JUAN DE VILLALBA.

403

General Villalba began his labors at Vera Cruz by reconstructing the old Corona into a cavalry regiment,3 which was thereupon called the España; he then proceeded to the capital with the other generals to continue the work of organization. The pay of each rank was at once established. The Mexican privates it was decided should be drawn by lot from the male population; but this scheme was not then enforced, and that of voluntary enlistment was for a time adopted.

It had been intended by the supreme government to raise one regular regiment of dragoons, and three others of militia, light cavalry, and dragoons; and six regiments, with twelve companies each, of militia infantry, the calculation being that the number of militiamen would reach 25,000.*

The development of the system was left to General Villalba, under the orders of the viceroy as the captain-general. In order to smooth the way, the officers were instructed to maintain the most cordial relations with the people, and to make the necessity for the change evident to them. Every effort to render the military service attractive was resorted to. Members of the nobility and gentry were induced to accept commissions in the provincial militia by granting them the fuero militar" and such other distinctions as would

flatter their pride. The viceroy had the choice of

With the Corona and the dragoon companies, and men brought from Spain. Some of the officers and men of the former were made into a third battalion for the América. Villalba lowered the pay of those troops, and of the artillerists, and did other things 'sin anuencia del Rey,' possibly meaning the virey. Panes, Vir., in Monum. Dom. Esp., MS., 120.

This plan eventually had to be abandoned. The treasury could not defray the expense of maintaining an army of regular troops, which would be no less than three million pesos yearly. In view of this, the king approved in 1787 and 1788 a plan of Colonel Francisco Antonio Crespo, and ordered its execution with a few modifications. It was put in practice in 1789. Branciforte, Instruc., MS., 14-15; Flores, Instruc., MS., 26-29.

"It was defined in a royal order of March 26, 1782, that the fuero militar belonged to members of the militia only when they were in actual service. Cedulario, MS., i. 69, 82. In Reales Cédulas, MŠ., ii. 58-63, appear the military regulations enacted from 1766 to 1785; rules and regulations for the militia issued in 1767, and tactics for dragoons decreed in 1768; privileges of soldiers in making their wills, and in the settlement of their estates, all former grants being confirmed, and new ones added in the royal order of December 16, 1762, and July 21, 1766.

colonels and lieutenant-colonels, and the inspector might select the other officers with the viceroy's sanction. The only able-bodied men excluded from the ranks were negroes and Indians. The castas, or various grades of mixed breeds, might be admitted to the number of one third in each company, and regiments of any certain color might be formed. The different localities were to pay for the clothing and other needed articles, the government furnishing

arms.

The two companies of the viceroy's guard were mustered out of service, and the palace was thereafter guarded by the troops of the garrison, the halberdiers being retained. Dissension soon arose between the viceroy and General Villalba, the latter assuming independent powers, in which he seemed to have been upheld by some of the officers brought by him from Spain, and even failed to pay the viceroy honors that were due him. His course was disapproved by the crown, and an order issued for him and the mariscales Zayas and Ricardos to return to Spain."

8

The provincial regiments were intended to replace the old urban companies. Colored men serving in them were exempted from personal taxation. Ordenes de la Corona, MS., i. 134-5. All military officers were exempt from taxation by royal decree of May 4, 1760. Providencias Reales, MS., 52. The task of raising white troops was not an easy one. As late as 1775, a committee appointed by the government to aid in developing the military defences, declared both the old Spaniards and their descendants unreliable; for at the least rumor of war they would disappear, there being in them none of the old Roman or Greek spirit. Plan de Defensa, MS., 424, in Col. Diar. The white natives had no taste for the military service. Of the enlisted men many deserted, despite the measures adopted from time to time, between 1773 and 1810, to uphold discipline, and to check vice and desertions, and other violation of the articles of war, which were not very successful. Reales Ordenes, i. 254-8; Arrillaga, Recop. (1836), 323–4, (1839), 298-300; Gaz. Méx. (1788–9), iii. 339-41; (1792-3), v. 529-31; (1802-3), xi. 37-8, 211-15; Revilla Gigedo, Bandos, ii. no. 6; Diario Méx., ix. 319-20, xiii. 505-6. It is not surprising that desertions were common when we consider that the government forced and accepted into the service some very bad characters. Real Cédula (May 7, 1775), in Cedulario, MS., iii. 15-23; Estalla, xxvi. 334-5. The natives either could not endure the strict discipline, or disliked the dress or food, or may be, el aseo, como poco acostumbrados á él desde su nacimiento.' Villarroel, Enferm. Polit., in Bustamante, Voz de la Patria, v. 166-7.

Reales Cédulas, MS., i. 10.

A colonel was suspended and placed under arrest in consequence, and was released and reinstated only by Cruíllas' successor. Vir. Instruc., MS., 1st ser. no. 9, 1--8.

'The marqués de Rubí was sent to inspect the provincias internas, and

ARRIVAL OF TRANSPORTS.

10

405

After this, the organization of the forces was left to the viceroy, who was an experienced soldier. But, as Great Britain had in her North American colonies the material for an army, and in Jamaica a naval station, and was thus in a position to strike at any moment a blow against New Spain, the government deemed the forces already organized insufficient, and several regiments were despatched from Spain. By the 18th of June 1768, there had arrived at Vera Cruz on the frigate Astrea and seven transports the regiments Saboya, Flandes, and Ultonia. Later came the Zamora, Granada, Castilla, and Guadalajara.11 Each regiment was of three battalions. The veteran force now in the country consisted of 10,000 men. Their uniform was white, with trimmings of different colors to distinguish the regiments. For this reason the people nicknamed them blanquillos. The office of sub-inspector, formerly held by a maestre de campo, was created with larger powers and importance; he had the direct management of the troops. The marqués de Rubí was appointed to it. His superior in Spain was the inspector-general, who at that time was the conde O'Reilly.13 The chief duty of this officer was the discipline of the troops. From time to time his functions were more clearly defined till 1806, when

General Palacios was made governor of Vera Cruz. Panes., Vir., in Monum. Dom. Esp., MS., 120–1.

10 Such an emergency had been foreseen, as appears in the correspondence of the marqués de Croix with Minister of State Arriaga in 1776. Bustamante, Suplem., in Cavo, Tres Siglos, iii. 6.

11 The secretary of war of Mexico in an official report gives these names: Ultonia, Saboya, América, Asturias, Granada, and Zamora. Mex., Mem. Guerra, 1835, 9. The fact was that the Asturias came out in a ship of the line in June 1776. Gomez, Diario, in Doc. Hist. Mex., 2d ser., vii. 22.

1 The officer was called cabo subalterno, or segundo cabo. Some years after a doubt having occurred whether he should take the command in chief in the event of the viceroy's death, the crown, on the 10th of January 1786, decided the point in the negative, adding that in that event he was merely to command the forces subject to the real acuerdo. He was declared to have no prerogative. Reales Ordenes, MS., iii. 158.

13 From this time Mexico assumed a military aspect, and retained it ever after. Bustamante, Suplem., in Caro, Tres Siglos, iii. 6. A provisional regulation for the army was issued in 1774. Bucareli, Reglamento, 1-32. In this same year was decreed the creation of a cuerpo de inválidos, which was organized in 1779. Mex., Mem. Guerra, 1840, 37-39.

it was ordered that every three years he should personally inspect the troops, not only those stationed at the capital, but those in the provinces, and if unable to do this on account of ill health, the fact was to be confidentially made known to the king by the viceroy or captain-general.14

Fears of war with Great Britain having ceased in 1772, the government mustered out of garrison duty three of the native regiments,15 though the drilling of the militia was continued. The troops from Spain were successively sent back, and from the last of them, the Zamora, were retained the necessary officers, sergeants, and corporals for perfecting the organization of the provincial militia. Later, the occupation by the British of the Philippines, and the revolution in England's colonies in North America, again warned Spain of the necessity of being prepared for an emergency. But no preparations were made. At the end of the war of 1783, when the coasts of Spanish America were threatened, and the forts of Omoa and San Juan de Nicaragua were taken by the English, she resolved further to increase her military establishment in Mexico, creating in 1788 the regiments Nueva España and México, and the next year the Puebla. The French revolution deeply affected Spain, and the revolt of Santo Domingo gave rise to the creation of the Fijo de Vera Cruz in 1793. The Nueva España, México, and Puebla were afterward sent away to serve in Cuba, Santo Domingo, Louisiana, and Florida.16 But between 1789 and 1794 the

14 The king wished it distinctly understood that the office had been created to be useful to the royal service, and not to be a mere additional authority in the country. Cedulario, MS., 25.

15 The government always was apprehensive that the natives, with arms in their hands, might revolt. Hence the policy of transporting and maintaining at heavy expense in Mexico one or two regiments of Spaniards. But nothing was really gained by it. A few months after the arrival of such troops they were of little use. Officers and men pursued pleasure and vice, and discipline became relaxed. Some of the privates got themselves mustered out of service, and others deserted; and when a regiment went back to Spain it was much smaller than when it came out. Villarroel, Enferm. Polit., in Bustamante, Voz de la Patria, v. 167.

16 From Habana these regiments were despatched upon the useless expe

PROVINCIAL ORGANIZATIONS.

407

force, both of regular and provincial troops, had been reduced to 4,767 men."7

Having thus spoken of the regular force in Mexico, I have to add a few remarks on the provincial and urban organizations. Each infantry regiment had two battalions, and each battalion1s five companies, including that of grenadiers. The effective force in time of peace was 825 rank and file, and in time of war 1,350. Each cavalry regiment had four squadrons with 361 men in time of peace, and 617 in time of war. The conscription age was from 14 to 40 years inclusive, taken first from the unmarried men; but if the ablebodied of a district did not cover the requisition, then the married were conscripted. Officers' commissions were given by the viceroy, subject to confirmation by the crown.19 The provincial regiments already organized were disbanded about 1788 by the conde de Revilla Gigedo, and their arms taken to the royal warehouses in Mexico, Perote, and Vera Cruz. They were, however, restored by his successor after 1794.20 It was dition of Bayajá, where, by the 'cobardía de un oficial extrangero,' the honor of one of them suffered. They gradually returned to Mexico several years after, almost skeletons. General Apodaca brought the Puebla and one battalion of the México very much reduced. Those troops cost a great deal of money, and did no useful service to Mexico. Bustamante, Medidas, MS., 55-6. It was not the first time that Mexico sent military assistance to another Spanish colony. In 1761, news having come that hostile Indians were attempting to capture the fort at Panzacola, 200 infantry and some artillerymen under command of Colonel Luis Ortiz Parrilla was sent there, who arrived in season, and the difficulty was terminated without bloodshed. Panes, Vir., in Monum. Dom. Esp., MS., 119.

17 Certainly not enough for general defence, though the conde de Revilla Gigedo had deemed a larger force unnecessary. Branciforte, Instruc., MS., 13-14. He thus decided against the order of the court; but finally organized the first Batallon Fijo de Vera Cruz, which was later increased till in 1809 it had three battalions. Bustamante, Medidas, MS., 56. The same viceroy in 1792 had two companies of light infantry created, each with three officers, and eighty men rank and file, costing for the two companies $27,816 per year. Revilla Gigedo, Bandos, no. 69.

18 A royal order of 1798 placed each battalion under a lieutenant-colonel. Arrillaga, Recop. (1830-6), 508-9.

19 Diario, Mex., v. 162-320, 389, 554; vi. 12-32, 159-376; vii. 48–254; viii. 112, 414; ix. 548. Gaz. Mex. (1784), i. 199, 287-8. Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, i. 180, asserts that the nominations, made by the ayuntamientos, were often awarded for money to the highest bidders, though in some instances the money was applied to the fitting-out of the forces.

20 In 1798 was organized the Michoacan dragoon regiment, and a small company near Cape San Lucas in Lower California. Azanza, Instruc., MS., 172-3, 187.