Manuel de Sandoval

Manuel de Sandoval was a prominent military and the governor of Coahuila (1729–1733 ) and Texas (1734–1736)

Biography

Manuel de Sandoval was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the end of the 17th century, but as with other Spanish governor of Texas the exact date of his birth is unknown. In 1707, he joined the army of Santa Fe. Its military capabilities helped him progress from cadet to Captain of grenadiers of the regiment of Santa Fe. Sandoval participated in the army twenty years, until in 1729 the king appointed him governor of Coahuila, in Mexico today. He left the government of that city in 1733. Later, in early 1734, he was appointed governor of Texas. Sandoval lived most of his time as governor of Texas in San Fernando de Bexar, although Los Adaes was the state capital and San Fernando suffered constant attacks by the Apaches. In 1735, the French commander Louis Juchereau de St. Denis took the absence of Sandoval in Los Adaes to move the strong French Natchiloches to west of Red River,starting a French colonization in the region. Protests of Sandoval and Jose Gonzales, his deputy Los Adaes, made against the French strong were to no avail. Because the French invasion, and therefore, to his failure of political management in the state, the Viceroy, Juan Antonio de Vizarrón y Eguiarreta, decided that the best option would be to remove to Sandoval in his political office of Texas and replaced by Carlos Benites Franquis de Lugo in September 1736. After Lugo Franquis came into power, he ordered the arrest of Sandoval and accused him of seven counts of official misconduct. In 1737 the Viceroy called the two governors and ordered them to carry out an official accounting of their administrations. Although of they achieved the elimination of the charges against, Sandoval had to pay a $ 500 fine for not having lived in Los Adaes when he was governor of Texas and by not have book keeping. He spent several years in prison and in 1741 he was released from prison, declaring also able to continue to provide military and political services to the king. He settled in Mexico City, where he worked in professional the Sergeant Major of Urban Regimental of Commerce until his death.^[1]

The Sandoval case

The research conducted on the Sandoval case was extensive and covered some thirty volumes, which were added additional forty volumes that collected many of the above events occurred in Texas. This material was important when, in the early 19th century, were carried out negotiations between Spain, France and the United States on the eastern border of Texas.^[1]

References