America -- Discovery and exploration -- Spanish; New Mexico -- History -- To 1848; Peru -- History -- Conquest, 1522-1548
At last, worn past endurance by the continued treachery of Almagro,
Pizarro sent him warning that the truce was at an end, and marched on
Cuzco. Almagro made every effort to defend his stolen prize, but was
outgeneralled at every step. He was shattered by a shameful sickness,
the penalty of his base life, and had to intrust the campaign to his
lieutenant Orgonez. On the 26th of April, 1538, the loyal Spaniards,
under Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro, Alonso de Alvarado, and Pedro de
Valdivia, met Almagro's forces at Las Salinas. Hernando had Mass said,
aroused his men by recounting the conduct of Almagro, and led the charge
upon the rebels. A terrible struggle ensued; but at last Orgonez was
slain, and then his followers were soon routed. The victors captured
Cuzco and made the arch-traitor prisoner. He was tried and convicted of
treason,--for in being traitor to Pizarro, he had also been a traitor to
Spain,--and was sentenced to death. The man who could be so physically
brave in some circumstances was a coward at the last. He begged like a
craven to be spared; but his doom was just, and Hernando Pizarro refused
to reverse the sentence. Francisco Pizarro had started for Cuzco; but
before he arrived Almagro was executed, and one of the basest
treacheries in history was avenged. Pizarro was shocked at the news of
the execution; but he could not feel otherwise than that justice had
been done. Like the man he was, he had Diego de Almagro, the traitor's
illegitimate son, taken to his own house, and cared for as his own
child.
Hernando Pizarro now returned to Spain. There he was accused of
cruelties; and the Spanish government, prompter than any other in
punishing offences of the sort, threw him into prison. For twenty years
the gray-haired prisoner lived behind the bars of Medina del Campo; and
when he came out his days of work were over, though he lived to be a
hundred years old.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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