The Path to Tenochtitlan

On September 1, 1519, Cortes' trek westward was first met with resistance against the Tlaxcalan s. Not wanting to take an alternate path and leave enemies at his back, Cortes attempted to diplomatically bypass the Tlaxcalans and pass through their lands peacefully. The Tlaxcalans, however, were not convinced that the Spanish were allies, and instead resorted to sacrificing their messengers to their god of war. Cortes, seeing no other option than to fight, marched into Tlaxcala, which began a three-day battle between the two forces. Not wanting to take an alternate path and leave enemies at his back, Cortes attempted to diplomatically bypass the Tlaxcalans and pass through their lands peacefully. The Tlaxcalans, however, were not convinced that the Spanish were allies, and instead resorted to sacrificing their messengers to their god of war. Cortes, seeing no other option than to fight, marched into Tlaxcala, which began a series of battles between the two forces.

The first day saw an insignificant skirmish with very few casualties. The second day, however, was much more eventful. The Tlaxcalans surrounded the Spanish forces with two large armies, blocking their retreat as well as their advance. Cortes sought to reason for peaceful passage, but the attack was eminent and his pleas went unheard. The large army descended on the Spanish in great number, however the Spaniards wielded vastly superior equipment. The Spanish pushed the battle onto even ground, at which point Cortes ordered his cavalry to plummet through the enemy force while his cannons and gunmen launched into the endless barrage of Tlaxcalan warriors. The battle raged for hours until the warriors were scattered, with thousands dead including several captains.

The next day was spent resting, repairing, and resupplying, and interrogating captured Tlaxacalan. It was discovered that they were amassing a large army to field against the Spanish. Despite the toll of the previous battle, Cortes marched his force out to meet the enemy once more.

In the second battle, the Tlaxacalan had brought even more numbers. They once again descended on the Spanish, launching volleys of arrows and rocks. The Spanish returned their fire with cannons, guns, and cavalry, which launched the massive Tlaxacalan force into dissension. The undisciplined, ill-equipped Tlaxacalan were still no match for the Spanish despite their numbers. After yet another bloody clash, they retreated.

Cortes had only lost a few men, and had them buried in secret to keep up the appearance of his immortal army, feeding the Tlaxacalan's superstitions. He then attempted to pursue peace once more, releasing some of his captives to act as messengers. The Tlaxacalan weren't ready to give in yet. They hadn't won a battle against Cortes during the day, but the priests had believed that the night would make the Spanish vulnerable.

The Tlaxacalan set up an ambush in the night and moved to intercept Cortes while he slept, however the sentries spotted the group long before the setup could be completed. Cortes sent out his cavalry to meet the force before they could position themselves, causing them to break out into yet another retreat.

Cortes and his force were beginning to feel exhausted. The spirit of the Tlaxacalan did not appear to be waning, however morale of the Spanish was slowly lowering as the days went by. Cortes himself was sick, and many of his men were either wounded or ill. He knew, however, that his three victories were overwhelming in the eyes of his enemy, and he used this to bluff a peace treaty. He sent a messenger to the Tlaxacalan saying that if they didn't agree to peace within two days, he would march to their capital and slaughter them.

This bold move was enough to make the war council of the Tlaxcalan hesitate. The war chief wished to attack Cortes, however many of his captains refused to fight. They instead settled on sending a delegation to spy on the conditions of the Spanish under the guise of a peace mission. Cortes uncovered this plot and chopped off their hands and sent them back. With the Spanish seeming untouchable, the Tlaxcalan agreed to a surrender and brought food and gifts.

On September 23, Cortes and his force entered the city of Tlaxcala, where they were welcomed with banquets and offered the hands of many daughters in marriage. Cortes inquired about Montezuma and the Aztecs and learned of their capital Tenochtitlan that was surrounded by a great lake and how they could field over 100,000 soldiers at once. He also learned of the harsh taxes and sacrifices that the Aztecs made and was warned against marching against Montezuma. As these warnings and inquiries were being made, a messenger arrived explaining that Montezuma would accept the Spanish in their capital.

Cortes didn't question Montezuma's change of heart, and resorted to marching onward to Tenochtitlan. Before departing, the Tlaxcalan gave him 1,000 soldiers and warned him against the Choluans, whose land we would have to pass and were well-known for deception.

Cortes arrived in Cholua without conflict and was greeted with welcoming arms. The Spanish were housed in large villas and given a steady supply of food and hospitality. This would only last for a short while, however, as soon the supplies began dwindling and the natives became distant. Cortes' spies and allies informed him of various signs of treachery that were being planned. Holes were dug in the streets with stakes placed inside of them, which were then camouflaged. Sacrifices had been made to their war god for an impending battle, and the women and children had moved beyond the city into the safety of the hills. Dona Maria confirmed this information after an old woman suggested she flee after telling her the plans of the Cholulan lords.

Cortes met with the lords the following morning and accused them of treachery. The lords denied the claims, admitting that Montezuma had sent messengers to suede them into stopping their advance, however claiming that they never intended to follow the orders. Cortes, however, was not convinced. He had his army as well as the Tlaxcalan slaughter the Cholulan populace and had the village burned before continuing his march onward.