Notes: Like many of the Romeros, Ignacio had lived most all of his thirty years in the San Luis Valley. He was probably a younger brother of Nicolás and José. 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)
