MDDM: Ch. 33 Fort Pitt/Don Vicente

[jbor]

Scott wrote:

> Rob:
>>> 330.18 'The attempt to relieve Fort Pitt continues'
>>> http://www.fortpittmuseum.com/History.html :
>>> 'Though never attacked by the French, Native American forces
>> from May 27 to
>>> August 9, 1763 besieged Fort Pitt.'  But this is January...?
>> 
>> But I think it's January 1764.
> 
> You're right. I think I meant that January '64 would have been *after* the
> siege of Fort Pitt, but my screwing up the year is a likely possibility as
> well...anyhow, from that same link: 'Colonel Henry Bouquet led British
> troops in a victory over Native American forces in the Battle of Bushy Run,
> thereby lifting the siege on Fort Pitt.'

It hit me you probably meant the siege had already ended after I sent the
post. So ... perhaps it hinges on the meaning of "attempt to relieve". Maybe
reinforcements and supplies were still being sent in, and there were
ambushes ... ? Cf. mention of "reverberations" from the massacres which
happened during the latter part of 1763 as well.

Looking again at the reference to Don Vicente López at 338.15 (and to "Don
Vicente" in Tox's 'Pennsylvaniad' at 339.5) I note that the New Castle
Commissioners talk about "the era" as being "fifteen years ago", which would
make it about 1749-1750. So I suspect the reference is to Spanish
settlements and activity along the Rio Grande at about that time. If this is
the case, then perhaps "Don Vincente" is Don Vicente Guerra:

    When Escandón came north again in May, 1750, Vicente Guerra, a prominent
    rancher from Coahuila, presented him with a proposal to settle
    twenty-six families at the junction of the Salado and the Rio Grande
    near modern-day Nuevo Guerrero. Guerra even offered to settle the
    colonists at no expense to the government. Escandón, acting favorably on
    Guerra's petition, consequently gave permission for the founding of the
    third settlement on the Rio Grande: Villa de San Ignacio de Revilla.
    Later known as Guerrero, the town of Revilla was established on October
    10, 1750. It would prosper well into the twentieth century.

http://riceinfo.rice.edu/armadillo/Past/Book/Part2/escandon.html

http://members.aol.com/tejasjj/baptism.html

http://home.att.net/~PTrodriguez.ptrinform/colonist.htm

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/print/EE/uzeuj.html

So maybe the "López" is another error? A mix-up with that later family of
Spanish settlers Dave Monroe found?

best