Battle of Las Salinas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Las Salinas |
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| Part of the Spanish conquest of Peru | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Nueva Castilla |
Nueva Toledo |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gonzalo Pizarro Hernando Pizarro Alonso de Alvarado Pedro de Valdivia |
Diego de Almagro (POW) Rodrigo Orgóñez † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 700 | 500 6 guns |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 9 | 120 dead | ||||||
The Battle of Las Salinas was an important fight between two groups of Spanish conquerors in Peru. It happened on April 6, 1538. One side was led by Hernando Pizarro and Gonzalo Pizarro. The other side was led by their rival, Diego de Almagro. Both groups said they were fighting for the King of Spain. Pizarro's group controlled an area called Nueva Castilla, and Almagro's group controlled Nueva Toledo.
After about an hour of fighting, Pizarro's forces won. Almagro was captured, and his main leader, Rodrigo Orgóñez, was killed. Pizarro's army took control of the city of Cuzco. Almagro was later put to death in July 1538.
Why They Fought: The Background
The fight between the Pizarro brothers and Almagro started because they disagreed over who owned the city of Cuzco. When the Spanish first divided up Peru, both leaders thought Cuzco was theirs. Almagro had taken control of the city in 1537.
Almagro had won some battles before this. But even though he took Cuzco by surprise, Pizarro's army was much stronger in the area. This left Almagro with few ways to defend the city. Almagro was also very sick, so his friend Rodrigo Orgóñez had to lead the army.
Almagro's men made a big mistake. They did not guard the Guaitara pass, which was a mountain path leading to Cuzco. Pizarro's army bravely crossed the mountains and appeared near the coast. In Cuzco, Almagro thought about trying to talk things out with the Pizarros again. But Orgóñez reportedly told him, "It's too late; you let Hernando Pizarro go, and now we must fight him."
So, Orgóñez marched his 500 men to the old salt mines of Cachipampa. This place was about 5 kilometers south of Cuzco. Some people say his choice of battlefield was not good. The rough ground made it hard for his cavalry (soldiers on horseback) to move, even though they were more than half of his army. His foot soldiers also did not have many weapons. Many only had long spears called pikes. However, Orgóñez had an advantage: six small cannons called falconets.
Pizarro's army had about 700 men, mostly foot soldiers. His cavalry was not as strong as Almagro's experienced horsemen. But Pizarro had skilled soldiers who used arquebuses (early guns). These soldiers had recently arrived from Santo Domingo.
The Battle Begins
Orgóñez put his foot soldiers in the middle and his cavalry on each side. Pizarro's army set up in a similar way. Alonso de Alvarado led one group of cavalry, and Hernando Pizarro led the other. Gonzalo Pizarro led the foot soldiers who started the first attack. They crossed a small river that separated the two armies.
Orgóñez's cannons fired at Gonzalo's group, causing confusion. But the muddy ground stopped Orgóñez's cavalry from using this chance to attack. Meanwhile, Pizarro's soldiers crossed the river. They began firing their powerful guns at their enemies.
As the foot soldiers fought in the muddy areas, both Pizarro and Orgóñez brought forward their cavalry. On both sides, the cavalry groups on the left and right joined together. Orgóñez and Pizarro then led their main cavalry forces. The two leaders met in a fast charge. Orgóñez was shot and fell from his horse. He was killed while trying to surrender. His death caused his cavalry to lose heart and retreat, even though they were stronger.
Almagro's foot soldiers could not stand against Pizarro's superior guns. After an hour of brave fighting, they began to run away towards Cuzco. Almagro watched the defeat from a hill. He was very sad to see his loyal followers lose. When he realized all was lost, he got on a mule and rode to the fortress of Cuzco for safety.
Juan de Málaga, whose wife was the famous conqueror Inés Suárez, is said to have died in this battle.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de las Salinas para niños
