Battle of Tucapel by Garcilaso de la Vega

All Historical

The following description of the battle of Tucapel is from The Royal Commentaries of the Incas, by Garcilaso de la Vega, the Inca historian, and published in 1617. Notice that he drew heavily from the works of de Vivar, Lobera, and Marmolejo.

"When Valdivia arrived where the rebel Araucos were, he found twelve or thirteen thousand of them, with whom he had several desperate encounters, in which the Spaniards were always victorious; and the Indians were so disheartened by the charges of the cavalry that they would not come out in the open plain, for ten horsemen would scatter a thousand Indians. They remained in the hills and woods, where the horses could not master them, and thence they did all the mischief they could, refusing to listen to any terms that were offered to them, and obstinate in their determination to die rather than be servants of the Spaniards. Thus the two sides remained for many days. These evil tidings spread each day into the Arauco country, until they were told to an old captain who had been famous in their wars, but was now retired to his own home.1 He came out to see what wonder was this, that one hundred and fifty men could hold in check twelve or thirteen thousand warriors. This he was unable to believe, if these Spaniards were not devils or immortals, which the Indians thought at first. In order to undeceive himself on these points, he desired to join the war, and see what passed with his own eyes. He reached the top of a hill, whence he had a view of both armies, the line of his own people widely extended, and that of the Spaniards small and compact. He was considering for a long time what could be the cause that so few men could conquer so many. Having closely examined the situation, he repaired to the camp of his countrymen and called a Council. After long discourses on the events that had taken place up to that time, he asked these questions, among many others.
1 The author believes this chief to have been Caupolican.

"Are the Spaniards mortal men like the Indians, or immortal like the Sun and Moon? Do they feel hunger, thirst, and fatigue? Have they the necessity for sleeping and rest? In short, he asked whether they were made of flesh and blood, or of iron and steel? He asked the same questions respecting the horses. Having been told that they were men of the same appearance and habits as the Indians, he explained: Let all now rest, and tomorrow we will see who are the best men, the Spaniards or ourselves. With that the Council broke up, and at the first appearance of dawn next day he ordered a call to arms, which was sounded with much greater shouts and noise of trumpets, drums, and other like instruments, than was usual. He armed thirteen squadrons of a thousand men each, and formed them in a thread, one behind the other.

The Spaniards came forth on hearing the shouts of the Indians, splendidly armed, with great plumes on their heads and on those of their horses, and with many breastplates hung with bells. When they saw the divided squadrons, they thought less of their enemies, as it seemed to them that they could more easily scatter many small squadrons than one very large body of men. The Indian captain, seeing the Spaniards in the plain, said to the men of his first squadron, "Go, my brothers, and fight with the Spaniards. I do not say you will conquer them, but do your best for your country, and when you can do no more, fly, and I will succour you. But when you of the first squadron fly, do not mix with the second, nor the second with the third, but retire behind all the other squadrons, when I will direct what you should then do." With these orders the old captain sent his men to fight the Spaniards, who attacked the first squadron, and, though the Indians did what they could in their defense, they routed them. They also scattered the second, third, fourth, and fifth squadrons with ease; but not so easily but that many on their side were wounded, and some killed, men as well as horses.

"The Indian captain, as the first squadron fell back defeated, sent the others forward to fight, in their order. And in the rear of the whole army he had a captain who formed new squadrons out of the fugitive Indians, each of a thousand men, whom he ordered to be supplied with food and drink, and to rest until their turn to fight should come again. Having defeated five squadrons, the Spaniards looked out to observe how many remained, and they saw another eleven or twelve before them. They had now fought for more than three hours; nevertheless they cheered each other on, and charged the sixth squadron and routed it, as well as the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth. Yet neither they nor their horses were as fresh as at first, since they had fought for seven long hours without ceasing for a moment. The Indians never gave them rest, one squadron having scarcely been defeated before another came to the attack, and the routed men fell out of the battle to rest and form themselves into new squadrons. It was then that the Spaniards saw that their enemies still had ten squadrons ready to fight; yet, with indomitable courage, they prepared to renew the conflict, though they were worn and tired, both men and horses. Yet they continued the battle with as much vigour as possible, that their weakness might not be seen by the Indians. But the Indians, from hour to hour, recovered their strength, while the Spaniards were losing it; for they felt that their enemies no longer fought as they did in the beginning, or even in the middle of the day. Thus the two armies continued until two in the afternoon.

"Then the Governor Pedro de Valdivia, seeing that there were still eight or ten squadrons to scatter, and that, though this were achieved, the Indians continued to form new ones; and considering that, in this new way of fighting, judging from the small respite there had been during the day, neither would there be rest at night. It seemed well to retire, before the horses were quite worn out. His intention was to retreat to a narrow pass, which he had left about a league and a half in his rear, and he thought that if that point could be reached, he would be safe, as there the Spaniards, on foot, could defend the pass against the whole army of the enemy.

"Having taken this resolution, though tardily, he called to his men, and said that they were to retreat gradually to the narrow pass. This they did, forming in close order, and retiring little by little, with their faces always to the foe, but more with the intention of defending themselves than of attack.

"At this moment an Indian who, from a boy, had been brought up by the Governor Pedro de Valdivia, named Lautaru, a son of one of their chiefs, hearing the Spaniards calling to each other to retreat, and knowing their language from having been brought up amongst them, and fearing that his relations would be satisfied at seeing the Spaniards retreat, and that they would allow them to retire unmolested, left the Spanish ranks, crying, "Do not be faint-hearted, my brothers. These thieves are now flying, and they set their hopes on reaching the narrow pass. Think, therefore, of what is needful for the freedom of our country, and the death and destruction of these traitors."2 Saying these words, to animate his own people, he took up a lance from the ground and stationed himself at their head, to fight against the Spaniards.
2 This suggests that the Araucanos, and not the Spanish, were on the point of retreating, when they were rallied by Lautaru.

"The old Indian captain who had adopted these new tactics,3 seeing the road taken by the Spaniards, and hearing the warning of Lautaru, understood what the enemy intended to do, and ordered the two squadrons which had not yet been engaged to march with speed and diligence, and by short cuts, and occupy the narrow pass which the Spaniards wished to reach, and to remain there until they were joined by the rest of the Indians. Having given this order, he advanced with the remaining squadrons in pursuit of the Spaniards, every now and then sending fresh companies forward to engage them, and prevent them from getting any rest. This was also done that the Indians who were fatigued with fighting might retire from the conflict and refresh themselves for renewed efforts. In this way they followed and pressed upon the Spaniards, until they reached the narrow pass, killing some, and never ceasing to fight for a moment. When they reached the pass it was near sunset. The Spaniards, on seeing that the pass was occupied and guarded by the enemy, gave up all hope of escaping death, and, in order to die like Christians, they called upon the name of Christ our Lord, of the Virgin his Mother, and of the Saints for whom they felt most devotion.
3 The chief, Caupolican.

"The Indians, seeing that the Spaniards were so tired that neither they nor their horses could do more, rushed upon them, and gave the horses and their riders as many wounds as they could inflict on all parts of their bodies. They hurled them on the ground, and killed them with all the rage and cruelty they could show. They took Governor Valdivia, and a priest who accompanied him, alive, and fastened them to poles until the fight was over, intending to settle what should be done with them, at their leisure. Thus far I have given the substance of the second report that came from Chile to Peru touching the defeat and death of Valdivia, as soon as it happened, and sent by the friendly Indians who were present in the battle. Three of them escaped, having hid themselves in some bushes, during the darkness of the night; and when the Indians assembled to celebrate their victory, they came out of their hiding-place, and as men who knew their road, and were more loyal to their masters than Lautaru, they went to give news of the disaster to the Spaniards, and of the death of the famous Pedro de Valdivia and of all who were with him.

"After the arrival of the second report in Peru, the way in which the Governor Valdivia was killed by the Indians was described in several ways, for the three Indians who escaped from the battle could not give an accurate account, because they were not eye-witnesses. Some said that his own servant, Lautaru, killed him, when he was fastened to a pole, saying to his countrymen, "Why do you spare this traitor?" They said that the Governor had prayed to the Indians not to kill him until his servant should come, expecting that, as he had been his servant, he would save his life. Others said, and this was the most probable account, that an old captain had killed him with a club. He may have been the same captain through whose tactics the victory was won. They killed him hastily, lest their men should accept the offers of the poor Governor, and unfasten him from the pole to which he was tied, for the other Indian captains, trusting in the promises of Valdivia, were inclined to liberate him. He offered to depart from Chile and to take with him all the Spaniards, and never to return again. But that captain,4 seeing the inclination of the others and that they were ready to give credit to the Governor, rose up amongst them and suddenly killed him with a club, thus ending the discussion. He exclaimed, "Shame upon you for being so imprudent as to believe the words of a vanquished and bound slave. Tell me, will not a man in that position promise anything? But will he fulfill his promise when he is free?"
4 This undoubtedly refers to Caupolican.

"Another story respecting his death was told by a Spaniard named Francisco de Riberos, a native of Truxillo, who was then a captain in Chile, where he possessed Indians. He came to Peru soon after the disaster, and said that the Indians passed the night after their victory in dancing and great festivity. During each dance they cut a piece out of the unfortunate Valdivia, and another out of the priest tied up near him, and ate the pieces before them. While this cruelty was enacting, the good Governor confessed his sins, as also did the priest, and at last the torments of both were ended. It may be that, after that captain killed the Governor with a club, he was eaten by the Indians, not because it was their custom to eat human flesh, but to show the rage they felt against him for his great deeds and for the many defeats he had inflicted upon them.5
5 See Chapters XXI-XXIV in the Royal Commentaries of the Incas.