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. Although a man of letters and educated in the
study of the law, Guevara was an excellent soldier, and particularly
attentive to discipline, and had even greatly assisted in the construction
of the musquets with which his company was armed. Being likewise very
learned in the law, he executed a judicial charge at the same time with
his military command, both on the present occasion under Vaca de Castro,
and during the subsequent troubles produced by Gonzalo Pizarro, as will be
afterwards related. Every day till noon, he held his judicial sittings and
dispatched such affairs of that kind as occurred, in the ordinary sober
dress of a lawyer. After that, he dressed in richly embroidered uniforms,
with a buff jerkin, a feather in his hat, and his musquet on his shoulder,
exercising his company with much attention, and practised himself in
firing.
Having drawn together a well armed force of seven hundred men, 370 of whom
were cavalry, 170 musqueteers, and 160 armed with pikes, Vaca de Castro
appointed captain Francisco de Carvajal serjeant major[10] of his army;
the same person who was afterwards maestre de campo general under Gonzalo
Pizarro. Carvajal was an officer of great experience, having served above
forty years in the army, and was bred in the wars of Italy under _the
great captain_, having risen in that service from the ranks to a
lieutenancy. By him all the movements of the army were directed.
About this time a message was received by Vaca de Castro from Gonzalo
Pizarro, who had just returned to Quito from his disastrous expedition to
Los Canelos, formerly related.
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