The War of Quito

by Pedro de Cieza de León

[24] The Licentiate Benito Suarez de Carbajal was a brother of Illan Suarez de Carbajal, the Factor. He came with his brother to Peru, and was at the battle of Chupas. He joined Gonzalo Pizarro against the Viceroy to avenge his brother’s death, and was at the battle of Añaquito where the Viceroy was killed. He then went over to Gasca and was at Sacsahuana, Gasca making him Alferez General. He was the Corregidor of Cuzco. The ladies called him “Galan” and “Buen Mozo.” On June 24th, 1549, he was climbing into a lady’s balcony at Cuzco, when the husband came out and cut the rope ladder; Carbajal fell 20 feet and was killed.

[25] Alonso Riquelme, the Treasurer, was appointed to that office by Charles V, and went out with Pizarro. He was in favour of murdering Atahualpa. He was at the founding of the city of the Kings (Lima) on Jan. 18, 1535. He was at Cuzco when Almagro arrived from Chile. When Pizarro was murdered he was at Lima where he continued to reside. He joined the Judges against the Viceroy, and was a very decided partisan of Gonzalo Pizarro. He was then an old man, but the date of his death is not known.

[26] Fray Geronimo de Loaysa, the first Archbishop of Lima, was born at Talavera. One of his brothers was Archbishop of Seville and President of the Council of the Indies. Fray Geronimo arrived at Lima as Bishop in 1543. He did what he could as a peacemaker. In 1546 he set out for Spain, at the request of Gonzalo Pizarro, to explain the state of affairs. But he found Gasca at Panama, and joined with him. He was at Sacsahuana and helped Gasca in the repartimientos. He held the first Council of Lima in 1551, having been promoted to Archbishop. In the insurrection of Giron he marched against the rebels. He befriended the two young daughters of the murdered Inca Tupac Amaru, taking them into his house. Archbishop Loaysa died on October 25, 1575.

[27] Diego de Mora was a native of Ciudad Real. He came to Peru with Almagro and settled at Truxillo, marrying Ana de Valverde, sister of the Bishop. He was granted the valleys of Chimu and Chicama. He was at the battle of Chupas. He joined Gonzalo Pizarro and was at Añaquito. Then he turned round and joined Gasca, being present at Sacsahuana. But he refused to join Giron’s rebellion continuing as Governor of Truxillo.

[28] Diego Centeno was a native of Ciudad Rodrigo. He came to Peru with Alvarado in 1534, and was at the battle of Salinas on the side of the Pizarros. He was also at Chupas. He then settled at Chuquisaca, and when the news of the new laws arrived, he and Hinojosa were appointed Procurators by the citizens. He seems to have wavered for some time, but eventually took up arms against Gonzalo Pizarro in Charcas. Old Carbajal went against him, defeated him, and hunted him until he was obliged to hide in a cave for nearly a year. He then collected forces again, surprised Cuzco, and marched southward. Gonzalo Pizarro and Carbajal encountered him at the battle of Huarina, where he was entirely defeated on October 20, 1547. He managed to escape to Gasca’s army, and was given charge of Gonzalo Pizarro when he surrendered. Centeno was much dissatisfied with Gasca’s distribution of the repartimientos. He went back to Chuquisaca where he was poisoned. He left two sons.

[29] Pedro Alonso Hinojosa was born at Truxillo in Estremadura and came to Peru with Hernando Pizarro in 1534. He was at the siege of Cuzco, escaped from Almagro, and was Standard Bearer for the Pizarros at the battle of Salinas, April 20, 1538. He was also at the battle of Chupas. He joined Gonzalo Pizarro and went to Arequipa to secure the services of Carbajal. Gonzalo Pizarro gave him command of his fleet and he took Panama. But he was talked over by Gasca and gave up the ships to him. Gasca made him Captain-General of his army, and he was at Sacsahuana. He received Gonzalo Pizarro’s estates and mines in Charcas, where he was murdered by the rebels under Sebastian de Castilla in 1553.

[30] Francisco de Almendras was one of Pizarro’s original followers, and at Caxamarca he received 181 marcs and 4440 pesos of gold as his share of the Atahualpa ransom. He became a Regidor or Magistrate at Chuquisaca, where he executed several enemies of Gonzalo Pizarro, whom he joined with his two nephews Diego and Martin on the road to Cuzco. He was a violent and very active partisan. Returning to Chuquisaca he was seized by Diego Centeno and put to death, in spite of his entreaties to be spared because of his large family, June 16, 1545. His nephew Diego served against Giron, but was murdered by a negro. The other nephew Martin was afterwards Alcalde of Chuquisaca.

[31] Alonso de Toro, another citizen of Cuzco, was Lieutenant-General to Gonzalo Pizarro. Diego Gonzalez, his father-in-law, killed him out of sheer alarm, owing to certain matrimonial quarrels.

[32] Francisco de Villacastin was one of the original conquerors in Panama and in Peru. He became a citizen of Cuzco, had a house there, and married Leonora Ccoya, an Inca princess, the widow of Juan Balsa who was hanged at Lima by Carbajal. Villacastin first served with Pedrarias on the isthmus, and was employed in making the road from Nombre de Dios to Panama. The monkeys threw stones at the workers, and one wounded Villacastin, who was then a cross-bow man, knocking out two of his front teeth. He had a good repartimiento at Ayavire. He died in prison after Sacsahuana, being a staunch supporter of Gonzalo Pizarro. Garcilasso says that he was wounded in the face by an enemy after he had surrendered. “He was a good man and did much good to many people.”

[33] Tomas Vasquez was one of the first conquerors. He had a house in Cuzco and mines in Caravaya. He was a turbulent soldier mixed up in all troubles. For this reason the Viceroy, Marquis of Cañete, ordered him to be beheaded as an undesirable person.