Having
Passed The City, The Whole Army Stood To Their Arms All Night, Not Having
Any Accurate Intelligence Of The Enemy, Who Was Believed To Be Nigh.
Next
day, however, learning by their scouts, who had been above six leagues in
advance, that the enemy was still at a considerable distance, the
royalists encamped to take some rest.
Receiving more certain information of the situation of the enemy, who were
still at the distance of nine leagues from his camp, Vaca de Castro sent a
letter to Don Diego by Francisco Ydiaquez, commanding him in his majesty's
name to dismiss his army, and to repair to the royal standard, on doing
which he should be pardoned for all that was past: But, if he refused, he
might expect to be proceeded against with the utmost severity, as a rebel
against the king. The governor sent likewise a private soldier who was
well acquainted with the country, diguised as an Indian, carrying letters
for several gentlemen in the rebel army, offering them an amnesty and
large rewards if they would abandon Don Diego. Though this man took every
precaution to prevent discovery, his track was noticed in some places in
the snow, and he was followed and carried prisoner to Don Diego, who
ordered him to be hanged. Don Diego complained loudly of Vaca de Castro
for sending spies to corrupt his followers while making offers of
accommodation; and drawing out his army in complete order before the
governors messengers, he ordered all his officers to prepare for battle,
promising that whoever killed any of the hostile inhabitants of the
country, should be rewarded with the wife, lands, Indians, and wealth of
the slain. He then gave an answer to the governors message, that he would
never acknowledge or obey him so long as he was associated with his
enemies, Pedro Alvarez Holguin, Alonso de Alvarado, Gomez de Tordoya, Juan
de Saavedra, Garcilasso de la Vega, Yllen Suarez de Carvajal, Gomez de
Alvarado, and others of that party. That he would never disband his army,
unless he received a formal amnesty under the royal sign manual; as he
could not give faith to one signed by the Cardinal de Loaysa. That de
Castro was much mistaken in supposing any of his army would abandon him,
and might therefore prepare for battle, as he was determined to defend the
country to his last breath.
On receiving this resolute answer, Vaca de Castro marched his army to a
small distance from Guamanga, where the ground was too rough and uneven
for his cavalry, and took up a position in a smooth plain named _Chupaz_,
where he remained three days, during all which time it never ceased
raining, as it was then the middle of winter, yet the troops were forced
to be always under arms and ready for action, as the enemy was very near.
He had resolved to give battle, us the enemy obstinately refused all
accommodation; yet finding that several persons in his army seemed to
hesitate on account of the disapprobation which his majesty had evinced
respecting the former battle of _Salinas_, on which account Ferdinand
Pizarro was detained in prison, he judged it proper to take some formal
judicial steps, both for his own justification, and to satisfy the
scruples of his troops.
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