Agustín De Cepeda y Ahumada facts for kids

Agustín de Cepeda y Ahumada (1527–1591) was a brave Spanish captain. He was also the brother of Saint Teresa of Avila, a famous saint. Agustín was born in Gotarrendura, a town in Ávila, Spain. He grew up to be a very active and strong soldier.

Agustín fought in Chile against the Mapuche people. He became well-known in 1566. This was when he was given a very important job. He had to defend the town square, or Plaza, of Cañete. He had to do this with only a few supplies and soldiers.

A Tough Defense at Cañete

At that time, the fort in Cañete was not very strong. It had simple defenses and not many supplies. There were only two cannons and most of the soldiers were new. The Mapuche knew the fort was weak. So, many of their warriors gathered under their leaders, Loble and Millalelmo. They planned an attack, expecting to win easily.

Preparing for Battle

Captain Cepeda learned from friendly Mapuche that the enemy was coming. He quickly gathered his people, their animals, and horses inside the fort. This fort was located near the river. He got ready to defend the fort there. He planned to hold out until more Spanish soldiers arrived to help.

Holding the Fort

When the Mapuche attacked, the cannons and arquebus (an old type of gun) fire caused a lot of confusion. The Mapuche realized that taking the fort would be much harder than they thought. They set fire to the few houses and sheds they had reached in the town. Then, they took positions to surround the fort. Their goal was to stop supplies from getting in and make the defenders hungry.

Reinforcements Arrive

After some time, more Spanish soldiers came to help. When the Mapuche attackers saw these new soldiers, they moved away from the area. Captain Cepeda and his soldiers had successfully defended Cañete.

See also

In Spanish: Agustín de Cepeda y Ahumada para niños