Diego Ramón, son of the former Capt. Domingo Ramón, was
appointed commanding officer in the aftermath of his father’s
death. The success of the presidio depended in large part on the
ability of the Spanish to establish a permanent military
presence and create a community free of concern of continual
attacks from local tribes. Given that the Copane, a sub-tribe of
the Karankawa, occupied the coastal region extending from
Garcitas Creek to Corpus Christi, it was determined that the
presidio should be relocated further inland. For the newly
appointed Capt. Diego Ramón, however, his command would not last
that long. Ramon’s competence as a leader was lacking and he was
soon replaced by Captain Don Juan Antonio de Bustillo y Ceballos
before the relocation took place. Desperate to move, the
Franciscans did not wait for permission. Instead, they staked
out an area along the Guadalupe River approximately 10 leagues
west of the Garcitas Creek settlement. In April 1726, Spanish
Governor Perez de Alamazan inspected the