Notes: Like
many of the Romeros, Ignacio had lived most all of his
thirty years in the San Luis Valley. He was the son of Jose Romero, brother of Diego Romero.
He was married
to Andrea Bojorquez, and their three children, who
fled with them to Terrenate after the outbreak of the
Pima uprising of 1751, were fourteen, ten, and four
years old. The two oldest had been baptized at Suamca
by Father Keller. The youngest was baptized by Father
Garrucho at Guevavi. Father Garrucho had also buried
two of their children in the church at Guevavi. A
deputy justicia mayor, it was Ignacio Romero who
should have issued the warrant for Pedro Chihuahua's
arrest, if one was to be issued. He felt that the
soldiers had authority over him, however, in a state
of war. He pointed Pedro out to them in the large
crowd that was fleeing to Terrenate, but he did not
know then and did not find out until after the
execution why the arrest was taking place. Ignacio was
dispatched to Terrenate by Captain Menocal and was not
present at the execution. He was not convinced of
Pedro's guilt and claimed that their children were
playing together when the arrest took place. His son,
Cristóbal Ivislao, and Pedro's son, José Cristóbal
were the same age. We do not have Ignacio's exact
birthdate but he was over forty in December, 1753. He
made the following statement concerning the Pima
uprising during the investigation of 1754:
Luis arrived at the house of the Padre who had been
advised of his arrival by a servant. The Padre was
occupied with me. I had gone there for a particular
negotiation and was making the same in the presence of
the said Francisco Gil, domestic of the Father.
Because of this the Father told the servant to tell
Luis to wait a little and then he could come in. While
Luis was waiting Father Keller told me that he did not
want to speak to that Indian without witnesses, and
this was why he was detaining him. Then Luis entered.
He greeted the Father, who returned his greeting and
asked where he was going. Luis said, ?On a campaign
with Captain Don Santiago Ruíz de Ael.? The Father
asked if he had been directed or commanded to do so,
to which he responded, ?No.? The Father added that he
also knew nothing, and that the captain had left a day
and a half before, but that he had taken cattle to
feed the Indians who went as auxiliaries from Suamca,
and would, thus, not be able to travel very fast.
Because of this, if Luis knew the road he could take a
short cut and catch the captain in Bavisi or Quiburi.
To this, Luis responded that his people did not come
with him to Suamca, but that he had come only in the
company of Captain Luis of Pitic and a boy servant of
his. Then the Father charged Luis to pay close
attention, and said that if he went on the campaign,
the Father did not want him bringing testimony against
his neophytes, saying that they were in league with
the Apaches like he had falsely done against Captain
Caballo before the Lord Examiner, who had ordered
Captain Don Francisco Bustamante to interrogate him.
That resulted in charges and a sentence being passed
against Captain Caballo, for whom Father Keller had
testified. The Father told him that he should not be
of bad heart, stirring up the Spaniards against the
Pimas, or the Pimas against the soldiers. This was not
the way of good captains, nor those that have a good
heart. Hearing this, Luis twice lied to Father Keller,
saying that it was not so -- he had never done such a
thing against Captain Caballo. Upon hearing this, the
Father did not treat him like a dog, or say anything
to infuriate him, or disturb him, but with total
control, responded: ?My son, I have the letters in my
possession that were written for you by José Ignacio
Salazar to Don Miguel de Urrea wherein everything I
have said is written. Nevertheless, I lie and you tell
the truth.? Then the father added, ?Listen, My Son, if
you want to go on the campaign, do not bring testimony
against my children, because I will defend them.
Look.
Do you know this Spaniard that is sitting here
(pointing to me)?? ?Yes,? he replied. ?And,
do you know,? added the father, ?that he understands
the Pima language well?? To this Luis also
replied, ?Yes.? Then the Father said, ?Well, look. I
detained this Spaniard, who came here on business, as
a witness, knowing that you would deny what was said
here and bring testimony against me like you did
Captain Caballo.? To this, Luis made no reply. Then
the father also accused him of consenting to the many
robberies of the Pimas in the west, especially at
Sicurisuta, the hacienda of the heirs of Captain Anza.
He said that good captains who have good hearts do not
consent to such things, and that the Father cannot
support him when he says he is Captain General but
consents to such acts. He said that he cannot indulge
Indians who claim the title of hunter and walk through
the mountains and across the valleys killing cattle
that belong to another person without even asking.
And, in case they are unable to ask the owner, the
mountains have deer and rabbits and other animals that
they can hunt. They do not have to maintain themselves
by stealing. The Father also made one other accusation
in which he said that if Luis wanted to go on the
campaign like he was, carrying a leather vest, musket,
shoulder belt, sword, and Spanish arms that he did not
know how to use, it would just serve more to embarrass
him than cause damage to the enemy. The Father further
asked how many times he had gone on the campaign being
supplied by the Fathers with food, horses, and other
equipment and everything necessary for the fight
against the Apaches, only to return when the supplies
were used up, while spreading falsehoods and
accusations against his own people. Nothing else was
done or said by the Father that would hinder his
having said everything in front of witnesses and
having detained me. He then also said to Luis, ?If
your coming here was so that you could go with Captain
Don Santiago, traveling in his company, then it is not
your duty to command, but his. And likewise with my
neophytes, only he should command them. Indeed, both
yours and mine should go subject to Spanish arms on
all campaigns. However, it is not clear to me who has
command in the North of your arms, which are the bow
and arrow. Clearly, in the past there was no one to
take command, but now I do not know who it is because
of the division which you see in your wanting to be in
charge of everything.? This is all of what I heard
Padre Keller say to Luis of Sáric. I would add that
if this is why Luis was resentful, it was because he
was admonished about his faults, or I suspect because
they still have his mischievous letters on file, or
because during the conversation the Father neither
asked him to have a seat or gave him any chocolate as
they were accustomed to doing for him in other places.
Certainly his resentment was not caused by the Father
having said that he was a dog, coyote, or a woman, or
anything even similar. Indeed, nothing like that was
said. This has always been my declaration to Lord
Governor Parrilla during the repeated times his
secretary, Peralta, has interrogated me. Santa María
de Suamca, October 14, 1754 (AGI, Guadalajara 419,
3m-11, pages 40-43)
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