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BooK
VII.
Royal
Commentaries.
Countrey of
Mexico
(
who· had taught the reíl:) that could íhoot either upon
R.eíl:s, or at Arms length, as they pleafed. Moreover, it was cercainly believed;
chat
Hernandez
compounded bis Powder wich a cercain fort of Poifon : for che
Chirurgeons reported, that che wounds made by the Rebels Gun-íhoc, chough
never fo ílight, were incurable, and which was contrary
to
che nacure of fuch
wounds, which are always more eafily cured than chofe which are made by Lance,
or Sword, or Halbert, or füch like Weapons: bue notwichíl:anding all chefe difficul- .
ties engage chey niufr, which cofr many a man his life,
to
che defeac and ruine of
the
whole Army.
·
.
.
C_
H;
A P.
XVII.
The Marfbal draws up his Men
in
order of Battel.
Frari–
cifco Hernandez
does_the lik.e in defence of himfelf.
The feveral A/faúlts that were made.
The death of many
principal pe1fons.-
945
I
T
was prefently afcer mid-day when che Marfhal gave che figcial for che Bat–
ee!, and having drawn up che Souldiers in their feveral Companies, he gave
orders to Captain
Martin de Robles
wich bis Company of Mu[queciers, to march
ro che left, anp accack che Enemy on chac fide ; che Captains
Martin de Olmos
and
¡ohn Ramo,s
were commanded wich cheir Forces
to
march to che righc, and to make
che on-fec cogether ac che fame time, when chey heard che Trumpet found, which
,
was to be che fignal for che Aífault: che refr of rhe lnfantry, wich all che Horfe
were commanded
to
de[cend _by a very narrow paífage, chere being no ocher way
chan chat to go down unto che River, which, having paífed, they were to draw
up
in a liccle Plain, and chen in a Body to atcack che Enemy wich all che fury
poffible.
Francifco Hernandez,,
who from bis íl:acion ob[erved
ali
chis mocion of
che Enemy, and chat chey were difpo[ed to afiaulc them in three feveral places ;
called to bis Souldim, and faid, Now., Gentlernen, we_muíl: either conquer or
•
die, for che Enemy is coming upon us wich ali their fury : Hereupon
a
certain
Souldier of good experience in che War, whom
Hernandez,
and bis men called Co-
lonel
Vill11tva,
perceiving chac che General and his Souldiers feemed fomewhac
cold and de[ponding; bid them~ as
Palentino
reporcs,
to
.be of good coarage, for
thac che Maríhal could never maintain bis Order, nor was it poffible for him
to
pa[s che River without being over-thrown; and chat che place where they were
pofl:ed was fo fl:rong as could noc be caken by ten thoufand men; and that
all
of them muíl: be cut off and periíh in che aífault; wich which faying of
P'illalva
Hernande:i::,
and bis men were greatly encouraged,
&c.
And
indeed·it proved ac–
cording to the words of the Colonel : For
Hern1tnde:i::,
having drawn up fome of
his Mufquetiers and ali his Pikemen in a n:mow way, commanded by
Piedrahita,
and
Sotelo,
with orders
to
fighc jointly in a Body or [eparately, and to relieve
· each other, as o~caÍlon fhould require. Another-greac.Body ofabove an hundred
Mu[quetiers he divided into feveral parties, of four and fix together, and lódged
them in che clofe pafiages, and behind Rocks, Bufhes and Thickets which grew
by che River fide; where was no place
to
draw up men into
a
Body, bue every
. one mufl: fight by himfelf fingly ; And thence che Rebels could- íhoot with a íl:ed–
dy hand, r~fl:ing their Mu[quets on Bufhés, or Stumps and Branches of Trees;
Martin de Robles
and hisCompany ofMu[queriers having paífed che River, eíl:ee–
med themfe1ves
fo
fecure ofVictory, conlidering che fmall number of che Enemy,
thac chey preífed haíl:ily to atcack chem, intending
to
gain che honour of the
Viétory unto chernfelves ; which chey <lid with fo niuch preoipitation, chat they
woul~ not íl:ay untill ali their men were paífed over, buc -attempced che Enemy
with the Van or Front onely, whilíl: the reíl: were wading .through che River
wich water
to
cheir middles, or to their Breaíl:s; and fome, intent on other mac-
E
~
e e ee
ters,