Manuel de Sandoval

Manuel de Sandoval was a prominent Neomexican soldier who served as governor of Coahuila (1729–1733 ) and Texas (1734–1736).

Manuel de Sandoval was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the end of the 17th century, but the exact date of his birth is unknown. In 1707, he joined the army of Santa Fe. He showed great military capabilities and he became the Captain of the grenadiers of the regiment of Santa Fe. Sandoval served the army for over twenty years (rising from cadet to captain), and on the 4th February 1729 the King appointed him governor of Coahuila (today also a region in Mexico). He finished his term as governor of that province on the 4th September 1733.

Following his services to Coahuila, in early 1734, he was appointed the governor of Texas. As the governor of Texas, Sandoval lived "most of his time in Presidio San Fernando de Bexar" (modern San Antonio, Texas). This was slightly unusual as Los Adaes was he provincial capital of Texas at the time, but Sandoval was pre-occupied by the Apache uprisings.

In 1735, the French commander at Natchitoches, Louis Juchereau de St. Denis took advantage of the situation, particularly the absence of Sandoval from the provincial capital, Los Adaes to move the French fort west of the Red River". The establishment a French fort in Texas was seen as an aggressive move by the Spanish Viceroy and the Government of Texas, and the beginning of a French colonization in the region. Sandoval and Jose Gonzales (his appointed deputy at Los Adaes) protested against the French and their move in Texas, but they were not able to get a withdrawal to the boundaries set before the establishment of the fort west of the Red River.

In September 1736, due to the French invasion in Texas (which Sandoval was unable to prevent), it forced the Viceroy Vizarrón y Eguiarreta to replace Sandoval with Carlos Benites Franquis de Lugo as the governor of Texas province. After Lugo Franquis came into power, he ordered the imprisonment of Sandoval, accusing him of "seven counts of official misconduct", and financial misappropriation. In 1737 the Viceroy called to Sandoval to his office to explain how he conducted the financial accounting of his administration at the time. Sandoval was acquitted of financial misappropriation, but was accused of not keeping correct book-keeping practices of his administration. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine for not having lived in Los Adaes (the administration capital) when he was governor of Texas and imprisoned for not having appropriate book-keeping practices. He spent several years in prison, finally released in 1741. After leaving prison, he continued providing military and political services to the King.

He settled in Mexico City, where he worked as a Sergeant Major in the "Regimento Urbano del Comercio" (Urban Regimental of Commerce) until his death.

Research conducted on the Sandoval Case was extensive and initially covered some thirty volumes. Later another forty volumes of information was collected on the events that occurred around Texas at the time. This material key important because, in the early 19th century, it was used by the great powers (Spain, France & the United States) to negotiate a settlement on Texas and to carve up its eastern border.