FIRST COMPANY - San Luis de Ilinueses Militia 

John Baptiste Ortez listed in the 1^st Company of St. Louis

Spanish Colonial Militia of St. Louis, Missouri 

The following roster was recorded in Royal Spanish records  in the General Archives of the Indies, Cuba.

San Luis de Ilinueses, December 22, 1780

The overwhelming majority of militia members are of French ancestry, but since  becoming Spanish subjects after King Louis XV ceded Louisiana territory to the King of Spain on Nov 13, 1762, their names have been "hispanicized" (translated into Spanish).  Other nationalities included are Spanish, Italian, and American. It is not completely possible to sort out those with true Spanish versus French ethnicity. While it is easy to differentiate those who were born in France versus Spain, those born in "Nueva Orleans" (New Orleans) may have been of either background. New Orleans was predominately French but significant Spanish did settle there as well. Those listed as being born in "Ilinueses" are from "Upper Lousiana", primarily Missouri and adjacent western Illinois.

 Juan Baptista Hortez; 40; France; Carpenter

[LH Note: This Jean Baptiste Hortez (Hortes) should not be confounded with Joseph Alvarez Ortiz, usually spelled Hortiz.  This Ortiz or Hortiz was a native of Spain. But Jean Baptiste Hortes came from Bearne in France, the same place where Laclede was born, with whom he came to America.  He arrived in St. Louis in 1768, and in 1782 married Elizabeth Barada, who was born at Vincennes,  Sept. 27, 1764.  He died in 1814, but his widow attained the age of  104 years, and died in St. Louis in 1868.]

Summary

Sergeants                   3 
Corperals                   8 
Enlisted Men             96 
   Total                   107 

San Lois de Ilinueses, December 20, 1780. 
Lt. Gov. Francisco Cruzat (rubric).