December 25, 1751
I left the Presidio of Terrenate with forty soldiers. I entered San Antonio Pass this same day.

December 26, 1751 - I marched to San Luis where I found all the houses pillaged, even though they had not been disturbed on my last march. The same day, as the sun was about to set, I arrived at the village of Guevavi where I found the entire village ransacked, including the Father's house and the church, the statues of the saints were torn apart, the sanctuary defiled, and all the chickens and pigeons killed. This same night we traveled on to the vicinity of Tumacácori. We stopped there for the rest of the night.

December 27, 1751 - We rode into Tubac at daybreak where, by following some tracks, we thought to find the people, but we only found an Indian named Pascual with an Indian woman and one young boy. [Pascual] told me that he was an ambassador of Father Ignacio [Keller] and that the woman traveling with him was a relative of his. I consulted [with Olguin] and, it appearing convenient, I determined to include [Pascual] in my company. I started out from there, leaving behind the woman, who then continued onward. The said Indian told me that the people of Santa María [Suamca] and those of Cocóspera were in the Santa Rita [Mountains]
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and harbored no evil intentions. Concerning the Indian woman, I sent her on her way with only her horse, without harming her, and I gave her this message to deliver to the Indians that had left Santa María, Cocóspera, and Huachuca: that, in good faith, we would do them no harm. As concerns Pascual, he traveled in view [of the soldiers] without being restrained. This same day I arrived at Sópori where I encountered no people, all the animals dead, and tracks leading toward Arivaca, which we followed until eight o'clock at night, arriving at the place called Aquituni.

December 28, 1751 - I arrived at Arivaca where I encountered no people. Everything was burned and there were nine dead bodies which I then buried. The only thing left in all of these looted villages is some corn and a few cattle. However, there were no tame horses or brood mares left anywhere. The tracks from here led in these directions: toward San Xavier del Bac and a mountain that is alongside Babuquívuri. The rest of the tracks led toward the west but, like those we encountered at Guevavi, they were scattered. It appears that there are no people on Babuquívuri because, in viewing it from a short distance, we saw no signs of fires or smoke. Being unable to see any number of people, and with sufficient cunning and vigilance, I decided to reconnoiter it tomorrow, the twenty-ninth of the present month.
Joseph Fontes

(Letter of Fontes to Ortiz Parrilla)
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Sir
I do not excuse myself in sending this letter (see below) that I wrote to Your Lordship on [December] 24 when Don Santiago [Ruiz de Ael] decided not to go on the campaign because of observing the refugees and seeing
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how many there were. At the time I arrived there were so many people that it appeared there would be too few soldiers to leave as a rear guard for the Presidio. I decided, for practical purposes and in order to know who all the people were, to make a new list. This task having been completed by Alférez Olguin, Lorenzo Sánchez Aguilar and Deputy Ignacio Romero, we found that there were a hundred and fifty armed men in this census. I told them that I would recommend that he [Ruiz de Ael] dis-patch sixty men in light of this survey since it had been determined that thirty men were unfit and of bad dispos-ition. In the end it was decided to dispatch forty men, leaving behind a hundred and ten. I report this to Your Lordship so that at least twenty regulars might be detached from the presidio [Horcasitas] and San Ignacio according to the foresight of Your Lordship. Many opinions were brought to my attention, Your Lordship, in which they said there were no more than a hundred and seven men. The list was made after I heard these opinions. I will be here at Arivaca with the greatest caution that can be taken until, in the meantime, perhaps Your Lordship will decide in these days that I can make a favorable thrust. This diary is sent in poor condition because of a lack of both ink and paper. The courier is Corporal Ramundo, so that an extensive report will be given. God keep Your Lordship's important life many years. Arivaca, December 28, 1751 = Of the soldiers who will come [with him], should they return, they are obligated to me, out of necessity, to send three soldiers ahead with your orders who will travel at night and with caution = Your most faithful subject kisses the hand of Your Lordship = Fontes

(Letter of Fontes to Ortiz Parrilla)
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Sir =
Today, the date [below], Captain Don Santiago [Ruiz de Ael] called a council of war in view of Your Lordship's decision. That which I ascertained is hindered by the judgment of council as I told Your Lordship in my previous letter which you have. To that end the afore-mentioned Deputy Ignacio Romero, reinstated Alférez Joseph Romero, Alférez Olguin, Sergeant Espinosa, Father Keller, and I were odered to meet. Having been asked if I would be able to make the campaign that Your Lordship ordered and having observed the apparent
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small number of people available in this presidio, I responded that if there were a hundred and fifteen men at the presidio, of which there were fifty-five who were very competant and could be left as a rear guard for the presidio and for the horse herd that should be all gathered into one corral, that would leave sixty men free for the purpose Your Lordship had decided upon. Alférez Olguin and Sergeant Espinosa agreed and, having been placed in charge so that the campaign might be executed with such precision, as seen by the report, I said that, first off, [the Pimas] were increasing the hostilities that had destroyed Guevavi and the San Luis Valley and that a similar attack would be made on Santa María [Suamca] where there is the providence of supplies -- supplies that are necessary for the conduct of the war, particularly since none are to be had in this presidio. Secondly, the horses are in poor condition because of the snows. No one knows if after fifteen days, or more, they will be able [to perform], and upon certain proof that we are surrounded on all sides, it is said that it will not be possible to moderate the opinion of two impassioned local residents, filled with fear and encumbered with families, who want all the people in the world [to go on the campaign] and with whom, undoubtedly, nothing will be accomplished. If Your Lordship doesn't provide it, a provident solution will be found, because they have wanted a work with complete malice. It appeared the same to the lieutenant of this presidio, Don Isidro Tagle. He asked me with a certain urgency about the contents of Your Lordship's [letter] and I told him that everything is being negotiated with notable results, although by [written] word if you receive my letters, because then things can be arranged as is customary. God Our Lord keep the important life of Your Lordship many years. Terrenate, December 24, 1751. Your servant and faith-ful subject kisses the hand of Your Lordship = Joseph Fontes = To the Lord Governor and Captain General Don Diego Ortiz Parrilla.
(See also the diary of Bernardo Urrea under his name)