How, after Gonzalo Pizarro had been received in Cuzco as Procurator and Chief Justice, he named captains; and how Diego Centeno arrived at Cuzco and delivered despatches to Pizarro.
Gonzalo Pizarro, being received as Chief Justice in the city of Cuzco, made haste to collect men, manufacture powder, and prepare arquebuses, while letters continually came, generally in cypher, speaking ill of the Viceroy, and urging Pizarro to come down to Lima without delay. Now that he had got the command which he desired, he considered that it would be well to nominate captains and officers for the war. He thought of giving the appointment of Ensign General to Diego Maldonado the rich, but he declined it with ingenious excuses, showing that it would be more advisable to leave him in the city. The members of the municipality also spoke to Pizarro, advising that Maldonado should be left as Alcalde and captain in Cuzco. Consenting to this, Gonzalo Pizarro appointed Alonso de Toro to be Master of the Camp. He was a native of Truxillo. For Ensign General Antonio de Altamirano, a native of Hontivéros was named. The captains of infantry were Diego Gumiel, a native of Villadiego, Juan Velez de Guevara of Malaga, Cermeño, who came from San Lucar de Barrameda, was captain of arquebusiers, Hernando Bachicao had charge of the artillery, and Pedro de Puertocarrero commanded the cavalry.
A few days after Gonzalo Pizarro had made these appointments, these rebels left Cuzco and those who wished to wage this wicked and atrocious war formed their camp. Thus the drums and fifes proclaimed its commencement. How rejoiced must have been the tyrant Gonzalo Pizarro to find that now he had the power to oppose the Viceroy, thinking that it would be easy afterwards to seize the government of the kingdom.
Lope Martin arrived at the city, publishing all the news of the Viceroy. Diego Centeno also arrived with the despatches and provisions which the Viceroy had brought. Some say that he delivered them into the hands of Gonzalo Pizarro of his own accord, without making any conditions. They say that Pizarro, when he saw the despatches, rejoiced at having got them into his power, and ordered Centeno, on pain of death, not to tell any citizen or any other person what he had brought. There was haste in getting the arms ready, and providing everything for the march; and it was resolved to send to the city of Guamanga for the artillery, Francisco de Almendras, a strong adherent of Pizarro, undertaking the duty.
CHAPTER XXXI
How Gonzalo Pizarro ordered the Captain Francisco de Almendras to go to the city of San Juan de Victoria which is in Guamanga to seize the artillery that had been sent there by the Licentiate Vaca de Castro.
When Gonzalo Pizarro conceived his evil design, he remembered that the artillery with which the younger Almagro gave battle to Vaca de Castro at Chupas, was in Guamanga. Having confidence in Francisco de Almendras, who was a citizen of Plata, Pizarro sent him, with thirty arquebusiers, to get possession of the artillery without doing any harm to that city. On the contrary he was to talk to the citizens and municipality, telling them that Pizarro had charged himself with the duty of answering in the name of all touching the question of the ordinances, and as they had written so many times and incited him to action, they should now be prepared to help.
Francisco de Almendras set out from Cuzco with his men, and arrived at Guamanga where, at that time, Vasco Suarez was Alcalde for the King our lord. When the object of Almendras was known there was a meeting of the Alcalde and magistrates to decide what steps should be taken to prevent the artillery from being taken away. Vasco Suarez said that he desired to defend the artillery, and to oppose Almendras and his men. Juan de Berrio, a magistrate, declared that with his person, arms, horses, and servants he would support the loyal intention of the Alcalde. Diego Gavilan said the same. The Captain Vasco de Guevara feigned to have a bad indisposition which increased so much at that time that he was unable to leave his bed. Almendras, in a loud voice, asked how long they would delay to give up the artillery? Those of Guamanga equivocated, not wishing to tell where the artillery was deposited. Almendras waited, for the soldiers said that he had little occasion to pass compliments, for Gonzalo Pizarro had left home and estate to answer the calls of these men, and now they pretended not to know where the artillery was. Some say that Vasco de Guevara told Almendras where it was, but that is false. The truth is that, with the most persuasive words he could use, he deceived Francisco de Almendras and, when night came, he mounted his horse and rode off to the country of Soras, where his grant of Indians was, with the wish of helping and serving the Viceroy.
When the Captain Almendras knew of the escape of Vasco de Guevara, he had a mind to destroy the town. In a great rage he went to the house of Guevara, and tortured his servants until they confessed where the artillery was. He took possession of it with great joy, saying to the citizens of Guamanga that he had little to thank them for, that he would return to Cuzco, and they would see what orders would come from there. This done he loaded the artillery on the shoulders of Indians, and took the road back to the city of Cuzco.