As Both Of These
Captains Were Principal Leaders In The Almagrian Party, And Had Many
Friends And Partizans In The
Army, this unfortunate affair occasioned much
strife, and had nearly occasioned a battle between the friends of the two
combatants;
But Don Diego appeased them with some difficulty, and by using
a great deal of address. But as Garcias de Alvarado plainly perceived that
Don Diego took the death of Sotelo much to heart, whom he dearly loved,
and feared lest he might take measures afterwards of revenge, he
endeavoured to take precautions in the meantime for his own safety, and
for this purpose proposed to have assassinated Don Diego. With this view
he one day invited Don Diego to dinner, intending to have put him to death
during the entertainment. Don Diego accepted the invitation, but when the
appointed day came, having some suspicion of what was intended, he sent an
excuse for his absence, on pretence of being indisposed. As Garcias had
provided every thing for the execution of his design, he went with several
of his friends to endeavour to prevail on Don Diego to come to the
entertainment. While on his way, he met a soldier named Martin Carillo who
advised him to stay away from the house of Don Diego, who he was fully
persuaded intended to put him to death. He continued his purpose however,
and received a similar advice from another soldier a little farther on.
Yet he persisted in going to the house of Don Diego, and even went up to
his chamber, where he found him on a day-bed under pretence of being
unwell. This visit seemed to be expected, as Don Diego had several armed
men concealed in a neighbouring room.
Garcias de Alvarado and his followers went into the chamber of Don Diego,
to whom Alvarado said; "I hope, my lord, that your indisposition is of
little importance. You must rise and shake it off, and you will be the
better of some exercise and amusement. Come along with us, and though you
eat little, your presence will give pleasure to the company who expect
you." Don Diego agreed to go, and called for his cloak, being already
armed with his sword and dagger. While the company in the room made way by
going out, and Garcias de Alvarado went immediately before Don Diego,
Pedro de Onnate and several others who were instructed, shut the door, and
seizing on Garcias told him he was their prisoner. Don Diego drew his
sword, with which he wounded Garcias, saying that he must be slain, not
taken prisoner; and immediately Juan Balsa, Alfonso de Saavedra, Diego
Mendez the brother of Rodrigo Orgognez, and several others who were
concealed in the next room, rushed out and put Alvarado to death with many
wounds.
On the news of this event spreading through the city, it occasioned much
dissatisfaction and some appearances of an insurrection which might have
had very fatal consequences; but Don Diego went immediately out into the
great square, where he succeeded in appeasing the people, and the friends
of Alvarado were forced to be quiet. Immediately after this, on purpose to
give employment to his troops, and because he heard that Vaca de Castro
had joined Holguin and Alonso Alvarado, he marched out from Cuzco, meaning
to seek out and give battle to the royalists. His army on this occasion
was the most numerous and best appointed that had hitherto been seen in
Peru, consisting of 250 horse, 200 musqueteers, and 250 pikemen, many of
these being armed with halberts, and all remarkably well provided with
defensive armour, especially all his cavalry, who, besides coats of mail,
had back and breast-pieces of iron. Besides these, he had a great train of
artillery, and was accompanied by Paul, the brother of the Inca who had
been raised to the Peruvian throne by the elder Almagro. The assistance of
this chief was of great importance to Don Diego on the present occasion,
as his Indians always went a considerable way before the army, and obliged
the natives of all the districts through which they passed to supply
provisions for the troops, and to furnish people for carrying the baggage
and other necessary services. In this manner Don Diego proceeded for about
fifty leagues to the province of Vilcas, where he learnt that the royal
army was only thirty leagues distant from him.
While Vaca de Castro was in Lima, he procured a number of musquets to be
made by the workmen of that city, and made every other preparation in his
power to strengthen his army. Among other things, as Don Diego had carried
off the whole royal treasure, he borrowed a large sum from the inhabitants
of Lima, for the pay of his troops and other expences of the war; and all
things being regulated, he set out to join the army with as many men as he
could collect, leaving Francisco de Barrionuevo as his lieutenant in Lima,
and Juan Perez de Guevara as commandant of his marine. He directed his
march for Jauja, leaving orders with the inhabitants of Lima to retire on
board the ships, in case Don Diego, as he threatened, should make an
attack upon the city. On his arrival at Jauja, where Holguin and the army
waited for him, he found that the general had provided good store of arms
both offensive and defensive, and particularly a large supply of gunpowder
which had been made at that place. The governor incorporated the horsemen
whom he brought along with him from Lima among the troops or companies of
cavalry already in the army, which were commanded by the Captains Pedro
Alvarez Holguin, Pedro Anzurez, and Garcilasso de la Vega, and formed an
additional troop of horse of which he gave the command to Gomez de
Alvarado. Those foot soldiers which he brought with him were distributed
into the companies of Pedro de Vergara and Nunno de Castro, and he formed
a new company of musqueteers, of which he appointed the bachelor Juan
Velez de Guevara captain.
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