Villasur Expedition Roster

Below is a list of men killed during the ambush of Pedro de Villasur’s expedition, with their rank, military experience, marital status, and calculated age. Those with relatives in Santa Cruz are listed first. When there’s a difference between the name used by witnesses and the name in published lists, I’m giving priority to the witnesses.

Santa Cruz
1. Córdoba, Simón de, married, 31
         Páez expedition
         Sister was María de Córdoba, wife of Bernardo Romero
2. Domínguez de Mendoza, José, married, 65
         Ayudante-general, Villasur’s war council, Páez expedition
         Uncle or step-brother of Leonor Domínguez
3. Gallegos, Juan, married, 31
         Páez expedition
         Chavez say probably Juan de Sayago
         Married niece of Cristóbal de Tafoya Altamirano
4. Herrera Sandoval, Antonio de, married, 25
         Páez expedition
         Son of Tomás de Herrera Sandoval
5. Jirón, Nicolas, married, 37
         Son of Tomás Jirón de Tejeda
6. Luján, Pedro, married, 52
         Capitán, Villasur’s war council, Páez expedition
         Married granddaughter of Luis Martín Serrano
7. Madrid, Bernardo, married, 28
         Grandson of Roque de Madrid
         Nephew of Cristóbal de la Serna
8. Medina, Ramón de, married, 32
         Sister married Diego Romero
         Brother and sister married children of Cristóbal Martín
9. Naranjo, José López, married, 50
         Páez expedition
         Married daughter of Matías Luján
         Had land west of Río Grande north of Santa Clara
10. Romero de Pedraza, Domingo, married, 34
         Páez expedition
         Married sister of Francisco Montes Vigil
         Widow marry grandson of Miguel Tenorio Alba
11. Serna, Cristóbal de la, married, 45
         Capitán, Villasur’s war council,
         Married daughter of Roque de Madrid
         Their daughter married son of Alejo Martín
12. Silva, Manuel de, married, 26
         Páez expedition
         Son of Antonio de Silva
         Widow marry José Santisteban, survivor
13. Tenorio de Alba, Miguel, married, 36
         Capitán, Villasur’s council,
         Son married Barbara Tafoya

Others Who Didn’t Return
14. Agüero, Pedro Nicasco, married, 33
15. Archevêque, Jean le, married, 49
         Villasur council, Páez expedition
         Widow marry Bernardo de Sena, not involved
16. Avilés, Ignacio de, married, 52
17. Casillas, Bernardo, married, 34
         Alférez, Villasur council, Páez expedition
18. Fernández, José Antonio, married
         Widow marry Antonio de Armenta, survivor
19. González, Sebastían, married
         Pichardo lists Francisco González, married, 43
20. Griego, José, married, 30
         Corporal, Villasur war council, Páez expedition
21. Lira, Juan de
22. Lugo, Pedro
23. Mendizábal, Domingo de, married, 21
         Son of Pedro de Mendizábal
         Widow marry Manuel Flores, not involved
         Pichardo lists Pedro de Mendizábal, married
24. Mínguez, Juan
         Chaplain
25. Olguín, Tomás, 52
         Maestro de campo, Villasur’s war council,
26. Ortiz, Luis, 30
         Páez expedition
27. Perea, Francisco García de, married, 41
28. Rodríguez, Lorenzo, married, 33
         Corporal, Villasur’s war council, Páez expedition
29. Rojas, Juan Rico de, 27
         Páez expedition
         Pichardo lists Juan Río de Rojas
30. Segura, Lorenzo
31. Segura, Pedro, married, 48
32. Tapia, Francisco de, married, 44
33. Trujillo, Domingo, 24
         Páez expedition
34. Velásquez, Diego, married, 25
         Páez expedition
35. Villasur, Pedro de, married, 62
         Commander

Auxiliaries
Eleven, unnamed
         Alonso Rael de Aguilar said 12 or 13

Servants
François Sistaca, probably Francisco, fate unknown
         Pawnee servant of Cristóbal de la Serna
Four servants of Antonio Valverde y Cosío
         Naylor said servants were with Cristóbal de la Serna

Survivors with Ties to Santa Cruz
1. Armenta, Antonio de, 19
         Daughter marry son of José López Naranjo
         Marry widow of José Antonio Fernández
         Witness marriage for Manuel de Silva’s widow
2. Lobato, Juan Caetano, married, 22
         Son of Bartolomé Lobato
3. Madrid, Matías, married, 45
         Son of Roque de Madrid, uncle of Bernardo Madrid
         Married sister of Cristóbal de la Serna
4. Rael de Aguilar, Alonso, married, 60
         Villasur’s war council, Páez expedition
         Witness quoted by Pichardo and Thomas
         Cousin of Leonor Domínguez
5. Santisteban, José de, 22
         Witness quoted by Pichardo
         Son of Salvador de Santisteban
         Marry widow of Manuel Silva
6. Trujillo, Diego, married, 46
         Wife was great-granddaughter of Juan Griego and Pascuala Bernal
7. Vigil, Francisco Montes, married, 23
         Son of Francisco Montes Vigil
         Sister married to Domingo Romero de Pedraza

Other Survivors
8. Ambrosio de Aragon, 19
         Witness marriage for widow of José Antonio Fernández
9. Barrios, Juan Antonio, married
10. Guillén, Pedro, married, 39
         Witness against marriage of José Domínguez de Mendoza’s son
11. Ledesma, Juan de, married, 22
         Witness for marriage of widow of Manuel de Silva
12. Mares, José, married
         Wife was daughter of Lorenzo Rodríguez
13. Perea, Jacinto de, married, 28
         Witness for marriage of widow of Manuel de Silva
         Witness for marriage of widow of José Antonio Fernández
14. Sánchez, Joaquin, 25,
         Witness for marriage of widow of José Antonio Fernández
15. Tamaris, Felipe de, married, 34
         Witness quoted by Pichardo and Thomas
         Witness for marriage of widow of Domingo de Mendizábal
         Witness for marriage of widow of Jean l’Archevêque
16. Tenorio Alba, Manual, married, 22
         Son of Alfonso López and Luisa Gómez de Arellano
         Witness for marriage of widow of Jean l’Archevêque

Auxiliaries
Alonso Rael de Aguilar said they began with 60, and 12 to 13 died, which meant 47 or 48 survived.

Servants
17. Giravalle, Santiago
         Servant of Jean l’Archevêque
         Witness for marriage of widow of Jean l’Archevêque
18. Gonzales, Antonio, 27
         Indian servant of Sebastían González
         Witness for marriage of widow of Domingo de Mendizábal
19. Rodríguez, Melchor, married, 23
         Mulatto servant of Pedro de Villasur
         Witness for marriage of widow of Domingo de Mendizábal

Notes: The list of those who died may be incomplete. Antonio Valverde y Cosío was reporting to the viceroy. As commander he named those in the royal presidio who were in the viceroy’s pay. The others were of less direct interest to the viceroy.

Ths list of survivors may also be incomplete. The number varies from source to source, and most probably do not include servants.

Ages calculated by adding or subtracting 1720 to date when age reported. Names standardized to those used by Chavez. The Juan Páez Hurtado expedition was discussed in the posting for 12 August 2015.

Chávez, Angélico. New Mexico Roots, Ltd, 1982; names of survivors.

____. Origins of New Mexico Families, 1992 revised edition; family details, names of survivors.

Kessell, John L., Rick Hendricks, and Meredith Dodge. Blood on the Boulders, volume 2, 1998; names of survivors.

_____, _____, _____. To the Royal Crown Restored, 1995; family details.

Naylor, Thomas H., Diana Hadley, and Mardith K. Schuetz-Miller. The Presidio and Militia on the Northern Frontier of New Spain, volume 2, part 2, 1997.

Pichardo, José Antonio. Manuscript, 1808-1812, translated and annotated by Charles Wilson Hackett in Pichardo’s Treatise of the Limits of Louisiana and Texas, volume 1, 1931.

Rael de Aguilar, Alonso. Deposition, July 1726, in Pichardo.

Thomas, Alfred B. After Coronado, 1935.

Valverde y Cosío, Antonio. Letter to viceroy, 15 June 1720, in Pichardo; official list of men who died.