Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Cortés, Hernán
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CORTÉS, Hernán, or Hernando, soldier, b. in
Medellin, province of Estremadura, Spain, in 1485;
d. near Seville, 2 Dec., 1547. His parents, Martin
Cortés 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 18 Nov., 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
natives 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 they were only undeceived by the receipt of the head of one of the soldiers. 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 encamped 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 Spaniards. 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 in the illustration, 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 defence 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 intrusted 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 Despatches of Cortes,” translated by
George Folsom (New York, 1848); Prescott's
“Conquest of Mexico” (Boston, 1843); and Sir Arthur
Helps's “Life of Hernando Cortes” (London, 1871).