CORTES, Hernan,
or Hernando, soldier, born in Medellin, Province of Estremadura, Spain, in 1485;
died near Seville, 2 Dec., 1547. His parents, Martin Cortes and Catalina Pizarro
Altamirano, were both of good family, but in reduced circumstances. He was a
sickly child, and at the age of fourteen was sent to the University of
Salamanca, but returned home two years later without leave. He then determined
upon a life of adventure, and arranged to accompany Nicolas de Ovando, likewise
a native of Estremadura, who was about to sail for Santo Domingo to supersede
Bobadilla in his command. An accident that happened to him in a love adventure
detained him at home, and the expedition sailed without him.
He then sought military service under the celebrated Gonzalo de Cordova,
but on his way to Italy was prostrated by sickness in Valencia, where he
remained for a year, experiencing great hardship and poverty. Returning to
Medellin, he was able in 1504 to sail from San Lucar for Santo Domingo. Ovando
received him cordially, and he obtained employment under Diego Valasquez in the
suppression of a revolt, on the termination of which he was assigned the control
of a large number of Indians, and appointed a notary. He was at this time
remarkable for a graceful physiognomy and amiable manner as well as for skill
and address in military matters, and he held successively various important
offices.
In 1511 he accompanied Diego Velasquez, who was sent out by Diego
Columbus to subdue and colonize Cuba. Later he held the office of alcalde of
Santiago in the new colony, and meanwhile he married Catalina Juarez, a Spanish
lady who had come over in the suite of Maria de Toledo, the vice-queen. After
his marriage he employed himself and his Indians in getting gold. "How many
of them died in extracting this gold for him, God will have kept a better
account than I have," says Las Casas. Grijalva, a lieutenant of Velasquez,
had just discovered Mexico, but had made no attempt at its settlement.
This displeased the governor, and Cortes was given the command of a new
expedition about to start for the conquest of the newly discovered province. At
the last moment, Velasquez appears to have regretted the appointment, possibly
fearing that Cortes would carry off all the glory as well as the profit of the
enterprise, and endeavored to recall the expedition; but Cortes hastened his
preparations, and on the 18th of November, 1518, left Santiago with
10 vessels, 550 Spaniards, nearly 300 Indians, a few Negroes, 10 brass guns, a
dozen horses, and some falconets. Collecting stores on his way, he arrived at
Trinidad, and later at Havana, at both of which places he found orders from
Velasquez depriving him of his command, but in neither place could they be
enforced, so. after writing a letter of remonstrance to the governor, he sailed,
on 10 Feb., 1519, for the island of Cozumel, on the coast of Yucatan. On 4 March
he first landed on the shores of Mexico, in the province of Tabasco, advancing
slowly along the gulf. Sometimes taking measures to conciliate the aatires and
sometimes spreading terror by arms, he finally reached and took possession of
the city of Tabasco.
The noise of the
artillery, the appearance of the floating fortresses that had transported the
Spaniards over the ocean, and the horses on which they fought, all new objects
to the natives, inspired them with astonishment, terror, and admiration. At San
Juan de Ulua, Cortes first learned that the native ruler was called Montezuma;
that he reigned over an extensive empire, which had lasted for three centuries;
that thirty vassals called caciques obeyed him; and that his power and riches
were very great. These facts induced him to undertake the conquest of the
empire. He laid the foundation of the town of Vera Cruz, and caused himself to
be chosen captain-general of the new colony, then burning his ships so as to
make retreat impossible, and to augment his army by the seamen, and taking the
part of several native tribes against the tax-collectors of Montezuma, thus
gaining allies, he set out for the city of Mexico, the residence and capital of
Montezuma.
The republic of
Tlascala, a province between the coast and the capital, although hostile to
Montezuma, opposed Cortes with its forces. ‑After four severe battles, in
each of which he defeated large numbers of Tlascalans, he entered the capital
city of Tlascala on 18 Sept., 1519, and, dictating peace on moderate terms,
converted the natives into powerful allies. He endeavored to persuade the
Tlascalans to abjure their religion, but in vain, although he succeeded better
in prevailing upon them to own themselves vassals of the king of Spain. After a
stay of twenty days in this capital he pushed on toward Mexico by Cholula,
accompanied by several thousand of his new allies. An attempt was made to check
his advance by an ambuscade prepared by the Cholulans at the instance of the
Mexicans; but this he escaped, although not until after he had taken vengeance
on the Cholulans. He then continued his march, and reached the city of Mexico
early in November, at the head of a force consisting of 6,000 natives and a
handful of Spaniards. Ambassadors from Montezuma had met Cortes before he
entered Tlascala, and he was now received with great ceremony by the Mexican
monarch.
The natives,
believing him to be a descendant of the sun, prostrated themselves before him,
and he was assigned quarters in one of the beautiful palaces of this magnificent
city. This he at once fortified so as to prevent surprise or Capture, and was
considering what plans to pursue in order to possess the wealth of the empire
when he was informed that an attack had been made on the garrison at Vera Cruz.
The importance of this event was very great, for hitherto the Mexicans had
believed the Spaniards to be immortal, and the receipt of the head of one of the
soldiers only undeceived them. Cortes conceived and executed a most brilliant
and daring project, which, being successful, doubtless prevented the massacre of
the entire Spanish force. Accompanied by his officers, he went at once to the
palace of Montezuma, and, taking him prisoner, threatened him with instant death
if he in any way appealed to his people; then, having captured the Mexicans who
had participated in the attack on Vera Cruz, he burned them alive in front of
the imperial palace. Meanwhile he placed Montezuma in irons, and compelled him
to acknowledge himself a vassal of Charles V. Caminatzin, the bravest of
Montezuma's nephews, was likewise made prisoner, and, with many of the nobles of
the empire, induced to take the oath of allegiance to the king of Spain.
Soon after the Mexican ruler was restored to a
semblance of liberty, but not until he presented Cortes with 600,000 marks of
pure gold and a large quantity of precious stones. Scarcely had he accomplished
all this when he received intelligence that an army under Narvaez had been sent
by Velasquez to compel him to renounce his command. Leaving 200 men in Mexico
under the command of a lieutenant whom he recommended to the care of Montezuma
as a vassal of Charles V., he marched with 70 men, and, after being joined by
150 more, whom he had left at Cholula, captured Narvaez, who had en-camped near
the city of the Cempovallans with a force of 900 men, 80 horses, and 10 or 12
pieces of artillery. The defeated troops, after the death of their leader,
readily joined the army of Cortes and returned with him to Mexico, where he
found that the people had
risen against the Spaniardss. Montezuma, still a prisoner, endeavored to pacify
his subjects, but was attacked by the mob and so injured by stones that he died
in a few days. A new emperor was chosen, under whose leadership they attacked
the Spaniards and drove them out of the city. Cortes's rear-guard was cut to
pieces, and, after a harassing retreat of six days, the Mexicans offered battle
on the plains of Otumba. With the advantages offered by his artillery and
fire-arms, Cortes, on 7 July, 1520, gained a great victory, which decided the
fate of Mexico. The celebrated noche-triste (or " unhappy night ")
tree, shown
here, is in the village of Popotla, near an old church in the
environs of Mexico. Cortes is said to have sat under this tree lamenting his
misfortune after the retreat of the Spaniards during the night of the
evacuation. The tree is known by the Indians as the "ahuehuete," and
in Spanish is called "sabino." It is a species of cedar and is ten
feet in diameter at the base, about forty feet in height, and surrounded by a
substantial iron railing. After his success, Cortes proceeded to Tlascala, where
he collected an army of natives, and again marched against the city of Mexico, which,
after a gallant defense of seventy-seven days, was retaken on 13 Aug., 1521.
The extent of
his conquest, due entirely to his genius, valor, and profound but unscrupulous
policy, caused his irregularities to be forgiven by his sovereign, who,
disregarding the pretensions of Velasquez, appointed Cortes governor and
captain-general of Mexico, also conferring on him the marquisate of Oajaca with
a considerable revenue. His course of conquest, however, was not such as to
conciliate the natives: he was over-zealous to destroy their idols, and anxious
to convert them to Christianity, even using force for this purpose. These
actions so embittered the Mexicans that, reduced to despair, they again
revolted, but in vain. The arms, valor, and zeal of the Spaniards succeeded
everywhere. Guatimozin, the new emperor, a man of much greater force than
Montezuma, was, with a number of the caciques, accused of conspiring against the
conquerors, and was publicly executed with circumstances of great cruelty by
Cortes. Meanwhile his successes produced jealousies in Madrid, his ambition and
great popularity with the soldiers caused him to be feared, and commissioners
were sent to watch his conduct and thwart his proceedings. While he was engaged
in conquest, his property was seized and his retainers Imprisoned and put in
irons.
Indignant at
such treatment, Cortes returned to Spain to appeal to the justice of his master,
and presented himself with great splendor before the court. He was received by
Charles with every distinction, and decorated with the order of Santiago. Cortes
returned to Mexico with new titles and honors, but with diminished power, a
viceroy having been entrusted with the administration of civil affairs, although
Cortes still retained military authority, with permission to continue his
conquests. This division of power led to continual dissension, and caused the
failure of several enterprises in which Cortes was engaged; but in 1536 he
discovered the peninsula of California and surveyed part of the gulf that
separates it from Mexico. Subsequently, however, tired of struggling with
unworthy adversaries, he returned to Europe, hoping to confound his enemies. He
was coldly received by Charles ; but, concealing his feelings, he served in the
disastrous expedition to Algiers in 1541. During this unfortunate campaign,
which was his last, he served with great bravery; and, had his advice been
heeded, the Spanish arms would have been saved from disgrace, and Europe
delivered nearly three centuries earlier from the scourge of organized piracy.
On his return
he was utterly neglected, and could scarcely obtain an audience. On one occasion
he forced his way through a crowd that surrounded the emperor's carriage, and
mounted on the doorstep. The emperor, astounded at such audacity, demanded of
him who he was. "I am a man," replied Cortes proudly, "who
has given you more provinces than your ancestors left you cities." This
declaration of services could scarcely fail to offend the proud monarch, and
Cortes retired to Seville, where he passed the remainder of his days in
solitude. Five letters addressed to Charles V., detailing his conquests, are his
only writings. See "Letters and Dispatches of Cortes," translated
by George Folsom (New York, 1843); Prescott's "Conquest of Mexico" (Boston,
1843); and Sir Arthur Helps's "Life of Hernando Cortes"
(London, 1871).
-- Edited Appleton's American
Biography Copyright©
2000 by VirtualologyTM
