OF CERTAIN DEFECTS IN THE SOLDIERS OF ST. IAGO, OF
THEIR COMPANIES, AND OF THE DEGREES OF MILITARY
RANK AMONGST THEM.
The soldiers of St. Iago were accused of three defects by their old
general, Barreda. The first is, that in an assault, they neglect to
surround the dwellings of the savages on every side, and thus give them
an opportunity of escaping. They make the first attack in front, leaving
a way to the wood, whither the enemy may take shelter. Experience has
taught them that the Abipones and Mocobios fight desperately when
straitened. They knew well that the province would be more disturbed by
the deaths of two soldiers, than rejoiced at the slaughter of two
hundred savages. Induced by these considerations, the soldiers of St.
Iago, slighting the orders of their commander, attack the enemy on that
part which they think least dangerous to themselves. Another subject of
complaint to Barreda, was, that, though he commanded them to make the
attack in silence, they still would rush on with shouts and senseless
clamour. The third objection was, their greediness for booty. When an
unarmed multitude of women and children were taken, whilst the men
escaped, the soldiers, scattered up and down the plain, were eagerly
seeking droves of horses, when they ought to have been employed in
pursuing and slaughtering the fugitives, and in watching diligently,
lest the savages should shake off dread, quit their lurking-holes, and
again exhibit their faces in the field. Barreda himself, in an
expedition against the Mocobios, ran great risk of losing his life; for
as he remained in the plundered camp, with but one companion, the rest
being employed in catching the enemy's horses in the plain, a Mocobio
suddenly started up from under a mat, and before taking to flight, shot
an arrow at his breast, which would have proved mortal, had he not been
protected by his woollen garment: the man was immediately pierced with a
musket ball. Who would not laugh at the paltry plunder of the enemy's
camp? They search every corner, and collect jugs, pots, gourds, shells,
skins of beasts, emus' feathers, in short whatever they can find,
leaving nothing behind but the dust. With much care and trouble they
carry home all sorts of trash, to be exhibited as trophies to their
neighbours and to posterity.
Not one soldier receives any pay, throughout the whole district of St.
Iago. The colonists are all divided into companies, some of which
consist of two hundred men, more or less. Each has its captain,
lieutenant, ensign, (though that is a mere title, for they have no
ensigns,) and corporals. It is the captain's duty to call out the
soldiers to an excursion. The lieutenant's business is to guard the
horses, both by day, when they are driven all together along the road,
without riders, and by night, when they are grazing in the open plain.
Many take long journeys on one horse, but the more opulent carry four,
or even ten, and ride them by turns. The ensigns act in the place of the
lieutenant, when he is absent, or resting. In each of the territories of
the province, there is a master of the watch, called _Sargento Mayor_,
who has the chief command both over the captains and their companies,
and orders which are to go to war. This officer, sometimes from
partiality, sometimes from being corrupted by bribes, suffers the richer
people to remain at home, and forces the poorer, and generally the least
able, to attend the militia. All condemn, but none dare to correct this
abominable custom, the pernicious effects of which extend to the whole
province. Barreda permitted nobody to be appointed for an expedition,
who did not possess at least four horses, and who had neither brothers
nor grown-up sons at home, to manage his domestic affairs in his
absence. During my stay there, the whole province of St. Iago contained
eleven companies, which took their names from their captains. Beside
these, there is a company of scouts, called _Batidores del campo_,
containing fewer than the others, but those few of tried sagacity and
courage. The chief and the champion of this company was Landriel, who,
as a remuneration for his well-known merits, was declared camp-master by
the Governour of Tucuman. But I should have been better pleased to have
heard of his having been enriched with money, or a pension, than adorned
with an empty title. According to report, his father was not of low
birth, but his mother must have been an Indian, to judge from his
features, speech, and complexion. He was born in a village of St. Iago.
Reading and writing were the extent of his attainments. He was courteous
and upright in his manners, endowed with a quick understanding, with
singular prudence and piety, and robust, though middle-sized in stature.
He always led a single life, to the best of my remembrance. I visited
him on my return from the city, when he dwelt with his mother, in a
miserable hut, not far from Soconcho, on the banks of the river Dulce,
and was grieved to witness the poverty of so famous a man. The Governour
granted him the field Alarcòn, which extends many leagues, and is rich
in woods, but being surrounded with a vast desert, and consequently
liable to the incursions of the savages, cannot be cultivated with
safety.
The last, and chief company, consists of the captains who have served
out their time, and are called _Capitanes Reformados_. These attend the
Vice-Governour, the Commander-in-chief in excursions, but are exempt
from the other journeys and burdens of the war. To obtain this immunity,
those who are more gifted with wealth than courage purchase the title of
a reformed captain, though they never discharged the office either of
captain or lieutenant. You can hardly imagine how ardently all the
Americans, both Indians and Spaniards, sue for military dignities, and
how much they are delighted with these honourable titles. Do they faint
with hunger, thirst and wretchedness?—salute them with the title of
captain, or master of the watch, and they will revive,—_in cælum,
jusseris, ibunt_. There was an old Spaniard who knew how to make
waggons, gates, and mill-wheels, and was, on this account, styled a
mathematician by the ignorant vulgar, who doubtless accounted him
superior to Archimedes. Barreda was in want of this man's assistance in
constructing the gates and window-beams in the new colony of Concepcion;
but being well aware that the old workman would never be persuaded to go
to the country of the Abipones, being more attached to his own house
than a tortoise to its shell, he made use of an honest stratagem to
obtain his purpose, and immediately declared him a reformed captain. In
a few days, Barreda gives out his intention of taking a journey to the
colony. According to custom, two companies and all the reformed captains
were called out, amongst whom, this most noble artificer, as he had
lately been elected one of their number, could not refuse to go. Barreda
jocosely told me the whole story, in the new town of Concepcion, and
charged me always to salute the said workman with the high-sounding
title of Captain, saying it would be an excellent method of stimulating
him to exertion. I took the hint, and whenever I had occasion to visit
the workshop, interspersed every sentence with _Señor Capitan_. "Very
true," said he; "by the grace of God I am a captain; that can't be
denied. But what of that?" And then he complained to me, that many did
not know that this was the case. I immediately employed all my
rhetorical powers in extolling the perfections of a reformed captain in
general, and his own exceeding merit in particular; and in this
panegyric I took care that every sentence should begin and end with,
_Señor Capitan_. At my request, this mode of speech was adopted by
Barreda and all the rest, which artifice succeeded so well, that the
good old man made the gates, doors, and other necessaries, with all
possible dispatch, though not in the most skilful manner: such was the
potency of the unprofitable title of captain amongst them, which I have
seen confirmed by another event of the same kind, that took place in the
town of Concepcion.
Barreda ordered the soldiers to hedge round a very large field, to
plough, and sow it with maize, melons, cotton, &c. and he himself
laboured with his own hands, that the Abipones might not be ashamed of
the plough. At the end of four days, being obliged to return to the
city, he gave it in charge to one of the common soldiers, to get it
properly ploughed and sowed during his absence, promising him, by way of
reward, the title of reformed captain. Lured by so sweet a bait, the
soldier exceeded Barreda's expectation, and almost went beyond himself.
From the rising to the setting of the sun, he made the oxen fly with the
plough, and himself and his companions overflow with sweat, caused by
toiling under a burning sun; careless of the heat, of food and sleep, he
laboured with such ardour, that his task was finished sooner than could
have been imagined. Barreda, on his departure, by sound of drum,
proclaimed this strenuous ploughman a reformed captain, to the
surrounding troop of horse. But you will laugh to hear how transitory is
human greatness. In less than three days, this new captain lost his
dignity, and the favour of him who conferred it. It is worth while to
relate the cause of his disgrace, which will discover a shameful custom
of the soldiers of St. Iago. When absent, they are possessed with an
incredible desire of home. Those who are sent to the colonies of the
Abipones pursue their journey thither very tardily, but return with
amazing quickness. They fatigue their horses with hurrying day and
night, as, though they may have no wounds to show, they wish to present
themselves at home, alive and safe, as soon as possible. From this
extreme desire of revisiting their friends, it often happens that the
soldiers, whilst striving with each other in haste, desert their leader.
Barreda, in the journey I mentioned, was offended to find so very few
soldiers remaining in his company, and particularly at the absence of
him whom he had named captain but a few days before. He sent a man
forward to signify to him that he was degraded from his rank. Grieved
and surprized at this intelligence, he condemned his own haste, and
almost wept for the loss of his title. Landriel became his counsellor,
and advised him to fill the horns, which they used for jugs, with fresh
water, to carry them to Barreda, and say that he had hastened to fetch
cold water from the river Turugon, as none was to be got within many
leagues. Barreda, parching with thirst, was so pleased with this
civility, that, not perceiving the deceit, he restored to the good man
the title of captain. I relate these unimportant circumstances to show
you what a value the Spaniards set upon military titles. Hence, whenever
you meet a Spaniard or half Spaniard in the country, if you wish to
avoid giving offence, be sure not to accost him by his name or surname
alone, but always add his title, if he have any. If he be of the very
lowest condition, call him _Señor Cabo de esquadra_, or _Señor
Sargento_. If you observe wrinkles in his forehead, grey hairs on his
head, and shoes or boots on his feet, though his clothes be ever so
shabby, you may have no hesitation in calling him captain: but if he
have silver clasps to his bridle, brazen stirrups, (we generally use
wooden ones,) spurs of silver, and a staff in his hand, be assured that
he holds the title of _Sargento Mayor_, or _Maestre de Campo_. In a
noble city of Tucuman, where I resided for some time, all the richer
sort of people are called camp-masters, and in fact they are so; for a
knowledge of agriculture and the breeding of cattle is the sole means of
maintenance and nobility to the inhabitants of that place. You would be
thought a savage and fit to be hunted out of society, unless you made
abundant use of these honourable appellations, which they seek with such
ardor. A man of our order happened, on a journey, to fall in with a
Spaniard in a place where four roads met, and, whilst considering which
way he should take, repeatedly addressed his companion with the title of
captain: till the man, thinking himself insulted, said, with a
threatening look, "Good Father, how long will you continue to make me
angry? You must either be a stranger, or very ignorant, since you don't
know that I am a _Sargento Mayor_:" so much displeasure do they evince
if their ears are not gratified with their proper appellations. But they
are not ashamed to be saluted with titles which do not really belong to
them. I saw Barreda writing letters to the Governour of Tucuman, in
which he honoured him with the title of colonel, though he was only
lieutenant-colonel of a regiment of infantry. I reminded Barreda of this
circumstance, thinking it must have slipped his memory. But he replied
that he had written it purposely, not through forgetfulness: that I was
unacquainted with the customs of America, where it is necessary to
politeness, to add one degree, at least, to a title of dignity.