish authorities in Mexico City.

[17] Their missive not only detailed the deprivations they had endured and the perceived slowness of Alarcón's response, but also mentioned their fear that France would soon extend their settlements into Texas.

[19] Although la Harpe challenged Alarcón to remove the French trading post, Alarcon made no attempt to do so.