Cortes had received a wound in his hand, which greatly hindered his fighting condition. But what worried him even more was the desperate position. Finally, he decided to see if it would help if Montezuma spoke to the people. It was difficult to get the defeated ruler to agree to this last humiliation. But when he was promised that the Spaniards would leave the city if he could restrain his countrymen, he at last consented. He put on his white and blue cloak, his tall helmet, his gold and precious jewels, in a word, his full princely dress. Thus presenting himself with all the insignia of authority which the people of Mexico had been accustomed to respect and fear so unhesitatingly, Montezuma ascended the broad roof of his palace. Seeing him, the hordes of attackers fell silent as if under a spell, and there was a deathly silence. Row by row, people threw themselves into their mouths when they saw the ruler, others knelt down. Montezuma seemed encouraged by this respect. In a gentle but sure voice he said: »Why do I see my people in arms against the palace of my fathers? Do you hold your ruler captive and wish to set him free? That would be a good and commendable thing, unless you are mistaken. I am not a prisoner, white men are my friends. Of my own free will I am among them, I can leave them whenever I want. Have you come to drive our guests out of town? It is unnecessary, as they are free to leave on the spot when the road is open. So return to your homes, throw down your weapons, resume your chores, show me your obedience. The white men will return to their land and everything will be the same again in Tenochtitlan.» Montezuma seemed encouraged by this respect. In a gentle but sure voice he said: »Why do I see my people in arms against the palace of my fathers? Do you hold your ruler captive and wish to set him free? That would be a good and commendable thing, unless you are mistaken. I am not a prisoner, white men are my friends. Of my own free will I am among them, I can leave them whenever I want. Have you come to drive our guests out of town? It is unnecessary, as they are free to leave on the spot when the road is open. So return to your homes, throw down your weapons, resume your chores, show me your obedience. The white men will return to their land and everything will be the same again in Tenochtitlan.» Montezuma seemed encouraged by this respect. In a gentle but sure voice he said: »Why do I see my people in arms against the palace of my fathers? Do you hold your ruler captive and wish to set him free? That would be a good and commendable thing, unless you are mistaken. I am not a prisoner, white men are my friends. Of my own free will I am among them, I can leave them whenever I want. Have you come to drive our guests out of town? It is unnecessary, as they are free to leave on the spot when the road is open. So return to your homes, throw down your weapons, resume your chores, show me your obedience. The white men will return to their land and everything will be the same again in Tenochtitlan.» »Why do I see my people in arms against the palace of my fathers? Do you hold your ruler captive and wish to set him free? That would be a good and commendable thing, unless you are mistaken. I am not a prisoner, white men are my friends. Of my own free will I am among them, I can leave them whenever I want. Have you come to drive our guests out of town? It is unnecessary, as they are free to leave on the spot when the road is open. So return to your homes, throw down your weapons, resume your chores, show me your obedience. The white men will return to their land and everything will be the same again in Tenochtitlan.» »Why do I see my people in arms against the palace of my fathers? Do you hold your ruler captive and wish to set him free? That would be a good and commendable thing, unless you are mistaken. I am not a prisoner, white men are my friends. Of my own free will I am among them, I can leave them whenever I want. Have you come to drive our guests out of town? It is unnecessary, as they are free to leave on the spot when the road is open. So return to your homes, throw down your weapons, resume your chores, show me your obedience. The white men will return to their land and everything will be the same again in Tenochtitlan.» Of my own free will I am among them, I can leave them whenever I want. Have you come to drive our guests out of town? It is unnecessary, as they are free to leave on the spot when the road is open. So return to your homes, throw down your weapons, resume your chores, show me your obedience. The white men will return to their land and everything will be the same again in Tenochtitlan.» Of my own free will I am among them, I can leave them whenever I want. Have you come to drive our guests out of town? It is unnecessary, as they are free to leave on the spot when the road is open. So return to your homes, throw down your weapons, resume your chores, show me your obedience. The white men will return to their land and everything will be the same again in Tenochtitlan.»
But the fact that Montezuma still said he was a friend of the whites was his own judgment. At the same time arrows and stones flew at him. Wounded by arrows, knocked unconscious by stone blows, the ruler fell to the ground before the Spanish soldiers could cover him with their shields. When the Mexicans saw him fall, they were overcome with sudden remorse. A roaring cry of distress rose from the crowd and everyone fled like mad in one direction or another. But Montezuma, recovering from his state of hibernation, now realizing his clear position, tore off the bandages from his wounds, and died in a few days.
Near the dwellings of the Spaniards, only a few hundred paces away, was the temple of the Mexican god of war on its high terrace. Between 5 and 600 of the most advanced Aztec warriors were stationed there, who from their high vantage point could rain arrows and stones on anyone who in Cortes’ camp even tried to leave the shelter of the equipment. When it was impossible for the Spaniards to shoot there, Cortes decided to take possession of this temple at any cost. First, he sent Escobar with a hundred men to conquer the rock, but despite three attacks, it was not successful. Cortes then decided to try himself, taking with him 300 men and about a thousand Tlaxcalans. The gate was captured and the stairs were climbed to the top terrace, where a bitter match ensued. Below, the whole city watched this struggle. The edges of the embankment had no railings, and many times those fighting to the death probably derailed from it. Once it was the same fate to become a part of Cortes himself. Two Aztecs attacked him and tried to drag him to the edge of the chasm, there to stab him. But although Cortes could not use his other hand, yet he was so strong that he shook off both of his assailants and drove them from the edge of the embankment into the deep. It took three hours of fighting before the Aztecs were finally defeated; but the Spaniards too, besides the wounded, had lost 45 of their best men. After the battle ended, they attacked the chapel where the image of the Virgin Mary had been placed during peace, but both the image and the cross had been taken away. In the shrine there was only a hideous ugly image of the god of war and steaming hearts on an altar in front of him — perhaps the Spaniards’ own countrymen. With a wild shout of victory, the Christians seized the idol, tore it from its place, carried it to the edge of the embankment and threw it down into the midst of the terrified Aztecs. After this, the temple and its horrors were set on fire and its blazing fire signaled far to the distant mountains that the time of Aztec oppression was ending, paganism was dying out and a new faith was gaining a foothold in the highlands of Anahuac. Although it also appeared oppressive and merciless, it was still a higher form of civilization. carried to the edge of the embankment and plunged it down into the midst of the terrified Aztecs. After this, the temple and its horrors were set on fire and its blazing fire signaled far to the distant mountains that the time of Aztec oppression was ending, paganism was dying out and a new faith was gaining a foothold in the highlands of Anahuac. Although it also appeared oppressive and merciless, it was still a higher form of civilization. carried to the edge of the embankment and plunged it down into the midst of the terrified Aztecs. After this, the temple and its horrors were set on fire and its blazing fire signaled far to the distant mountains that the time of Aztec oppression was ending, paganism was dying out and a new faith was gaining a foothold in the highlands of Anahuac. Although it also appeared oppressive and merciless, it was still a higher form of civilization.
After this feat, Cortes and his troops returned to their camp without encountering any resistance. The Spanish got some time to rest. But it was too early to hope that the resistance of the Mexicans would now be broken. On the contrary, only now did the Aztecs’ bitterness rise to its highest. The next day, Cortes called on the besiegers to cease fighting and agree to peace, otherwise threatening to destroy the entire city in a smoking pile of ruins. But equally defiant was the Aztec response. They promised not to desist from fighting until every Spaniard was slain and sacrificed to the gods; if nothing else would help, then hunger would help.
Cortes then understood that it was no longer possible for him to regain the lost power without completely defeating Mexico. But for that he had to get out of the city, because without food supplies and the possibility of movement there it was impossible to hold his own. At any cost, he had to get to the mainland, where he could move freely and on larger battlefields gain more advantage from the superiority of his weapons.
»The Night of Sorrow».
The departure had to take place at night, because it had been noticed that the Aztecs did not like to fight at night. Except for cannons and ammunition, everyone had collected and other treasures to take with them. Cortes entrusted a fifth of the crown to the government officials and told the soldiers to take as much as they thought they could bear. But despite that, the whole group had to leave. The vanguard was led by Sandoval, with 200 men of infantry; the latter, in which the bravest men were placed, was placed in command by Alvarado and de Leon; Cortes himself presided over the center, where the baggage, the treasures, Montezuma’s son and daughters, and a number of noble Mexican hostages passed. The Tlaxcalans were somehow evenly distributed along the line.
Cortes had built a movable bridge to hold the portage across the three openings of the dam; the bridge always had to be moved to the next gap when one was crossed. After the mass was read, we set off at midnight. The sky was overcast and it was raining, the streets were as quiet as a grave. Unmolested, the Spaniards reached the footbridge and hoped they were safe, but there the Mexican guards noticed the escape and alerted their compatriots. Without delay, the whole city was alerted and the priests began to beat the war drum from a high tower. However, we got across the first dam happily, although the Aztecs were already harassing the rear, and although boats were buzzing on both sides, from which arrows were shot and stones were hurled; but in going across the second opening, confusion ensued. Two horses slipped from the rain-drenched boards and derailed with the men into the lake, and at the same time the bridge itself turned upside down. An unspeakable chaos ensued, as those who came after continued to push forward despite this. The front ranks derailed into the water, where a fierce battle began, others fell and remained in the opening of the dam, where the pursuers quickly piled up on top of them, until the opening was filled to the level of the road. At the same time, all order fell apart, everyone thought only of saving their own lives. Of Cortes’ 1,300 men, only 440 made it to the continental shore alive, and most of them wounded. More than 860 men had been killed or captured by the Aztecs to be sacrificed to the gods. Besides, they lost all the treasures, all the cannons, shooting supplies, all the guns and 46 horses, so that there were only 23 men left in the cavalry. This wretched escape then became known throughout the world as the »night of sorrows« (la noche triste). Popotla still shows the cedar tree under which Cortes rested with the stars of his army after the night. However, his best officers, Alvarado, Sandoval, Avila and Ordaz, had been saved. Cortes himself claimed that he lost no more than 150 Spaniards and 2,000 Tlaxcalans.
Otumba fight.
The inhabitants of Tenochtitlan did not harass the fleeing people the next day, I guess they first celebrated and sacrificed to the gods. Cortes’ group could therefore rest and continue their journey in peace, with Tlaxcala as their destination. But on the third day, the enemy surprised them, surprised the exhausted, almost unarmed and starving crowd, and then harassed the rear without flinching. It was fortunate for the Spaniards that the Tlaxcalans, now that adversity had come, showed even greater susceptibility to their allies. Due to many detours and delays, the retreat was so slow that only a week later we were at the pass through which the road led to Tlaxcala. There was a city called Teotihuaca in the vicinity, whose enormous teocalli, or god pyramid, was the largest and oldest in Mexico. This city was the holy city of Mexico. The largest of the pyramids was 60 meters high and quite wide. Nowadays, this immense mound created from soil is covered with vegetation, so that it looks more like the work of nature than man; but at that time there was a temple on its top with an east-facing image of the god Tonatiuh. Around the great pyramid of the sun were several smaller ones dedicated to the stars. Lakeutta was called “the road of death”, I guess for the reason that the pyramids were also the burial mounds of the most advanced people in the country. When Cortes’ force had arrived at the mountain range, on the other side of which was the plain of Otumba, word was brought to him that a large Mexican army had assembled in the plain along the way, to cut off the return journey. When he had reached the highest point of the pass, he saw in front of him an immense army, which the descendant of Montezuma had gathered from the countryside, especially from Tezcoco. to capture Cortes’ entire army. The Spaniards were frightened and Cortes himself thought that his last hour had come. The only salvation was again — a bold attack. The soldiers were ordered to pursue especially the enemy leaders in order to cause confusion. A fight broke out, the likes of which had not yet been fought even in this remarkable campaign. The Spaniards attacked with the bravery of despair, and the Tlaxcalans were thus twice as furious as before in the vicinity of their homeland. But although they fought for hours with good success, the enemy’s superiority seemed so overwhelming that it was impossible to clear a road and that perikato was therefore certain. At this moment of despair, Cortes noticed in the middle of a group a chief who, judging by his battle insignia, was the commander-in-chief of the entire enemy army. He had a splendid feather mantle on his shoulders and a handsome plume on his head. Scarcely had Cortes discovered him, when he, accompanied by Alvarado, Sandoval, Olid, and Avila, charged directly towards him, riding on horseback, beating down everything, so that the dense hordes of Indians opened like a furrow in front of the attack. Cortes reached the commander-in-chief and pierced him with his dagger. A young knight, Juan de Salamanca, snatched from the fallen hand the insignia of the highest military rank, a curious short gold staff with a net at the end, and handed it to the man who, to use the words of the narrator of the incident, Gomara, “had in this fight by his arm alone saved his whole army from destruction ». It was the work of a moment, but it settled the whole fight. The news of the commander-in-chief’s downfall spread like wildfire among the Indians, creating fear everywhere. The whole immense army turned to flee, and an unspeakable confusion arose, which still increased the terror of flight; The Spaniards forgot their fatigue, hunger and thirst and now took full revenge for what they had lost and suffered during the »Night of Sorrows«. When the Indians were dressed in their best ornaments when going to war, the gold and other treasures that had been lost in the flight could be replaced to some extent from the slaughter. After the fight, a solemn thanksgiving mass was held and then we set off towards Tlaxcala with even more courage. When the Indians were dressed in their best ornaments when going to war, the gold and other treasures that had been lost in the flight could be replaced to some extent from the slaughter. After the fight, a solemn thanksgiving mass was held and then we set off towards Tlaxcala with even more courage. When the Indians were dressed in their best ornaments when going to war, the gold and other treasures that had been lost in the flight could be replaced to some extent from the slaughter. After the fight, a solemn thanksgiving mass was held and then we set off towards Tlaxcala with even more courage.
in Tlaxcala.
Seikkailuitta then reached the famous rocky border wall and the republic showed itself to be a loyal ally in the accident. As the best welcome came to the weary army, the wounded and sick were helped on the road, the inhabitants of the city came rejoicing to meet them. Doubtless the last glorious fight had much strengthened the feelings of friendship between the gallant republicans, for it had shown that the Spaniards really were heroes whom it was an honor to call their friends. The Spaniards, on the other hand, shared the spoils of war brotherly with the Tlaxcalans, and the aged head of the republic was delighted when Cortes presented him with the highest military insignia of the Aztecs, the insignia which had so often threatened the independence of the little republic.
When Cortes’s army had rested enough, the former fighting spirit returned. With the help of the Tlaxcalas, all the land between Popocatepetl and Citlaltepetl was conquered and conquered. The bloody troops that Velasquez had sent from Cuba to Narvaez began to organize themselves into the service of Cortes. From the city of Tepeaca Cortes 20 p. Oct. 1520 wrote his famous letter to the King of Spain and concluded the account of his work with the following words: »For all the similarity between this country and Spain, its fertility, size, climate and other aspects, I have thought fit to call it the »New Spain of the Ocean« and I ask you did Maj. to confirm this name.» It was only from this letter that in Spain it was learned with astonishment that Cortes in his parailla conquered for the crown a great civilized kingdom,
Cortes was certainly determined to recapture what he had lost, and he had persuaded his troops to agree to continue the campaign, although fatigue and depression at the beginning induced most of them to return home. But in order to conquer Mexico, he now found it necessary to first conquer the lake on the island of which the capital had been built. Ropes and iron parts for the ships were brought from Vera Cruz, the wooden parts of which were carved in Tlaxcala. In the middle of December, Cortes again set out, with 550 footmen, 40 horsemen, and 8 or 9 cannon. But in addition he had about 100,000 men as Indian allies who hoped to regain their independence when the Aztec power was overthrown. With this army, Cortes marched to Tezcoco on the eastern shore of the same lake, on the western side of which Tenochtitlan was in his island.
of Guatemotz.
In Mexico, Montezuma’s brother and successor had died and after him the 25-year-old Guatemotz, the nephew of both, was elected ruler. This had equipped the city on all sides against the invasion of the Spaniards.
After gaining power, Cortes of Tezcoco deepened a trench leading from it to the lake in order to float his 13 new vessels into the lake along it. While waiting for the trench to be completed, he made several scouting trips along the shores of the lake to get to know the capital’s connections with the countryside, and at the same time conquered the other towns on that side. After getting another 200 footmen and 70-80 horsemen from Haiti, he conquered Xochimilco, which was partly built into the lake and got its name from its gardens. There, Cortes once, in the midst of battle, was almost captured, but a loyal servant and a soldier from Tlaxcala saved him from the hands of the enemy. Guatemotzin had sent 2,000 boats and 12,000 soldiers to help the city.
The partisans of Velasquez, who were quite numerous in the army, about this time conspired to assassinate Cortex and his most faithful officers, and afterwards to return to their own country; but Cortes, being informed in time of the intention, appointed the principals of the plot, and then tore up the list of the conspirators. From then on, however, he kept a bodyguard of his most loyal men.
