"He left behind him in Castile among the traders who had gone to law [about Indians] a joke, to the effect that a little sarsaparilla which the Master of Rhodes had brought with him was worth more than all the services the true conquistadores had rendered to his Majesty, for owing to this name, which had been given him of Master of Rhodes, and through being a good talker, he had deceived both the President and the Señora Doña Maria de Mendoza, while other conquistadores, however much they had served his Majesty, got no benefits at all." [Hakluyt Society, Series II, vol. 40, pp. 191, 197-8.]
Francisco Vásquez Coronado. I do not think he was an original conquistador; he probably arrived later in Mexico. He was an intimate friend of Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of Mexico. He married the daughter of Alonso de Estrada, the Treasurer of Mexico. He was appointed Governor of the State of Jalisco, and left his government to undertake the conquest of Cibola—"the seven cities."
Bernal Díaz says of him: "Francisco Vázquez had been lately married to a lady who was a daughter of the Treasurer Alonzo de Estrada, and, in addition to being talented, was very beautiful; and as he went to those cities of Cibola he had a great desire to return to New Spain to his wife. Some of the soldiers who were in his company said that he wished to copy the Greek Captain Ulysses, who when he was before Troy was crazy to go and enjoy his wife Penelope, so did Francisco Vázquez Coronado, who left the Conquest he had undertaken. He was attacked by incipient madness and returned to Mexico to his wife, and as they reproached him for having returned in that way, he died within a few days."
Later on Bernal Díaz says: "Nor will I call to mind the expedition which Francisco Vázquez Coronado made from Mexico to the cities which they call Cibola, for as I did not go with him I have no right to speak of it."
Francisco Maldonado. Must have been one of the original conquistadores as he signed the first letter of the Army of Cortés to the Emperor. However, there were five men of the name of Maldonado mentioned by Bernal Díaz. Two of them may be ruled out as their names, Alonzo and Alvaro, are given—a third, a native of Medellin, returned to Cuba, invalided. Francisco Maldonado was therefore probably either "Maldonado 'el ancho,' a native of Salamanca and a distinguished person who had been in command of expeditions, who died a natural death," or "Maldonado of Vera Cruz, who was the husband of Doña Maria de Rincon."
Bernaldino Vázquez de Tapia. An original conquistador, as he signed the first letter to the Emperor. He is mentioned as chosen to accompany Pedro de Alvarado on an embassy to Montezuma, when Cortés was at Tlaxcala—but he fell ill on the road and the embassy was recalled. When the first Royal Audiencia of Mexico was dismissed and many disputes arose, Bernaldino Vázquez was chosen by the conquistadores as Proctor to go to Spain and represent the interests of Cortés. Bernal Díaz says of him, "a very distinguished and rich man, who died a natural death."
Juan Jaramillo. Was captain of a launch during the siege of Mexico. He accompanied Cortés on the expedition to Honduras, and on the way, at Orizaba, he was married to Doña Marina the mistress of Cortés. He died a natural death.
Martín Vázquez. An original conquistador described by Bernal Díaz as "a native of Olmedo, a rich and distinguished man" who became a settler in Mexico—died a natural death.
Gil González de Benavides. Was not an original conquistador, but he accompanied Cortés on his expedition to Honduras. He was the brother of the distinguished conquistador and Captain Alonzo de Avila, who had received the encomienda of the pueblo of Cuautitlan, near Mexico. When Alonzo de Avila left Mexico he gave his brother power of attorney, so that he might benefit from the encomienda, and on the death of Alonzo de Avila the Crown claimed the encomienda, and I think there was a lawsuit about it.
The two sons of Gil González were beheaded for conspiracy.