The battles of the Anahuacans were not fought on scientific principles.
They had no conception of even the ordinary maneuvers of an army. What
they did was done by main force and strategem. Their tactics were the
result of untutored cunning, rather than intelligent design. To be
sure, their armies were organized--as has been previously
described--and, with their gaudy and glittering war paraphernalia of
gorgeously decorated banners, bright shields, helmets, and cuirasses,
presented a sight truly magnificent--according to the story of writers
contemporaneous with the conquerors--as they moved forward in "so
admirable order." They usually aimed to overwhelm an adversary,
especially if the strength of numbers was on their side. They advanced
amid the noises of rude drums, trumpets, and other instruments, singing
their war songs, and vociferating their war cries, which was, no doubt,
a kind of whistle-to-keep-up-your-courage proceeding. When on the
defensive they resorted to cunningly devised ambuscades and other
sudden surprises. They also practiced that peculiar manner of fighting
common with savages, known as guerilla warfare, in which men have
stooped to engage, in this nineteenth century, who claimed to be
civilized.
Ixtlilchoatl's plans for meeting his adversary had been decided upon.
He purposed standing on the defensive, and, if Maxtla was not informed
as to the make-up of his army, felt that he could defeat him. He
accordingly, at their request, placed three grand divisions--those of
Tlacopan and the other two allies--in front to meet the onslaught of
the enemy, while two divisions of Tezcucans were conveniently located
to support them. The right of his line was made especially strong, in
accordance with his plan of defense. The sixth grand division, the
flower of the Tezcucan councils, was situated some distance to the
left, and ordered to remain in concealment behind a strip of woods
until the engagement was fairly opened, when it was to advance quickly
and attack the enemy from that direction. Thus disposed, the army
awaited the assault of the foe.
The Tepanec army was splendidly caparisoned and equipped, and, as it
marched across the country with its gorgeous banners flapping in the
breeze, and the glittering armor and other belongings of its warriors
scintillating in the sun's refulgent rays, left behind it the
impression that it was an invincible force. The people, whose hearts
beat in sympathy with those who were to oppose the mighty aggregation,
despaired of its defeat as they looked upon its dazzling splendor. It
was clearly the stronger of the two opposing belligerents in equipment
if not in numbers, and yet, the difference was more than equalized by
the spirit of determination, which inspired the hearts of its
opponents, especially the Tezcucans, who had witnessed their country
wasting under the hand of oppression, their homes made desolate by
poverty and distress, and their people gradually sinking into a
condition of ignorance and degradation, while, in the advancing hosts
of Maxtla they recognized the power which had wrought these
disheartening deteriorations. Was it not enough to make each Tezcucan
arm a nemesis in itself, when the sufferer and the author of his
suffering stood face to face, on equal footing?
Some of the allied armies were as gaudily, if not so richly, accoutered
as their adversary. The Tezcucans, however, although well armed, were
indifferently dressed, and remarkably free from tinseled decoration,
except in a few instances among the chiefs.
Maxtla, on learning that his enemies were in the field, determined to
attack them at once, as delay would give them time to strengthen and
perfect their organization, in which he was, to a certain extent,
correct; for recruits and reinforcements from various points were
hourly arriving to swell the allied army.
He was not aware of the deliberate manner in which the rising had been
brought about, and expected to meet in the Tezcucan insurgents only a
mob of undisciplined rebels. He had yet to learn how perfectly they
were organized, and that Ixtlilchoatl was in command.
On came the imperial hosts, intent upon crushing the insurrectionists
and their allies at a single blow. Ixtlilchoatl's advance sentinels
were forced back upon the main body of his warriors, and, with hideous
yells and a multiplicity of deafening noises, the minions of Maxtla
swooped down upon the waiting confederates.
A perfect silence held the expectant lines of the patriotic allies. The
showers of arrows and other missiles which fell about and on them moved
them not. When the moment for action came, a shout of defiance went up
from them, and the confident hosts of the enemy were given a reception
they were not looking for. The javelin was used with telling effect,
and the advancing lines of Maxtla's vassals were shaken from right to
left, and the force of his onslaught broken. For a moment the attacking
warriors were checked, and appeared to waver; but, quickly recovering,
renewed the assault, and it now became a matter of force in numbers. In
this Maxtla had the advantage, and Ix's left was forced back, as it was
expected it would be. His right, however, being well supported, held
the first advantage gained, and pressed the enemy hard. The left
continued to fall back slowly, though contesting every inch of ground.
This encouraged the Tepanec leaders, and they poured their reserve
forces onto this point, thinking to crush the slowly retreating
divisions. To an eye witness the situation at this moment would have
looked very unfavorable for Ixtlilchoatl and his prince, if not
absolutely critical. But now was the time for the sixth grand division
of Tezcucans to strike where a stroke was least expected. Its commander
was prompt to take advantage of the opportunity, and out from the thick
woods poured a host of vengeful warriors, with Tezcuco's prince at
their head. The battle-cry of "Hualcoyotl and Victory" struck upon the
ear of the enemy like a knell, as they fell upon the rear of his right
like an avalanche of destruction. The retreating left took up the cry
and leaped forward with a will; the middle, or center, Macua's splendid
division of Tlacopans, reechoed it, and it soon reached the right, the
warriors of which sent back an inspiring shout, and from it gathered
renewed strength for the conflict, which now became one of fierceness
and desperation.
Many were the heroic deeds enacted in that hour of terrible and
sanguinary strife.
While the battle is raging, let us turn briefly to those in whom we are
specially interested.
Hualcoyotl, as we have seen, led the grand division of Tezcucans from
its concealed position to the sudden attack upon the rear of Maxtla's
right. Cacami was at his side, and with his sword, along with that of
the prince, dealt death to the now inwalled warriors of the enemy. Such
an exhibition of fearlessness as these two young leaders showed, and
the severe punishment they inflicted on the foe with their heavy
swords, was an example which could not fail to stir their followers to
deeds of savage daring. The enemy in their front became confused and
demoralized by the impetuosity with which they fought, and from which
confusion they were not allowed to recover, but were forced back upon
their own men, carrying demoralization with them. More than once the
life of the prince was saved by Cacami's strong arm, which seemed to
wield with magic power the heavy maquahuitl in his hand.
Tzin Euet, who was at the head of the Tezcucans supporting the right,
was quickly drawn into the fight when the shock of the first assault
came. He led his warriors gallantly into the fray, and by his intrepid
conduct nerved their hands for the conflict. In the midst of the
hottest and decisive tug of the strife he suddenly disappeared, and
when the great struggle ended could not be found.
Ixtlilchoatl remained calmly in his chair, watching from a position of
eminence the progress of the mighty struggle in front of him. So long
as the fighting went on in accordance with his plans he saw no reason
for disturbing his chiefs by interfering. However, when he saw that
Maxtla had fallen into his trap, messengers were hurriedly sent with
orders to the leaders to meet the situation, and, as the battle waged,
he saw that he would win. His guard of mountaineers, with Tezcot at
their head, stood ready to strike for Ix, the hermit, as they still
regarded him, should necessity require it.
Macua, with his grand division of Tlacopans, was doing good work in the
front and center. In the closing scenes of the engagement his warriors
gathered in a host of prisoners.
Everything was now in the allies' favor. Half of Maxtla's forces were
surrounded, and the other half was being hard pressed by as determined
a body of warriors as ever threw a javelin or swung a _maquahuitl_. The
Tepanec tyrant saw that the battle was going against him, and his
efforts were at once directed toward extricating his army from its
precarious position. The signal to retreat was sounded, and the
surrounded warriors, with the force of desperation, fought their way
through the human wall which encircled them, and joined the main body,
which began to slowly fall back.
It was late in the afternoon when the Tepanec army commenced its
retrograde movement. The victorious allies followed up their advantage
so long as it was possible, fighting and harrassing their retreating
foe. Darkness finally came on, which put a stop to the strife.
It was not so much an object to kill, with the Anahuacans, ordinarily,
as it was to capture.
Prisoners of war were reserved for sacrifice to the gods; and in order
that greater numbers might be secured, incentives were held out to the
soldiers to encourage the taking of them. They did not engage in the
barbarous practice of scalping a fallen foe, but made a warrior's
standing and promotion depend on the number of prisoners taken by him
in battle, and any violation of his rights, by depriving him of his due
as a captor, was severely punished--in extreme cases by death. For this
reason their battles were attended with comparatively little loss of
life.
The losses of the allies were mostly in prisoners, the number of their
killed being quite small. Maxtla's losses, on the contrary, were
chiefly in killed, for the reason that the Tezcucans, on this occasion,
fought a fight of extermination. At least one fifth of the defeated
army was left in the hands of the victors.
The victorious allies bivouacked for the night on the field of battle.
The wounded were cared for and the dead disposed of, while the
prisoners were put under a strong guard and sent to the rear.
When order was brought out of confusion, and the missing warriors
reported, Euetzin was found to be among them. This was a heavy blow to
the prince and Ixtlilchoatl; for, of all the army, he was the man whom
they would have had join them in rejoicing over their victory. His
ominous absence robbed it of much of the joy their triumph would
otherwise have brought them. They knew only too well the doom that
awaited him if in Maxtla's hands; if not liberated, his fate was
sealed.
A council of war was held; and, as the tzin stood high in the esteem of
all the princes, it was decided to push Maxtla to the wall, and, if
possible, save the young cacique from the terrible fate of a prisoner
of war. Ixtlilchoatl accordingly issued orders for the army to march at
dawn the next morning, for the purpose of again engaging the enemy in
battle.