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Document 61: Report of the Council of the Indies Concerning Petitions Made by Baltasar Domínguez de Mendoza, Madrid, October 1, 1694
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Military Service Records 277 for the punishment and reduction of the Apache Indians of the cordilleras of the west and that which was made into New Mexico, he went with the first as head of troop and division. He killed fifteen of their men and captured thirty-five and rescued the persons they were holding as slaves. And in the second in which he was put in charge of a division of sixty soldiers, he destroyed more than 2,500 fanegas of maize belonging to the natives, capturing the Apache Indians. And on several occasions he burned, sacked, and destroyed their milpas, houses, and sowings, which brought about the submission of various nations. In these encounters he received two wounds, running great risk, all of which I related in the certifications mentioned, [and in] the original titles and commissions which are authorized and verified by the cabildo of the villa of Santa Fe, capital of the kingdom of New Mexico . [The cabildo] relates that the said don Baltasar de Mendoza is a legitimate son of don Juan Domínguez de Mendoza who performed the services which are described, and that he has a brother, and that both of them together with their father have served as soldiers in that kingdom and its provinces in its conquest, pacification, and reduction. In particular all three [served] in the expedition of the east which was made in 1684 by order of General don Domingo de Jironza. Madrid, August 19 of the year 1694. Notes 1. BNE, Madrid, MSS 92581, photos 88–91. 2. In the version of this document preserved in AGI, Indiferente, 133, N. 142 (Relación de méritos y servicios de Baltasar Domínguez de Mendoza), this statement appears later in the document, and the entire statement is crossed out, indicating an error in the statement and the need for its deletion. Document 61 Report of the Council of the Indies Concerning Petitions Made by Baltasar Domínguez de Mendoza Madrid, October 1, 16941 Duque de Montalbo. Conde de Villaumbrosa. Conde de Cifuentes. Don Bernardino de Valdes. Sir: By decree of August 2 last of this year Your Majesty was pleased to remit a memorial of don Baltasar Domínguez y Mendoza in order that we might take it under consideration and report our opinion to Your Majesty. 278 Part One He relates in the memorial that his father, don Juan Domínguez de Mendoza, served for forty-four years in the wars of New Mexico, where he himself served as a soldier. When they were both coming to these kingdoms, they were shipwrecked on the sea, losing everything they had with them, and afterward his father died. And, for the services of both, he begs Your Majesty to be pleased to grant him a future right to succeed the governorship of New Mexico when it becomes vacant, or to the alcaldía mayor of Sonora. With regard to this representation, the cámara, in view of the state of the two offices the future right to which this party seeks, finds that by Your Majesty’s favor the first is being served by don Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján, and that don Pedro [Rodríguez] Cubero holds the right to succeed him, and that both made a pecuniary contribution for it. The alcaldía mayor of Sonora was also granted to Captain don Melchor Ruiz in return for a pecuniary consideration; and because he arrived in Mexico in poor health, he resigned it. The viceroy had received an order from Your Majesty to employ don Domingo Jironza Petríz y Cruzate in the governorship of New Mexico (because of the excellent progress he made with regard to the reduction of various Indian nations who were in revolt) and, being unable to put this into effect because don Diego de Vargas is serving there, as has been said, he placed don Domingo Jironza in possession of the alcaldía mayor of Sonora. In the past, this [office] has been at the disposal of the governor of Nueva Vizcaya. At the petition of don Juan Bautista de la Rea, upon whom Your Majesty has conferred this office, it has been conceded that during the time he may govern no appointment to this alcaldía mayor is to be made. For these reasons, and in particular because it is against the royal orders of Your Majesty to present candidates for the right to succeed to office when they become vacant...