_Some Account of the Expedition of Francisco de Garay for the Colonization
of Panuco_.
Having formerly mentioned the expedition fitted out by Francisco de Garay,
the governor of Jamaica, it seems proper to give a more particular account
of that affair in this place. Hearing of the great riches which Diego
Velasquez was likely to acquire from New Spain, and of the fertile
countries which had been discovered on the continent of the West Indies,
and encouraged by the means he now possessed of prosecuting discoveries
and conquests, he determined to try his own fortune in that career. For
this purpose he sent for and discoursed with Alaminos, who had been our
chief pilot, from whom he received so favourable an account of these
countries, that he sent Juan de Torralva, a person in whom he could
confide, to solicit the bishop of Burgos to grant him a commission for
settling the country on the river of Panuco; and having succeeded in this
preliminary step, he fitted out an armament of three ships, with 240
soldiers, under the command of Alonzo Alvarez Pineda, who was defeated by
the Panuchese, one ship only escaping, which joined us at Villa Rica, as
already related. Receiving no intelligence of the fate of his first
armament, Garay sent a second, which also arrived at our port. Having now
expended a great deal of money to no purpose, and having learnt the good
fortune of Cortes, he became more than ever desirous to secure the
advantages he expected to derive from his commission. With this view he
fitted out thirteen ships, in which he embarked 136 cavalry, and 840 foot
soldiers, mostly musqueteers and crossbow-men, of which he took the
command in person. He sailed with this great armament from Jamaica, on the
24th June 1523, and arrived safe at the port of Xagua in the island of
Cuba, where he received information that Cortes had reduced the province
of Panuco to subjection, and had sent a petition to the emperor to get a
commission for governing his new acquisition. He was here informed of the
heroic deeds of Cortes and his companions, and in particular of our having
defeated the large force of Narvaez, while we had only 270 soldiers.
Struck with awe at the power and abilities of our general, he solicited
the licentiate Zuazco to mediate between him and Cortes, that he might be
permitted to take possession of the government of Panuco, in pursuance of
his commission from the bishop of Burgos.
Garay shortly afterwards set out with his armament, and being driven by a
storm into the river Palmas[1], he disembarked there, intending to march
by land to Panuco, having first exacted an oath of fidelity from his
troops; and he even nominated the various officers of his colony, which he
intended to name Garayana. Having marched for two days along the sea-shore,
through a marshy uninhabited country, he arrived at some villages, where
the inhabitants entertained him hospitably, but many of his soldiers
straggled about robbing and maltreating the people. Garay at length
arrived at Panuco, where his soldiers expected all their difficulties
would end, but it was almost a desert, as it had been much wasted in the
war with Cortes, and the natives concealed what remained, so that they
found nothing but bare walls, where they were tormented with mosquitos and
every kind of vermin. Garay could get no intelligence of his fleet, and
learnt from a Spaniard who had fled from punishment and lived among the
Indians, that the province of Panuco was poor and unhealthy; and as this
man gave a very favourable account of Mexico, many of Garays soldiers
deserted from him, and went off for Mexico, plundering the natives on
their way. Garay found himself in a bad plight, and sent one of his
officers, named Diego de Ocampo, to sound the disposition of Vallejo, who
was governor of St Estevan del Puerto for Cortes, and to notify the
appointment of Garay to the government of this country. Vallejo gave a
favourable answer, requesting the soldiers might be restrained from
maltreating the inhabitants; but sent off an express to Cortes, soliciting
a strong reinforcement or the immediate presence of the general. On
receiving this intelligence, Cortes immediately sent off Alvarado,
Sandoval, Father Olmedo, and Gonzalo de Ocampo, brother to Diego de Ocampo,
who was with Garay, giving them a copy of the royal instructions, by which
all his conquests were left under his command till the dispute between him
and Velasquez were judicially settled.
On the arrival of Garay in the neighbourhood of St Estevan, Vallejo learnt
from five deserters that the troops were scattered negligently in a large
town called Nacoplan, on which he concerted a plan for coming on them by
surprise, and made forty of them prisoners, alleging that they had invaded
the country without a commission, and had plundered the inhabitants who
lived under his government. Garay threatened Vallejo with the vengeance of
the court of Spain for this outrage, and demanded the immediate release of
his soldiers; on which Vallejo requested to see his commission, which, if
from his majesty, he would obey in all humility. Just at this time arrived
the deputies from Cortes, and Diego de Ocampo, being then first alcalde of
Mexico, made a formal remonstrance against the entrance of Garay with an
armed force into the government of another person. Several days were spent
in remonstrances and replies on both sides, during which time many of
Garays troops deserted from him.
Two of the ships belonging to Garay were lost in a tempest, and the
remainder took shelter in the mouth of the river, when Vallejo secretly
negotiated with their officers to join the party of Cortes. He at length
contrived to inviegle the whole of the fleet up the river to the port of
St Estevan, where he made all their officers and men prisoners in the name
of Cortes; but Father Olmedo persuaded him to set them at liberty. The
unfortunate Garay entreated the officers of Cortes to restore his ships
and to compel his troops to return to their duty, promising to give up his
intended settlement at Panuco, and to retire to the river Palmas. They
agreed to this, and used every measure to induce the deserters to return,
but with little effect; as they alleged they had already discharged their
engagement in coming to Panuco, and they despised Garay. In this hopeless
state, Garay was persuaded to write to Cortes, stating his situation, and
requesting his protection and assistance, in consideration of their former
friendship. Cortes engaged to do what he desired, and invited him to come
to Mexico, where he was honourably received, and promised every redress,
referring him to Olmedo, Sandoval, and Alvarado, to agree with him on the
terms. At the suggestion of Olmedo, a marriage was proposed between Donna
Catalina Cortes y Pizarro, the daughter of Cortes, and the eldest son of
Garay, who had a command in the fleet. Cortes agreed to this, giving his
daughter a liberal fortune, and agreed that Garay should establish a
colony on the river Palmas, in which he engaged to give him every
assistance in his power. Garay now interceded with Cortes to allow Narvaez
to return to Cuba, for which favour Narvaez was extremely thankful, and
took leave of Cortes with many professions of gratitude. Soon afterwards,
Garay was seized with a pleurisy, of which he died in four days, leaving
Cortes and Father Olmedo his executors. As his armament was left without a
head, a competition arose among his officers for the vacant command; but
young Garay was ultimately made general. This gave great offence to the
soldiers, in consequence of which they dispersed about the country in
small bodies of fifteen or twenty men, pillaging the natives as if they
had been among Moors. This enraged the Indians, who laid a plot to cut off
the Spaniards, which they executed so effectually that in a very short
time they sacrificed and eat above five hundred of the soldiers of Garay,
in some of the towns upwards of a hundred of them being destroyed at one
time. In other places they fell upon the stragglers, whom they massacred
almost without resistance; and, encouraged by this success, they even rose
against the settlement of Estevan in such numbers, that they could hardly
be resisted by Vallejo and seven or eight of the veterans of Cortes, who
induced many of Garays soldiers to abide by them in the open field, where
three battles were fought, in one of which Vallejo was slain, and a great
number of Spaniards wounded. The Indians became at length so bold and
desperate, that they one night killed and burned forty Spaniards, among
whom were several belonging to Cortes, and destroyed fifteen horses. When
Cortes heard of these proceedings he was much enraged, and would have gone
in person to suppress the rebellion, but was then confined by a broken arm;
wherefore he sent Gonzalo de Sandoval, with 100 infantry, 50 cavalry, 15
musqueteers, and two field-pieces, accompanied by 8000 Mexican and
Tlascalan warriors, giving orders to reduce the country so completely
under subjection that they might not have power to give any farther
disturbance.
Sandoval was a person of much vigilance when he had any important business
in hand, and made no delay in marching against the enemy, who had
concentrated their forces in two narrow defiles. Sandoval divided his
forces into two bodies, but was so obstinately resisted, that he drew off
his forces, feigning to retreat to Mexico, followed by the Indians, whom
he completely deceived, making an unexpected countermarch at midnight, by
which he gained possession of the passes; yet not till he had lost three
horses, and had a great many of his men wounded. On passing the defiles,
he found himself opposed in front by an immense body of Indians, who had
collected on receiving notice of his countermarch. He concentrated his
whole force into one solid column; and as his cavalry were inexperienced
in the service, he gave them full instructions never to halt making
thrusts, as the Indians always seized the lances when wounded, and often
wrested them from the hands of our men; but ordered them to clap spurs to
their horses on such occasions, firmly grasping their lances, and thus
force them from the enemy by the strength of their horses. Having placed
guards and patroles, and ordered the horses of the cavalry to remain all
night saddled and bridled, he made the troops repose under arms on the
banks of a river, placing the Mexican and Tlascalan warriors at a short
distance from the Spanish troops, knowing by experience that the allies
were of more harm than benefit in a night attack. At day-break next
morning, Sandoval put his troops in motion, and was soon fronted by three
large bodies of the enemy, who endeavoured to surround him. Forming his
cavalry in two squadrons, he attacked the enemy with such spirit that they
were soon broken and dispersed, with the loss of two soldiers and three
horses on his side. The allies made terrible havock after this victory,
burning and plundering all before them, till the arrival of the army at St
Estevan. The remains of this colony were found in a miserable condition,
and the soldiers of Garay assured him that its preservation was entirely
owing to the bravery and conduct of our few veterans who were there.
Sandoval divided his army into several bodies, which he entrusted to the
command of the veterans, and sent them to overrun the neighbouring
districts, with orders to send in all the provisions they could collect,
being unable to go out himself, as he was badly wounded. In the course of
three days, his parties sent in many prisoners of the ordinary class, and
five chiefs; but Sandoval released the common people, and ordered his
troops to make no more prisoners, except of such chiefs as had been
concerned in or present at the murder of the Spaniards. In a few days
Sandoval was able to take the field, and by skilful measures he made
prisoners of twenty caciques, who had commanded where no less than six
hundred Spaniards were slain. He then summoned all the neighbouring towns
to send their chiefs to him to treat of peace and submission: Some obeyed,
but others neglected to attend, and he thought it best to dissimulate with
the latter for the present, till he had informed Cortes what had been
already done, and had received his orders as to the disposal of the
prisoners and his future procedure. Cortes, who now conferred the vacant
command of St Estevan on Sandoval, ordered all who had been any way
concerned in the murder of the Spaniards to be punished with death, as an
example to deter others from being guilty of the like offence, directing
Diego de Ocampo, as alcalde-major, to take the necessary steps against
them, with orders to execute all who should be found guilty. He gave
orders likewise to conciliate the natives by all possible means, and to
prevent the soldiers of Garay from committing any future outrages. Two
days after the receipt of these orders, the accused caciques were brought
to trial; and many of them being found guilty by evidence, or by their own
confession, were publickly executed, some being burnt and others hanged.
Many also were pardoned; and all the districts which had belonged to the
caciques who suffered on this occasion, were restored to their children or
other heirs. Ocampo now proceeded against all those Spaniards who had been
guilty of outrages, going about the country in bands, plundering and
murdering the natives, or who had invited other soldiers to desert to them;
and having collected them together, he shipped them off for Cuba. To Juan
de Grijalva, who had been commodore of the fleet under Garay, Cortes
offered the alternative of a present of 2000 crowns, and a passage to Cuba,
or an honourable reception at Mexico. But Grijalva and all the other
officers belonging to Garay preferred going to Cuba. When Sandoval and
Ocampo had thus reduced the settlement to order, and cleared it of these
troublesome inmates, they returned to Mexico, leaving the command at St
Estevan to an officer named Vallecillo; and on their arrival at the
capital, they were received by Cortes and others with the distinction
which their services richly merited[2].
[1] This is probably the river of Nueva Santander, about 100 miles north
from the Rio Tampico or river of Panuco--E.
[2] A very uninteresting episode, respecting the misfortunes of the
liceniate Zuazo, who has been formerly mentioned, is here omitted, as
having no reference whatever to the general history in hand: It is
sufficient to say that, after many perils by sea and land, Zuazo came
to Mexico, where Cortes gave him the office of alcalde-major, which
seems to have resembled our provost-marshal, or chief military
judge.--E.