Everything about The Battle Of Punta Quemada totally explained
The
Battle of Punta Quemada, fought sometime in January
1525, was a brief but deadly encounter between a band of
Spanish conquistadors and the warlike
natives of
Colombia, thought to be a northern tributary tribe to the
Andean Kingdom of
Quito. Though it marked the end of
Francisco Pizarro's first tentative expedition along the
Pacific coast, the battle also represented a crucial step to Spain's discovery and conquest of the
Inca Empire.
For weeks before their landfall at Punta Quemada, Pizarro and his company had, both on
sea and on land, steadily crawled southward along the coast of Colombia, enduring both the inhospitality of the terrain and the dangers of
tropical tempests. Famine and fatigue alike had ravaged the group, leaving several dead and many on the brink of incapacitation, and only Pizarro's personal charisma and the iron constitution of the
Castilians had kept the crew from collapsing into mutiny and despair.
Upon reaching Punta Quemada, Pizarro, leading his men inland along unusually agreeable terrain, had discovered and occupied a large native village, the residents of which, to all appearances, had fled in terror at the sight of the Europeans. Delighted at the luck of having established quarters in such a defensible position, and mindful that his battered
vessel out on the shore wouldn't carry him much farther, Pizarro elected to send a contingent of men under Lieutenant Montenegro back to
Panama for repairs and supplies while his own troops manned the village
ramparts and awaited the arrival of
Diego de Almagro, whose own expeditionary force, following the path of Pizarro's, was bound to arrive shortly.
But the Quitians were proud warriors and, contrary to Spanish assessment, had abandoned their settlement only to see their women and children to safety. Armed with
bows,
slings, and
spears, they'd closely monitored the invaders and gathered unseen in the jungle in preparation for an attack.
Montenegro's column, the more vulnerable of the two Castilian parties, fell into a Quitian
ambush just as it emerged from the heavy jungle foliage onto Andean foothills where arrows and other
projectiles could fly unobstructed. A Quitian war cry struck the Spaniards, followed by a massive volley of arrows and stones. The Castilians began to fall back in panic and disarray as the natives bore down upon them.
Montenegro, rallying his men, ordered a return volley at the onrushing Quitians. The Spaniards shredded the native charge with a flurry of
crossbow bolts, then brandished their own swords and sounded a furious countercharge, felling the unarmoured Quitians and routing them into the hills.
The Quitians orchestrated a similar assault on Pizarro's camp and stormed the village, unleashing a shower of missiles at the defenders.
Prescott recounts that Pizarro, too bold and fiery of temper to be held inside a set of walls by enemy fire, sallied out to meet the threat, rousing his men into a valiant charge that overtook the natives and began driving them clear. But Pizarro, in his gallantry, singled himself out as leader, and the enemy warriors, seizing the opportunity, hurled a barrage of missiles before falling upon him with renewed vigor. Overborne by the ferocity of their assault, Pizarro struggled furiously to push the natives back at sword point.
Montenegro, fearing for his leader, had ordered an immediate march back to camp. He now appeared at the edge of the ridge and dove into the rear of the Quitian formations, shattering their resolve. Unable to resist this new threat, the natives fled into the jungle, leaving Pizarro wounded in no less than seven places.
The conquistadors realized that the village was far less defensible than they'd previously assumed, and fearing subsequent hostile encounters and unable to continue south by sea, Pizarro chose to end his expedition at Punta Quemada.
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