The Camino Real

 

The Camino Real

The late 17th century royal road which cut through Texas from Presidio del Rio Grande in Coahuilo Mexico passing into San Antonio de Valero and extended eastward to Los Adeas in present day Louisiana had a special purpose and has been called by many names, Camino Real de los Tejas, Camino Pita, Camino Arriba, Camino de en Medio, King's Highway, Old San Antonio Road.

Spain had a long legacy of ridding the Iberian Peninsula of Islam and reestablish a Christian faith and culture throughout the land. Its royal administrations coordinated all missionary activity in the new world combining civil and religious activity into one. Missions were most always set up with presidios (garrisons of protection) nearby. The upper reaches of Coahuila y Tejas were inhabited by native peoples of centuries old and missions were established to introduce the Christian faith and culture into their existing way of life. This was met with varying degrees of acceptance. The Apaches, Comanche, Coahuiltecan, Wichita, Neches, Tonkawa, Caddo, Karankawa had already laid a foundation of history in Texas by the time the Spanish came around in 17th century.

The camino real provided for access to the missions and presidios as well to defend the land from intrusions of outsiders who might want to come into the land to lay claim upon it. Spain was not all that interested in colonizing or settling as the upper reaches were inhospitable and very costly to do so. The inhabitants, already there, provided a source to convert to the faith and being primarily nomadic in nature, the missions' goals were to settle them into locals, christianize them and eventuallly let them grow into communities of citizens under Spain's administrations. It was primarily the cost factors which eventually led to the missions' success or failures. Settlements established at various places along the camino became Texas' earliest cities and communities and the camino has now been integrated into our modern system of highways.

Spain's requirement for designation of camino reales rested upon the Crown's royal privileges to connect economically important towns, capitals of provinces and mines possessing charters. The status of these villas, capitals, and mining areas were extended to the routes which were used by government officials, military and others doing business of the Crown. The Camino Real was a network of regional roads separately called Camino Pita, the Upper Presidio Road, the Lower Presidio Road (also called the Camino de en Medio), the Camino Arriba, and the San Antonio - Nacogdoches Road (Old San Antonio Road, which is demarked OSR on Texas highway maps and road signs).

Certain segments of these roads along which permitted travel also formed early political boundaries. The Lower Presidio Road separated expansive ranch lands claimed by the missions of Espada and San Jose.The Camino Real became the boundary of many empresario grants and later the county lines of many of the state's first subdivisions. The precise destinations of the various trails and routes being vague the certainly led to areas once known as Cibola, Apacheria, Comancheria, La Pita, and Tejas. River crossings were likely places to produce settlement and eventual cities. The Caddo village which became San Francisco de Los Tejas near the crossing of the Neches river was short lived as a mission however the road and river crossing is still in use today. Other river crossings at the Trinity, San Marcos, Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers were the foundation for the primary road between Los Adaes and the Rio Grande known as Camino de los Tejas. The pricipal routes between the Rio Grande and San Antonio  were known as the Camino Pita, the Upper Presidio Road, and the Lower Presidio Road (also called Camino de en Medio or Middle Road), it being the middle of three routes leading south from San Antonio. The lowest route was called the Laredo Road. The Upper Presidio Road crossed the Frio river near the Old Frio Town.

The historical routes northward of San Antonio traversed south-cantral Texas connecting East Texas and the Trinity river at several crossings. This segment of the Camino Real consisted of an Upper road and a Lower road. The Upper crossed near the springs of San Marcos river turning northward across the Blackland Prairie toward the confluence of the Little and Brazos rivers crossing along the way the Colorado river and Brushy Creek east of today's Austin and then the San Gabriel river (formerly known as Rio San Xavier).

A Lower route developed paralleling the earlier Upper route and was called by Stephen Austin on his maps as the Upper route (not to confused with the Upper route mentioned above). The Camino Arriba denoted on Austin's maps became known as Old San Antonio Road, Hwy 21 which led to East Texas crossing the Blanco and San Marcos rivers, and known later as San Antonio - Nacogdoches road. Granite markers along the route recognize the King's Highway or OSR. It is along this stretch many of the settlements of Mexican and Texas Republic located, along with some historic sites such as the Caddoan Mounds State Historical Park. Nearby the Neches river was forded following an old indian trail which ivnariably blends prehistoric, American Indian, European and Texan cultures on a singular point of the Texas landscape. The Angelina river crossing led to the community of Nacogdoches crossing the Bayou Loco. Continueing eastward crossing the Sabine river the Camino terminated at what today is Robeline, Louisiana.

The image and information come from the Texas Almanac which I highly recommend a visit, this is the url:
https://texasalmanac.com/topics/history/origins-camino-real-texas

2018 wrapup

Well friends it's been a wonderful year. Full of exciting things of surprise and wonders. The 23rd Congress of the republic of Texas has taken me on and I am learning all sorts of things about governance and law and legislation and other things of judical importance along with history and civil matters of yore as well as 21st century happenings. I've began a territory wide tour of county courthouses to understand the historical aspects of their architecture, courts of the various kind such as Justice of Peace courts, County courts, District courts, Courts of Appeal, and while I have not visited the Supreme court a visit to the capital will surely entail that tour. I have seen petitions for grievances, some jural assemblies gathered and others still in their creation stages. I've studied the process of liens and IRS court proceedings, and birth certificate reclamation. And still there is so much more to do and entertain.

There are scheduled on Mondays at 7pm cst teleconference calls for the jural assemblies, we are holding House of Representative conference meetings on the zoom internet channel on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, and meetings of the International Committee on conference calls. On January 12th, 2019 our regular session of congress will be held at the Iron Skillet in Weatherford, Texas; that begins at 9:30am. Notice of change of venue: Session will be held at Frisch Auf Valley Country Club in La Grange, Texas Republic due to scheduling foul-up by the Iron Skillet in Weatherford, And just so you know, all are welcome to come see for yourself what we do at the rT, and a hearty welcome to any who wish to participate by filling the vacant seats of office, Senators, House Representatives, Justices, Sheriffs, Clerks, Auditors and more are needed. You might just be the one who stands up for the task. So come on down or up or over, wherever you may be. If nothing else you can just watch and observe and learn something.

So until next post, enjoy the rest of the 12 days Christmas, the new year and whatever resolutions you may entertain.

I am your servant,
rT HouseRep Milam

Letter to the President of the republic of Texas, Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Chief Justice of Fannin county

and members of the 23rd congress of the republic of Texas,
Greetings:

I must say that I have learned so much so far with my representation of the people of Milam county. I am amazed at the history of this county of which I am domiciled upon. It gives me great pleasure to be part of the original department established by the Spanish occupiers of this land of the late 18th century, that being the municipality of Viesco of the department of Nacogdoches.

Wherein my part is on the land having the border described as Milam county as it stands (ab initio) as of the ninth congress of the republic of Texas, and,

Whereas the subsequent events, (including everything we (the rT) believe to be unlawful regarding the annexation) have divided the land into more political subdivision of which we (rT) are about the task of repairing.

Therefore, I am committing to continue due diligence of everything from Spain's turnover of the land to Mexico's receiving the land, to Mexico's independence and subsequent republic which allowed Moses Austin to negotiate his grant of colonization, to Stephen F. Austin's inheritance of said grant and subsequent empresario grant, as well the other grants of colonization negotiated by the several companies under different contracts, and the struggles of each whereby certain circumstances and their details were overcome, and

Whereas the breach of these individual contracts occurred by the perpetrators who gave rise to the settler's grievances enumerated in the declaration of independence and the subsequent events of war as a result of the rebellion from tyranny imposed upon the settlers which culminated in the independence of Texas as a  republic and a republican form of governance,

I furthermore commit to the people of Milam county, a due diligence to record and place into the annuls of history a compilation of events which have been recorded in several places of this world, and that being in the most obscured fashions and venues, which upon being brought to light and exposed to the truth of matters, will give rise to the people's acceptance of their inheritance of this land we call the republic of Texas.

I am truly,
Your servant, in the House of Representatives

rT HouseRep Milam,
Charles Goodwin
Dec. 22, 2018
by the Grace of our Lord,
Jesus Christ

The Making of Texas

Mexico declared its independence of Spain in 1821. The northern province of Coahuila y Tejas is the land which bordered the Louisiana territory which the U.S. purchased from France. The new Mexican government separated the northeastern part known as Tejas into three administrative departments named Bexar, Nacogdoches and Brazos.

From olden times the Indians traveled across this land back and forth from east to west on what was known as a trace. During Spanish occupation of the land this trace became known as the Spanish Trail which connected the settlements of French Natchitosis and Spanish Presidio. This trace still exists today as the historical Old Spanish Trail. The land predominantly being inhabited by the Cherokee tribes with various tribal names; the Spanish not particularly interested in inhabiting the land because it being quite inhospitable yet determined to keep others from doing so and entering into it to claim it for themselves, they would send patrols and built missions along the trace. The missions housed the padres who would invite the indians into the compounds and teach them Christianity. Some were amenable to the social aspect while others felt the need to raid and steal whereby the Spanish sent soldiers to maintain order and peace. This system of inhabiting and settling the land was not entirely ideal so the government created laws to facilitate colonization with strict codes of acceptance such as the requirement to be of the catholic faith, be of nobility and character and did not allow slavery. These things are mentioned to set the stage for what was about to happen and the extraordinary events which led to the land being known as Texas.

In 1832 the government authorized the creation of municipalities under an ayuntamiento or governing body and an alcalde of Chief magistrate, mayor and judge which provided for law and order, the building of roads and bridges, health and education of its residents.

The municipality included a town with surrounding territory and was subdivided into precincts under a Comisarios or justice of the peace and an alguacil or sheriff. By 1835 twelve municipalities existed in Texas named Austin, Bevil, Columbia, Gonzales, Harrisburg, Liberty, Matagorda, Mina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, Viesca and Washington. Within a year there would be 23 municipalities and it would be representatives of those municipalities that would meet at Washington on the Brazos on March 1st, 1836 and sign a declaration of independence from the Mexican government.

The boundaries of the municipalities being of a vague nature and not very well defined, the new government set up under the Republic of Texas would require a survey of the various settlements and defining the boundaries of and creation of the newly established counties. This continued for several years being the greater aspect of the fledgling republic. Any newly created counties by the Texas congress would require that they be petitioned of 100 free males (excluding slaves) and encompass no less than 900 square miles.

The decade prior to this point in time wherein the republic of Texas was populated and established gave rise to the Texas congress a body of legislation which had the wherewithal to accomplish something never before done in all of history. A nation was born and became accepted into the international communities of the world with legations and commerce in several world markets. The fact that it had a navy and merchant marine to sail the seas connecting to these world markets who themselves profited from this trade made Texas stand on its own merits and operate in a profit margin. Albeit the decade of its existence as the Republic of Texas was fraught with battles and surmounting debts and certain political intrigues, when Texas was finally annexed into the United States, It had accomplished freedom for its sovereign peoples, friendships with the indigenous tribes of Indians, peace with and the acceptance of the Mexican government, emissaries in France, Great Britain, and the United States, and a navy  which protected its shores three leagues out to sea with which the Texas coast is the only continental land mass with its boundary denoted as such.

Recapping the divisions of the land, beginning with the Spanish administrative departments of Bexar, Nacagdoches and Brazos, which gave to the establishment of twelve municipalities named Austin, Bevil, Columbia, Gonzales, Harrisburg, Liberty, Matagorda, Mina, Nacogdoches, San Augustine, Viesca and Washington. Independence of Mexico established the republic of Texas bicameral legislation congress which classified them counties each with their judiciaries of inferior courts and collectively with their district courts, and by petition of at least 100 of the residents of each county, the creation of new counties of which we will enumerate next.

annotation: Found more municipalities as such:

Jefferson and Tenehaw now totals 14 municipalities

Chief Justices of the County courts

 

In this post we encounter a joint resolution; whereby joint means the senate and the house of representatives come together in accord to resolve an issue, such as how to go about creating a county. In this case, by requiring the chief justices of the county courts to give information to the secretary of state. The joint resolution of both houses of congress (senate and house of representatives), resolved this issue by requiring a  description of the county boundaries and such other information and observations relative to the boundary of the county, as they may be conducive to the convenience of their citizens. Just what would be conducive to their convenience? Perhaps a gathering of the people at the local gathering place, convenient for all to get to, where the people talk about what would be important to their social network. Communication and a means for convenient talks would require certain things. Travel to and from a center of activity involving roads, bridges, and other ease of ingress. Commercial interests such as a local trading post to acquire the necessary implementation for farming or ranching, Buildings for churches and schoolhouses, perhaps a town center and of course the local courthouse. I am quite sure once the people gathered there would be plenty of ideas about convenience. To the reader, I would ask for comments on this subject and for those interested in commenting, consider yourself a part of this county where your input would be crucial to defining the county where you live and do your business of living. Herein we find ourselves becoming a community of free people choosing to govern ourselves for our convenience.

Now, your representatives in congress have done the following for you. This is how our founding fathers of this nation designed a government for and of the people. They, the representatives are your employees, to do your bidding.

JOINT RESOLUTION, Requiring the Chief Justices of the County Courts to give information to the Secretary of State, concerning the boundaries of their respective counties.
Resolved by the senate and house of representatives of the republic of Texas in congress assembled, That the chief justices of the several county courts of this republic be, and they are hereby required to furnish the secretary of state with a description of their county boundaries, and such other information and observations relative to the same, as they may conceive conducive to the convenience of their citizens, and said information is required to be furnished by the first day of May next.

IRA INGRAM,
Speaker of the house of representatives.
RICHARD ELLIS,
President pro ter. of the senate.
Approved, Dec. 17, 1836.
SAM. HOUSTON.

Captives and Prize Money

CAPTIVES AND PRIZE MONEY.

ART. 1. And be it further enacted, That all pay and emoluments of such officers and men of any of the vessels of the republic of Texas taken by an enemy, who shall appear, by the sentence of a court martial, or otherwise, to have done their utmost to preserve and defend their vessel, and after the taking thereof, have behaved themselves obediently to their superiors, agreeably to the discipline of the navy, shall go on and be paid them, until their death, their exchange, or discharge.

ART. 2. And be it further enacted, That the proceeds of all the vessels, and the goods taken on board of them, which shall be.

adjudged good prize, shall, when of equal or superior force to the, vessel making the capture, be the sole property of the captors; and when of inferior force, shall be divided equally between the government of Texas, and the officers and men making the capture.

ART. 3. And be it enacted, That the prize money belonging to

the officers and men shall be distributed in the following manner:

1st. To the commanding officers of a squadron, or a single vessel, three twentieths, of which the commanding officer of the  squadron shall have one twentieth, if the prize be taken by a vessel under his command; and the commander of a single vessel two twentieths: but when a prize is taken by a vessel acting independently of such superior officer, the- three twentieths shall belong to the commander.

2d. To sea lieutenants, captains of marines, and sailing masters,

two twentieths; but when there is a captain, without a lieutenant of marines, these officers shall be entitled to two twentieths and one third of a twentieth, which third, in such cases shall be deducted from the share of the officers mentioned in article number 3 of this section.

3d. To chaplains, lieutenants of marines, surgeons, pursers,

boatswains, gunners, carpenters, and masters' mates, two twentieths.

4th. To midshipmen, surgeon's mates, captain's clerk, schoolmaster, boatswain's mates, gunner's mates, carpenter's mates, ship's stewards, sail makers, master-at-arms, armorers, cockswains and coopers, three twentieths and a half.

5th. To gunner's yeoman, boatswain's yeoman, quartermasters,

quarter gunners, sail maker's mates, sergeants and corporals of

marines, drummers, fifers, and extra petty officers, two twentieths and a half.

6th. To seamen, ordinary seamen, marines, and all other persons doing duty on board, seven twentieths.

7th. Whenever one or more public vessels are in sight, at the

time any one or more vessels are taking a prize or prizes, they shall all share equally in the prize or prizes, according to the number of men and guns on board each vessel in sight.

IRA INGRAM,

Speaker of the house of representatives.
RICHARD ELLIS,
President pro tem. of the senate.
Approved, Dec. 15, 1836.
SAM. HOUSTON.

An Act to Define the Boundaries of the Republic of Texas

Before the end of the year 1836 congress was determined to identify the land and sea boundaries of the nation. The Texas navy had superiority of the gulf of Mexico which gave them rights to a distance of three leagues offshore from the mouth of the Sabine river to the effluence of the Rio Grande river and its mouth and thence up stream to its source and then due north to the 42nd latitude, as defined by treaty between U S and Spain. These boundaries were to be used in negotiations with the United States as soon as the public interests dictated the necessity. 

AN ACT, To define the Boundaries of the Republic of Texas.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the republic of Texas, in congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act, the civil and political jurisdiction of this republic be. and is hereby declared to extend to the following boundaries, to wit: beginning at the mouth of the Sabine river, and running west along the Gulf of Mexico three leagues from land, to the mouth of the Rio Grande, thence up the principal stream of said river to its source, thence due north to the forty-second degree of north latitude, thence along the boundary line as defined in the treaty between the United States and Spain, to the beginning: and that the president be, and is hereby authorized and required to open a negotiation with the government of the United States of America, so soon as in his opinion the public interest requires it, to ascertain and define the boundary line as agreed upon in said treaty.

IRA INGRAM,

Speaker of the house of representatives.

RICHARD ELLIS,

President pro tem. of the senate.

Approved, Dec. 19, 1836.

SAM. HOUSTON.

--- as published in the Laws of the Republic of Texas. 

Five warships approved for the Texas Navy

AN ACT Providing for an increase of the Navy.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the republic of Texas, in congress assembled, That the present naval force of the Republic shall be, as soon as practicable, increased by the building or purchase of the following number and description of vessels, viz: One sloop of war, mounting twenty four guns, and of such a draft of water as will enable her to enter the port of Galveston; also two armed steam vessels, drawing, when loaded, not exceeding six feet water, built upon the most approved plan, and capable of transporting seven hundred and fifty men and provisions each: and two. schooners mounting eleven guns each, carrying two topsails, and not to draw over eight feet and a-half water.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the president shall forthwith, by and with the consent of the senate, appoint some proper person, or persons, whose duty it shall be to proceed immediately to the Unifed (sic) States of America, and purchase or contract for and superintend the building of the above named number and description of vessels.

IRA INGRAM,

Speaker of the house of representatives.

MIRABEAU B. LAMAR,

President of the senate.

Approved, Nov. 18, 1836.

SAM. HOUSTON.

...as published in the Laws of the Republic of Texas, 1836

appointing the President's Cabinet

An act by the senate and house of representatives of the republic of Texas, in congress assembled, has been approved this day on October 25, 1836 authorizing President Sam Houston, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, in addition to the secretary of state, a secretary each of the treasury, war, and navy departments; also an attorney general; which officers, when so appointed, shall constitute the president's cabinet.  The president is hereby authorized to fill any vacancies in said offices, which may occur during the recess of the senate, either by death or resignation.  The speaker of the house of representatives by two-thirds majority vote of the house is Ira Ingram and the president of the senate, by election by the delegates assembled to the office of vice president is Mirabeau B. Lamar, and both approving this act, the first act of the republic of Texas congress, 1836, and being recorded in the "Laws of the Republic of Texas".

"... of the land known as the Republic of Texas"

Inhabiting the land, as opposed to owning the land, is actually more politically correct if it's to the relationship one is referring. One may have a deed to the land but owning it is not exactly a relation, it is the possession of a deed which implies a particular boundary of the land upon which one occupies and what one does with or to the land while occupying said land; it may be referred to as dwelling upon, domiciled on, residing upon, and other such terminology that defines why one stays and passes the deed on to one's heirs. Legal terminology in earlier years refer to this apparent "owning the land" as being a freeholder, inferring that the land itself does not belong to anyone but the Maker of all things. 

Now, with that being said, we may continue with the progress of civilization and expansion of a realm by defining certain boundaries and demarcations. Particular reference given to the land known as the republic of Texas during which time the land grants issued by the Mexican authorities to the colonists and settlers coming into the land from the north, east, and by way of the gulf of Mexico as well the grants issued by the nation Spain previously, and while on the subject of dwelling upon the land, let's not forget those indiginous peoples of ages beforehand of whom were persecuted merely for being there first by those who came after and who never referred to themselves as owning the land.

By 1840 the land had been divided into geographic regions denoted as grants and now further divided into counties. From the Louisiana border of the united States, there were the counties of Red River in the north and also bordering the Ozark district of Arkansas, and traveling to the south the counties of Harrison, Shelby, Sabine and San Augustine, Jasper, and Jefferson which was ported by the Sabine inlet and Sabine Lake and beached by the gulf of Mexico. Located west along the gulf were the counties of Liberty, Harris, and Galveston ported by the Galveston Bay. Brazoria county may have been ported by Galveston bay via the Clear creek, but whether it had a port is a matter of further study. Moving westward from Brazoria county are Matagorda, Jackson, and Victoria counties protected by the Matagorda Bay with its Passa Cavalla and the Mala pass, navigating the gulf west by southwest from Victoria is Refugio county ported by Aransas Bay and protected by St. Joseph's Island, and to the south is San Patricio county protected by Padre Island and Braso Santiago and ported by the Rio Bravo of which is the southern boundary and access to inland routes by way of Matamoros, Rhinoso, Mier, and Laredo which borders Bexar county. Navigating the Rio Bravo northwesterly Bexar county is accessed by inland route at Presidio de Rio Grande, at the southeast corner of Bexar county and moving eastward are Goliad and Gonzales counties, Colorado and La Fayette counties, Fort Bend and Navasoto counties, Harris and Montgomery counties, and Liberty county, which bordering on the north are San Augustine, Nacogdoches, and Houston counties, which are bordered on the west by Robertson. Traveling again westward is Milam extending northwest into the prairies of Cameron's grant and westward into Woodbury & Companies grant and Comanche indians land. These are subdivisions of the land as denoted on Gen'l Austin's Map of Texas 1840 and published by H. D. Tanner, Philidelphia.