LA PRESIDIO NUESTRA SENORA DE LOS DELORES
La Presidio Nuestra Senora de Los Delores was erected by Domingo Ramone in the summer of 1716. It was later repaired by the Marquis De Aguayo in 1722. The plan of the fort is the work of Aguayo. The fort overlooked Los Torres, or Mill Creek, near the intersection of the lower Douglas Road and the road from Douglas to Wells just west of Nacogdoches, Texas. This presidio was erected and garrisoned to protect the three Missions in the near Nacogdoches vicinity.
La Presidio Nuestra Senora de Los Delores was abandoned in 1731. (Drawing by the author).
In 1717 father Margil de Jesus and Father Francois Hidalgo established two missions further to the east, La Mission Nuestra de Los Delores among the Ais Indians, near the present day city of San Augustine, Texas, and on the first day of St. Michael the Archangel, September 29, 1717 established La Mission de San Miguel Cuellar de Los Adais, among the Adais Indians, one mile north of present Robeline, Louisiana.
At this moment Father Francois Hidalgo’s vision had come into being—after twenty-five years of dreaming, he had established his chain of missions to the very end of the Texas Country.
With the establishment of this last mission among the Adais Indians just fifteen miles away from the French post at Natchitoches, both the French and Spanish realized that each must maintain settlements so as to hold the territories thus far gained.
War broke out between France and Spain in 1719 and in that same year Phillipe Blondell from the French post among the Natchitoches Indians, raided the mission among the Adais and allowed one prisoner to escape after making known to him that the French were coming in multitudes to drive the Spanish back. This caused a withdrawal of all Spanish Missions in the Texas area as far as San Antonio.
Every country has its “man of the minute”, and this country of New Spain was no exception. He offered his wealth and abilities to restore the Texas missions and to re-occupy the Texas country. The new governor of Coahuile and the Texas region was the Marquis de San Miguel de Aguayo, his title was Don Joseph de Alzar, Knight Commandante de Aragon, Governor and Captain General of the Provinces of Texas-New Phillippines and of Coahuile, New Kingdom of Estrandura—and he had earned every one.
LA MISSION DE SAN MIGUEL DE CUELLAR DE LOS ADAIS