Hernando Cortes

by Joachim Heinrich Campe

THE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE SPANIARDS AND THE PEOPLE OF TABASCO

At daybreak all were summoned for action. Cortes arranged his fleet in a half circle and in this order, which was necessary on account of the shores, he began sailing up the stream. But before opening the attack, he sent Aguilar to inform the natives that it rested with them to say whether he should come as an enemy or a friend. Aguilar performed his duty, but instead of listening quietly to him the Indians gave the signal for attack and rowed out in their canoes to meet the fleet. They came together and the Indians began the assault with a dreadful storm of arrows and stones which caused great discomfort to the Spaniards, who were still remaining passive. At this Cortes gave the signal for defence. A single shot from the great cannon was decisive. The Indians, astonished at the unexpected thunder which roared about them, and terrified at the sight of its destructive consequences, jumped from their canoes into the water and endeavored with all their might to escape by swimming. The Spanish vessels drew up to the banks, and Cortes landed with his whole force undisturbed. The battle, however, was far from being ended. The Indians, who had left their canoes, fled into the brush, where a still greater number of their warriors were collected. They rushed forward while Cortes was engaged in placing his men in battle order, and attacked him with arrows, spears, and stones, uttering appalling battle cries. Cortes, however, was not disturbed but continued the arrangement of his ranks until the whole corps was in close battle order. Then they charged furiously against the Indians, advanced with wonderful coolness through deep morasses and dense thickets upon the countless swarms of the enemy, and death and terror beat a way for them. The sight of an army with European weapons was as new as it was fearful to the Indians. They could not face it and incontinently took to flight.

The enemy fled to their fortified city of Tabasco. The fortifications consisted only of a row of stakes driven into the ground, after the style of our palisades, and surrounding the city in circular form. Both ends overlapped, and between them a single narrow road led into the city with many windings. Great as the peril seemed to be, Cortes unhesitatingly advanced along this narrow passage, but upon entering the city found the streets blocked up with stakes and the people ready to oppose him. The Indians were forced back again and yet the battle was not ended. They gathered anew in the market place of the city, again offered stubborn resistance, and again were overcome. Thereupon they fled to the woods. Tabasco was captured, and the battle was over. Cortes did not pursue the Indians but took possession of the city for the Spanish crown. He made three incisions with his sword in a large tree and announced that he occupied the city in the name and in favor of the Catholic sovereign, and that he would maintain and defend it with sword and shield against all who should gainsay it. The same declaration was made by his soldiers, and the proceedings were written down and formally attested. The plunder taken by the Spaniards did not come up to their expectations, for the Indians carried off the greater part of articles of value, leaving only some provisions which came in good stead for the tired and hungry Spaniards.

At night Cortes quartered his force—in three divisions—in temples at different places and stationed watchmen to guard against a night attack. He made the rounds at different times to see that they were performing their duty. At daybreak he searched the woods near by, but not an Indian was to be seen or heard, which made him a little suspicious. He sent spies to the adjacent region, who brought him the disquieting news that a multitude of Indians, forty thousand at least, were collected, whom they had watched at some distance, while they were getting ready for an attack. Such news as that might well alarm one in Cortes’ situation! He was confronted with a force a hundred times as large as his own, compelled to fight for their fatherland, their temples, and their lives. He realized the danger, but, master of himself and his emotions, he maintained as calm and composed a mien as if the report were a mere joke. His example inspired his men with like fearlessness, and they stood ready to follow him wherever he should lead.

Cortes drew up his little army in battle array at the foot of a hill. It protected his men in the rear, and at the same time he could use his cannon in the freest and most effective manner. He posted himself with his cavalry in an adjoining thicket, whence at the right time he could charge the enemy unexpectedly. In this order they quietly awaited the onset of the Indians. The ever memorable day upon which the battle was fought was the twenty-fifth of March, 1519, Annunciation Day.

The Indians appeared, most of them armed with bows and arrows. The bowstrings were made of the sinews of some animal or stag’s hair, and the arrows were tipped with sharp bones. In addition to these they carried spears which could be thrown from a distance or used as a hand-weapon. One of their most terrible weapons was a great battle sword, made of very hard wood, the edge of which was formed of exceedingly sharp stones, joined together, and which was so heavy that it had to be wielded with both hands, like an axe. Some of them had clubs, others slings with which they could hurl stones of great size with unusual force and accuracy. The leaders alone protected themselves with quilted woollen coverings, and wooden or tortoise shell shields. The rest went naked, but to give them a frightful appearance they painted their faces and bodies in different colors, and to increase their stature they wore headdresses of tall feathers. Their battle music was in keeping with their looks. They used reed pipes and large sea-shells as wind instruments, and drums made of hollowed tree trunks. The art of fighting in close ranks was entirely unknown to them. They observed a certain order, however, by dividing the whole force into little squads, each with its own leader. They had this in common with the European plan of battle, that they did not engage all their warriors at the same time in a fight, but kept a part in reserve to come to the help of those in front when it should be necessary. Their opening assault was always made with frightful outcries and with great vigor, but if the enemy withstood the first attack and succeeded in throwing the advance into disorder, a panic would strike them and a general retreat ensue.

Such was the enemy the little army of Spaniards now saw advancing upon them in countless numbers. Silent and solid as a wall they awaited the attack. When they had come within bowshot, the battle opened with terrible yells and a shower of arrows which darkened the air. The Spaniards replied with a cannon and musketry fire, which covered the ground with heaps of the closely crowded enemy. The Indians, however, were undaunted. They filled up the void, threw sand in the air to conceal their losses in a cloud of dust, and after another flight of arrows came to a hand to hand struggle. The Spaniards did their best to overcome superiority of numbers, but the impetuosity and the multitude of the enemy were so great that they could not long withstand them. Their ranks were already broken through in several places, and a general massacre seemed imminent when suddenly Cortes appeared with his cavalry and charged into the midst of the enemy. It was a new and dreadful sight to the poor Indians, who had never before beheld horsemen. They thought they were huge monsters, half man and half beast, and were so overcome with fear that their weapons dropped from their hands. The Spaniards improved the opportunity to get into order again, the cannon fire was renewed, and, attacked upon every side, the panic-stricken Indians incontinently fled.

Satisfied with this display of his superior power, Cortes at once ordered that the fugitives should be spared and only a few of them captured in order to make a peaceful arrangement with the whole nation. Eight hundred Indians lay dead upon the field, and only two Spaniards, but seventy of the latter were wounded. All the Indians who were not too severely wounded had fled. The field was made the site of a city, which, in honor of the day and the event, was called Santa Maria de la Vittoria, and afterward became the capital of the country.

On the following day some of the captives were brought before Cortes. Their faces wore an expression of anxiety and fear for they had no doubt that they would be sentenced to death, but how great was their joy and astonishment when he received them with the greatest kindness, and Aguilar, the interpreter, announced their freedom. Their delight was still further enhanced when Cortes displayed his generosity by making them gifts of trifles, which he knew would secure their good-will. Overcome with joy, they hastened to tell their people how handsomely they had been treated. The result was that the Spaniards won over all those hearts which had been filled with rage and vengeance. To manifest their confidence and good intentions, various Indians shortly came, bringing all kinds of subsistence for which they were generously recompensed. The cacique himself sent messengers with gifts and begged for peace. It was granted, and when, soon afterward, he came in person, assurances of peace on each side were confirmed by presents. Among other expressions of good-will the cacique brought twenty young women who knew how to bake Indian corn bread, and made a present of them to Cortes. One of them, who had been christened Marina, was the daughter of a cacique and had been kidnapped when a child and sold to the cacique of Tabasco. She was not only unusually beautiful but intelligent, and in a short time learned the Spanish language and was of great service to Cortes afterward in his dealings with the Mexicans.