In Episode 5, Cortes marched inland toward Tenochtitlan and passes through difficult terrain and battles on his way to finding a new and powerful ally.
Part 1 – Departing Cempoala
Cortes and his men depart the Totonac town of Cempoala and head into the lush highlands of the Sierra Madre.
Part 2 – Deserts, Valleys and Volcanoes
The Spanish expedition reaches the desert highlands and the men suffer from hypothermia, dehydration and hunger.
Part 3 – The Fight to Tlaxcala
Several local people, including the Otomi, attack the Spanish.
Part 4 – New Allies in Tlaxcala
Cortes makes a powerful new ally.
Part 5 – Staying in Tlaxcala
The Spanish stay in Tlaxcala for two weeks, recuperating, eating and learning of another Aztec enemy in the four cities of the Tlaxcala Federation.
Episode 5 Breakdown – Battle with the Otomi/Tlaxcalteca
Summary – Around September 1, 1519, after an initial skirmish with a small scouting party the Spanish camped in a dry riverbed. Cortés marched early the next morning only to come upon battle formations. There are various claims, but Gomara says at first 1000, but they feigned retreat and lured the Spanish into a larger skirmish (Gom p. 101). Indigenous sources claim these are Otomies, not Tlaxcalans (Leon 38)(Duran 518) and even the Spanish sources mention Tlaxcalan messengers disavowing the attacks as someone else’s.
- Gomara – Sept 1: Against 1000 Tlaxcalans, lasted many hours, the initial 1K retreat into ravines where 80k more are waiting. Some wounded Spanish, 0 killed. “Many” Tlaxcala killed. (Gom p. 100-101). Went on to “Teocacingo” and camped.
- Diaz – Sept. 2: says two armies, totaling 6000 met them on the path but quickly retreated into a trick where 40,000 more soldiers, under Xicotenga, were waiting in the woods. Pedro Moron was gravely wounded and his horse killed, he was rescued resulting in more wounded. says this is Tehuacingo or Tehuacacingo, writer corrects to modern San Salvador de los Comales (Diax p. 146). They camped nearby. 15 wounded, and Pedro Moron died later, 1 dead horse, 4 horses injured. “Many Indians were killed” + 8 captains.
- Florentine – Otomis who guarded the border went to fight and the Spanish met them. “Killed many so that they routed the whole army.” Remainder fled, Spanish took the town and looted/destroyed. News of this scared the Tlaxcalans and they agreed peace was better and sent out a caravan of food and gifts (Flor 93). This is the only mention of fighting.
- Cortés – Rides out at dawn and comes to a village where he encounters some messengers returning, and behind them a large Tlaxcala force of 100K.They fight all day until just before sunset. 0 Spanish casualties, great harm to Tlaxcala.(Cort 93). Ends up in tower camp. Cortés goes evening raiding with horses,100 soldiers, and 400 Cempoalans, 300 Yztacmatitan warrior, burns 4-5 villages, takes 400 prisoners.
- Duran – Men from Tecoac defy Moctezuma in hosting Cortes and instead mount a resistance. Spanish fight their way to a small village with a tower where they camp and are constantly besieged (Chron 520). The siege was ended after Cortes kidnapped their leaders and showed he meant no harm. Many Otomies had died, one horse killed. Fear of their cannons and guns spread.
Episode 5 Credits
Written, researched, performed and produced by Jeremy Lipps.
~ Music ~
Intro Coda, acoustic guitar by Valentin Sosnitskiy
Fourth Imaginary City by cryptic scenery
Daniel Birch, www.danielbirchmusic.com
Early Morning Breakup
Sustained Light
The Gates Are Locked
Away by Meydän
intro by lost dream
~ Sound Effects ~
jungle-tropical-birds-and-insects by mikeypme
marching by webbfilmsuk
walk on dirt road by mikeypme
mercado 05 by dobroide
timber tree falling by matt_beer
big bad dogs 5 by robinhood76
horse whinny by inspectorj
canadian horse running by vero marengere
horses whinnying by leandiviljoen
horse snort by bruno auzet
soft wind by florianreichelt
walk on dirt road by laurent
army marching by craigsmith
cold breeze ambiance by siyamahlobo
campfire sound by sterckxs
forest stream between mekhanizatorov settlement and akhtyrka vilage moscow region by halfofthesky