Spanish response French colonization of Texas

map of fort saint louis drawn member of spanish expedition discovered french colony in 1689. marks river, colony s structures, , location of cannons.

the spanish government felt french colony threat mines , shipping routes, , carlos ii s council of war thought spain needed swift action remove thorn has been thrust heart of america. greater delay greater difficulty of attainment. spanish had no idea find la salle, , in 1686 sent sea expedition , 2 land expeditions try locate colony. although expeditions unable find la salle, did narrow search area between rio grande , mississippi. 4 spanish expeditions following year failed find la salle, helped spain better understand geography of gulf coast region.

in 1688, spanish sent 3 more expeditions, 2 sea , 1 land. land expedition, led alonso de león, discovered jean gery, had deserted french colony , living in southern texas coahuiltecans. using gery translator , guide, de león found french fort in late april 1689. fort , 5 crude houses surrounding in ruins. several months before, karankawa had attacked settlement. destroyed structures , left bodies of 3 people, including woman had been shot in back. spanish priest had accompanied de león conducted funeral services 3 victims. chronicler of spanish expedition, juan bautista chapa, wrote devastation god s punishment opposing pope, pope alexander vi had granted indies exclusively spanish. remains of fort destroyed spanish, buried french cannons left behind. spanish later built fort on same location.

carlos de sigüenza y góngora created map of matagorda bay (known spanish san bernardo bay) based on sketches alonso de león s 1689 expedition. fort saint louis marked f , , la belle identified navío quebrado , or broken ship .

in 1689, spanish authorities received plea, written in french. jumano scouts had received these papers caddo, asked delivered spanish. papers included parchment painting of ship, written message jean l archevêque. message read:

i not know sort of people are. french[;] among savages[;] among christians such are[.] ... solely grieved among beasts these believe neither in god nor in anything. gentlemen, if willing take away, have send message. ... deliver ourselves you.

de león later rescued l archeveque , companion jacques grollet. on interrogation, men maintained on 100 of french settlers had died of smallpox, , others had been killed native americans. people known have survived final attack talon children, had been adopted karankawa. according children, settlement had been attacked around christmas of 1688, , remaining settlers had been killed.