Patriot Ancestor - Joaquin de Ortega y Prieto

on February 17, 2018

Joaquin de Ortega y Prieto was born August 2, 1755 in Tordesillas (Valladoliad), Spain.1 He died in 1826 in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana2.  After a career in service to his country he settled in Opelousas with his family and raised cattle. Ortega entered military life and became 'Comisione Artillery' or 'Guardian Royal Military' in Fort Pensacola living inside the compound on the 1784 census with his wife and oldest child. His revolutionary service was Guardian of the Royal Artillery at Ft. Pensacola3.  Through letters between Ortega and various Spanish officials, we know Ortega was involved in traveling to present day Texas to arrange for cattle to be purchased and delivered in Natchitoches to feed the trooops of Bernardo de Galvez.


Winston Deville4, the internationally recognized authority on colonial Mississippi Valley/provincial Louisiana genealogy and history, has written articles a number of Ortega over the previous 30 years, Winston is a direct descendent of Ortega.

As mentioned, Ortega settled in the Opelousas area and is the progenitor of many citizens in the region.  He married Marie Soto de St. Denis originally from Natchitoches.  Marie was the granddaughter of Louis Juchereau-De-Saint-Denis and Marie Manuela Sanchez Navarro y Gomez Mascorro.  He grandparents - one famous French explorer and one Spanish - the granddaughter of Major Diego Ramon Governor of Coahuila and later Commander of the Royal Presidio San Juan Bautista de Rio Grande, Coahuila, Mexico, were married 17 February 1715/1716 in San Juan Bautista de Rio Norte, Coahuila, Mexico.  Marie Soto de St. Denis grandfather, Louis also founded the post of Natchitoches.

They were married at Opelousas Post, Louisiana on June 14, 1782 and had nine children.  Joaquin's succession in the Opelousas Court House archives is dated June 29, 1826.  His children became ranchers and farmers in the surrounding area and married into many of the early Acadian families including the families of Fontenot, Guillory, Lejeune, Soileau, Landrenau and Vidrine.  Their descendents changed the spelling of Ortega to the French spelling of Ortego.  There is another line of the family that dropped the 'o' and the name became 'Orteg'.

There are many Ortego's in Louisiana today that can join either the NSDAR or SAR descending from this patriot.  Ortega's children's spouses also link to many other French Patriots that were in the Militia under Galvez.

The correspondence used to verify military service for Joaquin de Ortega y Prieto.

  • May 1779 letter from Mezieres to Galvez - transferring powder (cited in LaVoix des Prairies No. 24, Vol. 7 Page 3 reference page 8 from Papeles Procedentes de Cuba)
  • 13 July 1779 letter from Galvez to Ortega concerning arrangements for cattle (cited La Voix des Prairies Vol. 13. No. 50 pages 58-60)
  • 30 August 1779 letter from Borme to Galvez citing package to Ortega (ited La Voix des Prairies Vol 7, No. 24 page 3 reference page 8 from Papeles Procedentes de Cuba)
1Baptism record Church of San Fernando Valladolid, Spain
2Opelousas Court House Will probated March 26, 1826
3'The Spanish Census of Pensacola 1784 - 1920' by William S. Coker and G. Douglas Inglas, p. 43
4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_De_Ville


Source: Mary Anthony Long Startz - Houston, TX