esponsibility for the expedition, the party left San Gabriel for Horcasitas on May 2. With the addition of a child from San Luis Obispo, it now consisted of 30 people and 86 animals, including a pack train of 20 mules. When they reach Palma’s village on the Colorado, they deviated from their northward course. Instead of following the Gila east and turning south to Tubac, they decided to sacrifice comfort for speed and headed southwest, direct to Caborca and then on to Horcasitas. With the much-reduced party the going was somewhat easier, but with the summer heat now upon them they often had to travel at night, resting during the heat of the day. Since this road, called by the Spanish El Camino de Diablo (the Devil’s Road) was well-known, they were able to keep up their pace despite traveling in the dark. As they neared Caborca, they learned that there had been a disastrous Apache attack on Tumacacori. Anza’s last journal entry, on June 1, 1776 states: “As soon as it was daylight I left camp with four soldiers to reconnoiter the area but found only the tracks of some thirty warriors who had taken the opposite direction to ours. After rejoining the group and riding for two leagues [six miles], we came to the Presidio at San Miguel de Horcasitas, from where I will begin my trip to Mexico [City] as ordered by the Viceroy, and where I now conclude this diary on the first of June 1776.” In this simple way Anza closed the book on this chapter of California history. He had successfully completed his mission despite many difficulties, oftentimes without orders, and had to make on-the-spot life-and-death decisions. In these matters he was always ruled by Viceroy Bucareli’s instructions and his duty as a soldier of Spain. His actions would soon result in the creation of what would become one of the world’s most famous cities. On October 9, 1776, while the Revolutionary War was underway on the other side of the continent, Lieutenant Jose Moraga and Father Francisco Palou formally took possession of the site in the name of the Spanish king, thus founding Mission San Francisco de Asis, named for Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order. The colonists brought north by Anza had nearly doubled the population of Alta California and strengthened Spain’s position in the region. It was just a beginning, but one that would bear much fruit in the coming years. Anza’s Later Days After completion of his assignment from Viceroy Bucareli, Anza traveled to Mexico City with Chief Palma of the Yumas, whom he held in high regard. Palma was baptized there in the great Cathedral on the Zocalo. Anza was appointed Governor of the Province of New Mexico, the present-day state of the same name. In 1779 he led a punitive expedition against Comanches who had been 18
San Gabriel to Monterey and beyond Return to Horcasitas 19