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Show n8 II I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 110 OK IX. liant army, either of Mexicans, as authors generally report, or, as we ~ think probable, col)1pofcd of the troops of Otompan, Calpolalp~n, Tcotihuac:m, and other neighbouring places, alfembled at the dehrc of the Mexicans. Some hifroriar1s make this army confi!l: of two hundred thoufand men, a number computed iolely by the eye, and probably increafed by their fears. They were perfuadetl, as Cort:s him{elf attcil:s, that that dJy was to have been the la!l: of all thea· lives. This general formed his languid troops, by enlarging the front of his maimed and wretched army, in order that the Hanks might be in fome manner covered by the fi nall wings of the few cavalry he had left ,· and with a countenance full of fire he addrefied them: " In " fuch a difficult fituation are we placed, that it is ncceffitry either to " conquer or die I T ake courage, Cafl:ilians! and trufl:, that lie who " has hitherto delivered us from fo many dan3crs, will pref~rve us alfo "in this. !" At length the battle was joined, which was extremely bloody, and la!l:ed upwards of four hours. Cortes feeing his troops diminiOt and in a great meafure difcouraged, and the enemy advance fi:ill more haughtily notwithfbnding the lof:; they fufFered from the Spani{h Arms, formed a bold and hazardous refolution, by which he gained the viCtory and put the miferable remains of his army in fecurity. He recolleCted to have often heard, that the Mexicans went into diforder and fled whenever their general was killed or they had loft their ftandard. Cihuacatzin, general of that army, clothed in a rich military · habit, with a beautiful plume of feathers on his helmet, and a gilded fhield upon his arm, was carried in a litter upon the {houlders of fome foldiers; the fi:andard which he bore was, according to their ufage, a net of gold fixed. on the point of a !l:aff, which was firmly tied upon his back, and rofe about ten palms above his head (t) : Cartes obferved it in the center of that great multitude of enemies, and refol ved to ftrike a deci!ive blow; he commanded his brave captains Sandoval, Alvarado, 0lid, and Avila, to follow behind, to guard him fr.om attack, and · immediately, with others who accompanied him, be pu{hed forward through that quarter where his attempt appeared moil: praCticable with fuch impetuofity, that he tht·ew many dowL'l with his lance and others with his horfe. Thus he advanced through the lines of the enemy, .,t,) Thit furt of flanlard wa1 called by the Mexicans 'Tiab11 h:.matlaxnpilli. until H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X i C 0. until he came clofe up with the general, who was accompanied by fome of his officers, and with one !hoke of his lance extended him on the ground'. Juan de Salamanca, a brave foldier, 'who attended Cortes, difmounting quickly from his horft.:, put an end to his life, and feizing the plume of feathers on his head prefented it to Cortes (u). The army of the enemy, as {oon a~ they faw their general killed, and the ftandard taken, went into confulion and fled. The Spaniards, encouraged by this glorious aC:l:ion of their: chief, purfued, and made great flaughter of the fugitives. This was one of the moil: famous viCtories obtained by· the Spanifu. arms in the· New World';. Cortes difl'ingui!hed himCelf in it above all the refi'; and l1is captains and foldiers faid afterwards, that they had never feen more courage and· aCtivity difplayed than upon that day .. ; but he received' a fevere wound on the head~ which daily growing worfe, brought his life into the utmofi: danger. Bernal Diaz juftly praifes the bravery of San:doval, and !hews how much· that gallant officer contriouted to , this viCl:ory ,. encouraging them all not lefs by his example than his words. The Spanifh hiftorians 4ave· alfo highly celebrated Maria de Efi:'rada,, the wife of a Spanifh foldier, who, having armed herfelf wjth a lance and· ibield, ran among the enemy, wounding and killing them with· an intrepidity very extraordinary in her fex. Of the Tlafcalans,. Bernal Diaz fays, that they fought like lions, and among11: diem Ct~linecahua,. captain of the troops of Maxixcatzin, particularly diftingui!hed. himfdf.. He was not, however, lefs remarkable for his bravery than. for. his rongevity, living to the age of one hundred and thirty years. · The lofs of the enemy was undoubtedly great in this defeat, but greatly lefs. than feveral auth'Ors repre{ent it, who make it amount to , twenty thoufand men ; .. a ;mmber rather incredible, according to the miferable fiate 'to which the Span iards were reduced, and the want of artillery and o.ther fire-arms. On the contrary, the· lofs. of the Spaniards was not fo .fmall. as Solis reports it (x), for almo11:. all the Tlafca- 1ans (u) Charles V, grantcd' fome privileges to Juan de Salnmancn, and nmong others a fh ield of arms for his htJ tic, which had a plume upon it in memory of the one which he had taken , f~om the grncra l Cihu:n:u ·1.in. ( ~· ) ' !'o ti s , iH ordt:r to t·x:tgg-cra te the viCto ry of Orompan fa ys, that amoogfl: the troops Ul'll· d'c.i· Cortes lome wtr · wountbl, of whom .two or three SP,aniards died in Tlafcala; but this · a uth~ I 19 BOOK IX. '---v--1 • |