Jump to content

Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/57

From Wikisource
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
PITZER
PIZAERO

propagating Christian knowledge among the Indians. Blackburn painted portraits of both James and his wife. — James's eldest son, John, b. in Boston in 1738; d. in Tyngsboro in 1815, was graduated at Harvard in 1757, was selectman of Boston from 1773 till 1778, represented the city in several provincial congresses, was speaker of the house in 1778, and afterward state senator. — Another son, Lendall, b. in Boston in 1737; d. in 1787, was a patriot, and principal leader of the Boston “ tea party.” — James's grandson, Thomas, soldier, b. in Boston in 1779; d. in 1835, was commissioned lieutenant of light artillery in 1808, and captain in 1809, and served through the war of 1812.


PITZER, Alexander White, clergyman, b. in Salem, Roanoke co., Va., 14 Sept., 1834. He was graduated at Hampden Sidney in 1854, and at Danville theological seminary, Ky., in 1857, after which he was pastor of Presbyterian churches in Leavenworth, Kan., Sparta, Ga., and Liberty, Va., and in 1808 organized in Washington, D. C., the Central Presbyterian church, of which he is now (1898) pastor. Since 1875 he has been also professor of biblical history and literature in Howard university in that city. He was a member of the Prophetic convention in New York city in 1878, and assisted in drafting and reported the doctrinal testimony adopted by the conference. He has taken an active part in promoting the union of the northern and southern divisions of his church. He received the degree of D. D. from Arkansas college in 1876. In addition to numerous contributions to denominational literature, he is the author of “Ecce Deus Homo,” published anonymously (Philadelphia, 1867); “Christ, Teacher of Men” (1877); and “The New Life not the Higher Life” (1878).


PIZARRO, Francisco (pe-thar'-ro), Spanish soldier, b. in Trujillo, Estremadura, in 1476; d. in Lima, Peru, 26 June, 1541. He was a natural son of Gonzalo Pizarro, a colonel of infantry, and, although he was afterward recognized by his father, he received no education, and was unable to write his own name. According to Francisco Gomara, he was in his youth a swineherd, until he ran away and joined some adventurers that were going to Hispaniola, while Garcilaso and Pizarro's descendants, in a memorial to the king, affirm that he served with his father in Italy. Although it is said that in later years he learned to read imperfectly, he never was able to write, and was authorized by a special imperial decree to sign his name with a stamp. In Hispaniola he joined in November, 1509, the expedition of Alonso de Ojeda (q. v.) to Nueva Andalucia, and, when the latter went in quest of re-enforcements and provisions, he left Pizarro in command of the new colony of San Sebastian, promising to return in fifty days. At the expiration of that time Pizarro, forced by necessity, killed the horses for provisions and abandoned the colony, but in Carthagena met the expedition of Martin Fernandez de Enciso (q. v.), with whom he returned to Darien, and took part in the foundation of the colony of Santa Maria de la Antigua. He also accompanied Vasco Nuñez de Balboa in the expedition on which they discovered the Pacific ocean. Pedrarias-Davila sent him in 1515 with an expedition across the isthmus to explore the Pearl islands, and in 1517 ordered him to arrest Balboa. Later he accompanied the governor on his expedition to Veragua, and served creditably in the campaign against the cacique Urraca. In recompense he received a grant of land and Indians near the site of Panama, and settled on his possessions, which he cultivated with his Indian slaves. The expedition of Pascual de Andagoya brought the first news of a rich empire to the south, and Pizarro conceived the project of conquering it. He formed a partnership with Diego de Almagro and Fernando de Luque, and, by lending Pedrarias some money for his expedition to Nicaragua, the partners obtained permission to form an expedition. In November, 1524, Pizarro left Panama with eighty adventurers, and some time afterward Almagro followed with sixty men. Both continued along the coast to the southward, but in their attempts to penetrate to the interior they met with a determined resistance, lost many men, and, after sustaining terrible hardships, returned to Panama with news of the riches of Peru. Pedrarias, after much difficulty, permitted them to arrange for another expedition; but the mishaps of the first voyage frightened many adventurers, and they could enlist only 100 men. They sailed again in March, 1520, and, entering San Juan river, captured an Indian town with abundant provisions and $15,000 in gold, with which Almagro returned to Panama, while Pizarro remained, and sent his pilot, Bartolome Ruiz, to explore the southern coast. Pedro de los Rios, who had succeeded Pedrarias as governor, refused to permit any further enlistment, and sent a vessel to bring the expedition back. But Pizarro, who, with the small remnant of his force, had retired before the warlike Indians to the island of El Gallo, refused to obey, and, drawing a line in the sand with his sword, invited those that wished to follow him to glory and riches to pass the line. Only thirteen followed him, and with these he remained till he was joined by a force under Bartolome Ruiz, which had been despatched by his associates under the pretext of obliging him to return to Panama. He now entered upon an exploration of the coast farther south, landed in Tumbez, Paita, and Sana, obtained presents of gold, llamas, silver tankards, and other samples of the productions of Peru, and hearing of the death of Huaina Capac, and seeing the insufficiency of his small forces to subdue this immense empire, returned to Panama toward the end of the year 1527. As the governor still refused to permit, another expedition to set sail, the associates resolved to send Pizarro to Spain, and in 1528 he left Nombre de Dios, carrying some Indians that he had brought from Peru, together with llamas, gold and silver plate, and other presents for the court. On his arrival in Seville he was arrested for a debt on request of Enciso; but he was set at liberty by order of the emperor, and ordered to appear at court in the city of Toledo, where he was well received. On 20 July, 1529, he obtained from the queen-regent a commission that granted him the right of conquest of Peru, with the title of governor and captain-general for life of all the country to be discovered, and a salary of 725,000 maravedis on condition that he should raise a force of 250 men for the conquest. Hernan Cortes, whom he met at court, gave him some aid, but without being able to raise the whole force that was named in his commission. Pizarro sailed in January, 1530, with a few adventurers and four of his brothers, for Nombre de