The War of Chupas

by Pedro de Cieza de León

The murder of the Marquis was entirely planned by this ruffian. All the old captains of the elder Almagro but one[145] were against it. The question arises how far young Diego was an accomplice. He was told by Herrada that Pizarro was going to kill him and all his friends, and it was proposed to him that the Marquis should be seized until Vaca de Castro arrived, who would judge between them. But I think that the boy was not cognizant of the intended murder until after its perpetration.

In a letter which young Diego wrote to the Judges of the Royal Audience of Panamá, putting forth his claim to succeed as Governor, he states that his object was to seize the Marquis, not to murder him: and that he regretted his death. The letter is dated 14 July 1541.[146] I think that this may be believed.

Juan de Herrada showed great energy after the murder; disarming and arresting, and forcing the municipal officers to acknowledge young Diego as Governor. But when nearly all the Spaniards outside Lima rose against him, he showed nothing but incapacity and arrogance. He tortured and killed Pizarro's secretary, and murdered Francisco de Chaves owing to a private feud, the only old captain of the elder Almagro who was an accomplice, though not an actual murderer. Both were acts of unwisdom and stupid violence. The accomplice of whom he had the highest opinion was a young ruffian named García de Alvarado, violent, incapable, and brutally selfish—an unscrupulous robber. Yet the ill-fated boy remained completely under the malign influence of Juan de Herrada, and consented to make him General of the forces he was collecting. He was thus placed over all the veteran captains of the elder Almagro, men of position, of tried valour, with great military experience. They were not prepared to serve under the upstart Herrada, and they were all disgusted at the murder of the Marquis, an atrocious crime which could not be forgiven, as well as a piece of folly, which no one with any judgment would have committed. Sooner or later all his father's old captains except one left the service of the unhappy boy, and joined the royal Governor—Gómez de Alvarado, Saavedra, Montemayor, Guevara, all fell away from the murderers. One only stood firm for the boy, for the sake of his father. This was Cristóval de Sotelo, an old soldier of the school of Orgóñez, but able, experienced in war, and possessing no common skill in all matters relating to his profession. He was true as steel to the cause he had once espoused.

Herrada found it necessary to leave Lima and make for Cuzco, there to await events. He was taken ill on the way and died at Jauja showing his incapacity with his dying breath, by advising that Sotelo and García de Alvarado should command jointly. Sotelo of course declined such a position, and García de Alvarado went with a following to Arequipa, nominally to collect men and arms, but really for plunder.

Young Diego, now free from the evil tutelage of Juan de Herrada, began to act for himself, and showed that he possessed ability and force of character. He was not altogether without help, though surrounded by murderers and self-seekers. In Sotelo he found a true friend and wise counsellor, and during the march to Cuzco, under such guidance, he brought his levies of 550 men into a state of tolerable military efficiency.

At Cuzco young Diego worked hard with Sotelo, in preparing arms, superintending the casting of cannon by Pedro de Candía, and consulting about the best course to pursue. Then the young ruffian García de Alvarado arrived from his freebooting expedition to Arequipa, with a large amount of treasure. He used it to form a party of his own in the camp. He was jealous of Sotelo, who at the time was ill in bed with a fever, and he went to his house to pick a quarrel, ending by murdering him. Young Diego did not dare to arrest the assassin owing to the party his stolen treasure had got around him. He bided his time. He even consented to make him second in command with special powers. The ambition of the young ruffian (he was twenty-nine) was to have chief command. He intended to murder young Almagro. But the half-caste was more than a match for him at that game. There was to be a grand supper, and García de Alvarado was to go to Diego's house and invite him, having arranged for his murder after the supper. Diego made a different arrangement, which was to kill García de Alvarado when he came to say that the supper was ready. This was done.

But the lad was still surrounded with difficulties and dangers. There was a well paid Alvarado party which was discontented. The loss of Sotelo was fatal. The gallant boy had not a single friend whom he could trust—his associates were a gang of murderers and self-seekers. He thought he had a friend, in a man named Lope de Idiáquez, and consulted him. But he proved a traitor. There was also an old soldier who had served in the Italian wars and could marshal an army to the best advantage, but he too was false and a traitor.

Thus, without a single friend upon whom he could rely, this boy of nineteen prepared to encounter the Governor's army led by all the experienced cavaliers and soldiers in Peru. To have undertaken this showed great courage, and that he should have done it so well denotes rare ability. It is true that he must have known that all the leaders would fight to the last, for they fought with halters round their necks. But the equipment of the force, the provision of arms and accoutrements, the organization, the route, the marching order, were all due to the energy and ability of this half-caste boy.

Young Almagro would have been pardoned before the battle, if he had consented to abandon the cause of the murderers who were in his army. He was too honourable to entertain such a proposal. He fought with great valour and determination at Chupas, to the bitter end.

This fortune followed him in his flight from the lost battle. He had with him Diego Méndez, who was a fool as well as an unmitigated scoundrel. Young Almagro should have made his way direct from the Apurimac to the mountain fastness of the Inca. But Diego Méndez persuaded him to come to Cuzco for horse shoes, merely because the rascal wanted to visit his own mistress, the news of the battle of Chupas not having yet reached the city. The delay was fatal to young Diego. The bad news arrived when he had only got as far as the valley of Yucay. A party was sent in pursuit and he was captured.