minor correspondence on routine aspects of the department, and a slight clashing between the new comisario and the habilitados, there was nothing in connection with Herrera's administration during this year that requires notice.[1]
Herrera, however, was not the only official who arrived on the Morelos in July 1825. The vessel brought also to California Lieutenant Miguel Gonzalez in command of a detachment of artillerymen, who was immediately made a captain, and became comandante de armas at Monterey by virtue of his rank. There also came, probably in this vessel, and certainly about this time, three more alféreces, or sub-lieutenants, Antonio Nieto, Rodrigo del Pliego, and José Perez del Campo, the first being in command of a small body of infantry sent as a guard to eighteen convicts condemned to presidio life in California for various offences. With few exceptions, the new-comers, whether officers, soldiers, or convicts, were Mexicans of a class by no means desirable as citizens.[2]
- ↑ Oct. 10th, Lieut Estrada speaks of complaints of Echeandía through the comandante of Monterey, and calls for a statement of charges for supplies. Oct. 31st, Herrera is willing to furnish the account, though there are some mission items of supplies to escoltas that cannot be included yet. Vallejo, Doc., MS., i. 98. Nov. 17th, the habilitado of Sta Bárbara objects to the comisario exacting accounts of the mission supplies, etc. He says the company will pay its own debts if the funds due it are supplied. Dept St. Pap., Ben. Com. and Treas., MS., i. 6. Dec. 6th, Herrera says that public creditors are many and resources small. The government expects him to make a just distribution of the small revenue he controls; and he will make to the public a respectful statement of his administration. Guerra, Doc., MS., vi. 148-9.
General mention of Herrera's appointment and arrival. See Mexico, Mem. Hacienda, 1826, p. 27, by which it appears that he was appointed on Feb. 8th; Dept St. Pap., MS., iii. 209-10; Leg. Rec., MS., i. 282-3; Dept St. Pap., Ben. Com. and Treas., MS., i. 12; St. Pap, Sac., MS., xiv. 2. He is called comisario subalterno, comisario sub-principal, comisario provisional, administrator sub-principal, comisario de guerra, sub-comisario, treasurer, superintendent of customs, etc.
- ↑ The number of the soldiers, both artillery and infantry, is not recorded. Vallejo, Hist. Cal., MS., ii. 62-6, and Alvarado, Hist. Cal., MS., ii. 110-14, confound this arrival of convicts with the later ones of 1830. A list of the 18 convicts who started is given in St. Pap., Sac., MS., X. 20-2, and of the 17 who arrived, in Dept St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., lvii. 3, besides mention of several of the number in Id., li. 2-3. Eight or nine came with definite sen-
15th, Herrera to Argüello, explaining his reasons for not obeying, and alluding to other communications. Dept St. Pap., MS., i. 105. It is likely that Echeandía gave the order in the interest of his own popularity, knowing that it could not be obeyed.
