bust of lautaro in square of cañete.
tucapel fort located on hill in coastal mountain range. in december 1553, mapuche forces, under command of vice toqui lautaro attacked , destroyed fort using battle tactics learned spanish. pedro de valdivia had left concepción 50 soldiers , sent message purén fort send reinforcements. message, however, intercepted lautaro s men.
valdivia received no reports leading element, , spent night half day s journey tucapel. on christmas day, december 25, 1553, left in morning fort, arriving in vicinity silence reigning. found destroyed. neither gómez de almagro nor bobadilla anywhere found. decided make camp amidst damp ruins of fort, contingent had hardly begun make preparations when there shouts surrounding forest. without advance warning, mass of mapuche warriors charged out towards spanish enclave.
a veteran soldier, valdivia had time form , arm defensive line , repulsed first attack. cavalry charged upon rearguard of retreating mapuche force, indians prepared action , reversed charge lances. however, valor , resolution spaniards managed drive resulting mapuche surge forest. spaniards savored temporary victory.
there still more come, however. second squadron of mapuches attacked, time armed maces , ropes lances, succeeded in dismounting unfortunate spanish caballeros, whom dragged out of battlefield once on ground. spanish managed drive them back, not without leaving many fallen. third group of mapuches appeared, time lautaro behind it.
valdivia, aware of desperate situation due spanish losses , fatigue, gathered available men , threw himself bitter fight. half of spanish forces casualties , indian auxiliaries steadily being reduced. valdivia, seeing fight lost, ordered retreat, lautaro himself came around flank , sealed spanish fate. indians felled every 1 of spaniards, , valdivia , cleric pozo, rode best horses, able escape. however, when crossing swamps men became bogged down , mapuches captured them.
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