The
Governor Assented To This Advice, Only Saying That He Wished To Have The
Power Which Had Been Given To Joshua, That He Might Stop The Going Down Of
The Sun.
At this time the artillery belonging to Don Diego opened its fire upon the
royalists; and as it was
Dangerous to descend the hill in front towards
the enemy, on account of being too much exposed in that direction to their
guns, the serjeant-major and Alonso Alvarado directed the army to move by
the left, where there was a hollow which led towards the enemy, by which
they were protected from the balls which all flew over their heads. The
troops marched in the following order. Alonzo de Alvarado was on the right
with his troops of horse, having the royal standard carried by Christoval
de Barientos; on the left were the other four captains of horse, Pedro
Holguin, Gomes Alvarado, Garcilasso de la Vega, and Pedro Anzurez, all at
the head of their respective troops in excellent order. Between the two
wings of cavalry, the Captains Pedro de Vergara and Juan Velez de Guevara
marched with the infantry; and Nunno de Castro marched in front with his
musqueteers to begin the battle, with orders to retire when pressed by the
enemy under the protection of the main body. The governor, at the earnest
entreaty of his officers, remained in the rear guard at the head of thirty
horse, at some short distance from the main body, where he could see all
that occurred, so as to send assistance where it was wanted, which he did
with much judgment.
During the advance of the royalists, the enemy kept up a constant fire of
their artillery, but altogether ineffectually, as all their balls flew too
high. Don Diego observing this circumstance, suspected that Pedro de
Candia the captain of his artillery was gained by the enemy and did this
on purpose; for which reason he went to him in great rage and killed him
with his own hand. After this he pointed and fired off one of the cannon
against a squadron of the royalists, by which shot several of the troopers
were killed. Seeing this, and considering that the artillery of the royal
army was too insignificant to do much service, Carvajal determined to
leave it behind that the army might advance more quickly. At this time Don
Diego and his officers had arranged their army in order, the cavalry
divided on the two wings, and the infantry in the centre, having their
cannon in front, directly over against the only ground by which the
royalists could advance to the attack. The rebels believed it would argue
timidity in them thus to wait for the enemy, and that it was proper for
them to advance and meet them half way. This movement was much against the
opinion and advice of Pedro Suarez, serjeant-major to Don Diego, a brave
and experienced officer; who remonstrated that, as the enemy had to
advance over a plain of considerable extent, they would be greatly injured
by the artillery before they could come to the charge, whereas by
advancing the troops of Don Diego would shorten this dangerous way for
their enemies, and would lose an excellent advantage now in their power.
Nothwithstanding this judicious remonstrance the Almagrian army continued
to advance, and took post near a rising ground over which the royalists
had to march, and after which the rebel artillery could do them very
little harm, and was unable to prevent them from charging, as the way
between was very short. Suarez was so much dissatisfied at his advice
being thus despised, that he set spurs to his horse and galloped over to
the royalist army.
About this time the Indians under the command of Paullu the brother of
Inca Manco Capac, attacked the left wing of the royalists with repeated
vollies of stones and arrows, but were soon put to flight by a few
discharges from the musqueteers. Martin Cote who commanded a company of
musqueteers on the side of Almagro, advanced to that side and began to
skirmish with the adverse musqueteers of Nunno de Castro. At this time the
royalists, advancing slowly and in good order to the music of their drums
and trumpets, made their appearance on the height, where they halted as
waiting an opportunity to charge, in hopes that the incessant discharge
from the artillery of the enemy might relax. Although now so near, the
rebel artillery did them very little harm, as having to point upwards,
most of their balls flew too high, whereas if the royalists had advanced
only twenty paces farther, they would have been exposed to point blank
shot. The infantry indeed of the royalists suffered materially at this
time, as they were more directly exposed to the shot, insomuch that by one
ball a whole file of seventeen men was brought down. This made a wide gap
in the battalion, which the officers took care immediately to fill up. The
serjeant-major, Francisco de Carvajal, still held back the royalist
cavalry from the charge, waiting for some relaxation in the fury of the
adverse artillery, by which the captains Pedro Alvarez Holguin and Gomez
de Tordoya were both slain, and several others were killed and wounded by
every discharge. Captain Pedro de Vergara being wounded by a musket shot,
exclaimed loudly against the conduct of the cavalry, saying that all the
infantry would be speedily destroyed if the cavalry did not charge the
enemy. The trumpets immediately sounded a charge, and the royalist
squadrons advanced, on which those of Don Diego moved forward to meet them
courageously. The shock was so violent that almost all the lances on both
sides were broken, and many horsemen of both armies were borne to the
ground, some killed and others wounded. A bloody engagement succeeded this
charge, in which they fought man to man with swords, maces and battle axes;
some even of the cavalry being armed with large woodmens axes which they
wielded in both hands, gave such heavy blows as no armour could withstand.
After continuing the battle with great fury till both sides were out of
breath, they drew off for a little.
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