The Spaniards are going to conquer Mexico City for the second time. Drawing by a contemporary artist. In general, if we remove from this drawing the Spanish brigantines, the temple in the distance and change the day to night, then we can say that there will be a “Night of Sorrow”.
And it so happened that it became clear to everyone that it was in no way possible to remain in Montezuma's residence. Gunpowder stocks are melting day by day, food supplies are running out, and what is really bad - the well almost did not give water at all. And she needed a lot, and especially the horses. Cortez, having discussed the situation with his officers, decided that they would leave on the night of June 30 to July 1. The night was chosen for two reasons. The first was simple: it was believed that the Aztecs did not fight at night, but even if they did, their vigilance would certainly be weakened. The second one was really funny. The fact is that Cortez - brave, smart, enterprising, was also … superstitious! And in his army there was a certain soldier, nicknamed "Bottle", who knew Latin and who had been to Rome, who was famous for the fact that he supposedly knew how to read the stars and summon the souls of the dead. And so he predicted that there was nothing more to hope for, and he had to leave at night. Well, he also predicted that Cortez would eventually be rich and noble and … how could you not believe him after that ?!
Spanish-language "History of Tlaxcala", containing many interesting descriptions and drawings. Thus, it contains 156 ink sketches dedicated to the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Now located at the University of Glasgow. Prepared for publication between 1580 and 1585 by the Tlaxcalan historian Diego Muñoz Camargo, this work bears the title "Descripción de la ciudad y provincia de Tlaxcala de la Nueva España …"
However, it was known that the Aztecs destroyed dams in several places at once, and that these breaches would need to be forced somehow. Neither Diaz nor other members of the Conquest indicate in their writings how wide they were. For example, whether a horse could jump over them or not. It is also unclear what depth was in these places, and what was the general arrangement of these dams, that is, what the breaks made in them by the Aztecs looked like. But another thing is known, that Cortes ordered to remove the roof beams of the palace and build … a portable bridge made of logs and planks, which would make it possible to force these breaches in the dams.
And again, no one reports the length of this portable bridge, or what its width was. But Bernal Diaz in his "History …" wrote that 400 Indians from Tlaxcala and 150 Spanish soldiers were allocated for its transportation, installation, and also protection. At the same time, for carrying (just carrying, so at Diaz!) Artillery - only 200 Indians-Tlaxkalans and 50 soldiers. That is, it turns out that this bridge was quite large and heavy, and it was really a bridge, and not some simple boardwalk.
A schematic map of Mexico-Tenochtitlan from the Latin edition of Cortez's Relations (Nuremberg, 1524).
Here you need to digress a little from the problems of the conquistadors in order to remember what Leonardo da Vinci wrote: "I know how to build very light and strong bridges, suitable for transportation during attack and retreat, protected from fire and shells," military engineering. That is, the topic of light and durable bridges suitable for military operations was very relevant at that time. Probably, not only Leonardo was engaged in it, probably, corresponding books on military affairs were written on this topic. Whether Cortez has read such books, we do not know. But the fact that he was an educated nobleman is beyond doubt. Obviously, among his soldiers there were also master carpenters, because you also need to be able to work with a saw and a hammer. And we know what Cortez said - and immediately the towers for 25 people were made, he decided that a bridge was needed - and the bridge was immediately built. That is … it can be quite conclusively asserted that, although the conquistadors of Cortez were adventurers, among them there were educated people who could be entrusted with any task, and skilled craftsmen who knew how to work with tools, and not just swing swords and shoot from arquebusses!
The Spaniards besieged in the palace of Montezuma. ("Canvas from Tlaxcala")
Leaving Mexico City, Cortez tried to take with him all the gold accumulated by the Spaniards, first of all he allocated the royal five and his share. However, even after this there was so much gold that he allowed everyone to take it without restrictions. The veterans of Cortez limited themselves mainly to precious stones, but the newcomers grabbed so much of it that they could hardly walk. Diaz himself, for example, took only four precious jade, highly valued by local Indians, which later came in handy when he escaped and he had to heal his wounds and buy his own food.
Treasures in the form of gold bars were loaded on 7 wounded and lame horses and 1 mare, and more than 80 Tlashkalans had to carry them, and the extraction consisted almost entirely of identical and sufficiently large gold bars. Further, Cortez ordered the allocation of the vanguard, center and rearguard, and he himself commanded the center, and it was here that all the gold was located, as well as valuable hostages and women.
At about midnight a detachment of Spaniards left the palace of Montezuma and, in the fog that rose over the lake, moved along the dam leading to Tlacopan. The Spaniards reached the first breach and erected a portable bridge, across which the gold-laden horses, the Tlaxcalanians, Cortez and many horsemen crossed to the opposite side. And then, according to Diaz, “there were shouts, trumpets, screams and whistles of the Meshiks (Aztecs), and from the Tlatelolco side they shouted in their own language:“Warriors on boats, come forward, teili (as the Indians of the Spaniards called) and their allies are leaving, none of them should leave! " In an instant, the whole lake was covered with boats, and behind us were so many detachments of enemies that our rearguard seemed to be stuck, and we could not advance further. And then it happened that two of our horses slipped on wet logs, fell into the water and, in the general turmoil, the bridge overturned, this was seen by me and others, who, together with Cortez, managed to escape by crossing to the other side. A multitude of Meshiks, as if they had covered the bridge, seized it, and no matter how we struck them, we did not manage to take possession of them again."
Fight on the dam in the "Night of Sorrow" ("Canvas from Tlaxcala")
That is, if the bridge could be turned over by two fallen horses, it turns out that it was neither too heavy or too long. But it took time to cross the bridge of the avant-garde and the center, as well as the horses loaded with gold. And here the question arises: all this was so specially conceived by the Indians so that the Spaniards would go away, or, again, an ordinary accident took place (there is also such a version that the leaving Spaniards was seen by a woman who for some reason needed to collect water, and here she is- then raised the alarm) and the Aztecs actually missed the departure of the Spaniards.
As the rear ones pressed forward, people fell from the dam into the water and anyone who could not swim inevitably died. Moreover, the pies of the Indians rushed to failure from all sides. Shouts were heard from all sides: "Help, I'm drowning!" or “Help, they grab me! They are killing me! " Cortez, captains and soldiers, who managed to cross the bridge after the vanguard, rushed along the dam in a quarry, trying to pass it as soon as possible. Also, which is just amazing, somehow horses and Tlashkalans, loaded with gold, came ashore and were saved beyond all expectations.
The Spaniards did not benefit from either the arquebus or the crossbows, for they were damp in the water, and the darkness was such that neither targets nor sight were visible. The second breach had to be forced, filling it with the corpses of horses, carts, bales of cloth and even boxes of gold. But there was also a third breach ahead - the widest and deepest one that could only be overcome by swimming. Cortez and his officers were the first to rush from the water, setting an example for everyone else, but many of those who were laden with gold, it was here that they went to the bottom. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the dam in this place (at least in this) was an ordinary embankment, and was not built of processed stone blocks, since in this case it would simply be impossible for horses to climb it, but they still climbed and escaped, and even those of them that were laden with gold!
"Night of Sorrow". Drawing by a contemporary artist. In my opinion, he clearly overdid it, dressing the Spaniards in knightly armor! And Bernal Dios does not report anything about the burning arrows, and this is … about which it is impossible not to write.
Meanwhile, Cortez (according to Diaz), with a few horsemen and infantrymen, turned back and was able to save several soldiers and officers who had made their way through the first dam. It was simply unthinkable to go further, and Cortez again made his way to those soldiers who had already left the city and were in relative safety. But precisely in relative terms, because in Tlacopane there were also their enemies, and it was necessary to go as far as possible, while the Indians from Mexico City did not pursue them. And they really did not immediately pursue the Spaniards, but began to finish off those who still remained in the city and on the dams, collected and counted trophies and … sacrificed Spanish and Tlaxcalan captives to their gods.
The Indians sacrifice the captives of the Spaniards. ("Codex Rios", deposited in the Vatican Apostolic Library)
The losses of the Spaniards were enormous. Diaz believed that at first, Cortez's army had 1,300 soldiers, 97 horsemen and 80 crossbowmen, the same number of arquebusiers and more than 2,000 Tlaxkalans. Now it consisted of only 440 people, 20 horses, 12 crossbowmen and 7 arquebusiers, and all of them were wounded, the reserves of gunpowder came to an end, and the bowstrings of the crossbows got wet.
It is not surprising that this night went down in the history of the Conquest as the "Night of Sorrow", but … with all the horrors of this night, those horses and more than 80 Indians-Tlaxcalan, loaded with "royal" gold and on the orders of Cortez, crossed the portable bridge after the vanguard, escaped from with all his cargo, so that Cortez had something to recruit new soldiers and buy food and weapons for them!
