Gonzalo de Sandoval

Gonzalo de Sandoval (* 1497 in Medellín, † 1527 in Palos de la Frontera) was a Spanish conquistador and a friend of the chronicler Bernal Díaz del Castillo.

From March 2, 1527 to August 22, 1527 he performed duties in the government of the colony of New Spain.

The expedition into the kingdom of the Aztecs

In 1519, Gonzalo de Sandoval went with Hernán Cortés and his army in New Spain on land. He was the youngest deputy of Cortés and one of his ablest officers. With just a few men, the Spaniards threw several Native American peoples. In the heavy fighting with the Tlaxcalans Sandoval proven. After it failed the Tlaxcalans to beat the Spaniards, they allied with them against the Aztecs. Sandoval moved with Cortés and his army into the capital of the Aztecs.

Soon after the capture of Moctezuma II Cortés Sandoval gave the command of the company in Veracruz. At the same time he assumed the office of Mayor.

In the spring of 1520 Pánfilo de Narváez landed south of Veracruz with an army of about 1,200 men. He sent messengers to Gonzalo de Sandoval and demanded the surrender of the city. Although Sandoval only about 60 men were available, he captured the messengers of Pánfilo de Narváez. He had to tie her up and carry of friendly Indians to Cortés to Tenochtitlan. Cortés left the messengers free and corrupted them. Then he set out with 250 men on the way and attacked Narvaez and his huge odds. In the ensuing battle, it was Sandoval Pánfilo de Narváez captured and wounded him there.

He also had command of the vanguard in the Noche Triste in the Spanish retreat from Tenochtitlan. After this defeat, Cortés was built in Tlaxcala ships to attack the capital of the Aztec and again to besiege. Under the leadership of Gonzalo de Sandoval, the individual parts of the brigantines of Tlaxcala to the Lake Texcoco were managed.

During this time he conquered with his men Calpulalpan. As he advanced on the city, the population fled and tried to obliterate all traces of the baggage train of Pánfilo de Narváez, whose members killed hundreds as prisoners, and the gods had been sacrificed in a great hurry. Nevertheless, Sandoval was in a temple two processed into leather scalps of Spaniards with their beards and the skins spanned by four horses. In another temple he found the inscription of a prisoner: "Here the unfortunate Juan Yuste was with many comrades in painful captivity. " The soldier Juan Yuste was a nobleman who had come with Pánfilo de Narváez to New Spain and trapped by the warriors of Texcoco been. Despite everything, Sandoval did not destroy the city. He turned back to his task to transport the items of the ships for the attack on Tenochtitlan. In Texcoco the ships were assembled despite constant attacks by the Aztecs and lowered into the water.

During the month-long siege of Tenochtitlán Sandoval fought with his men in its assigned sector of the front. During the attack on the market of Tlatelolco, he supported Pedro de Alvarado. After a final assault on Tenochtitlán García Holguín took one of his men, caught the tlatoani (king) Cuauhtémoc. Holguín and Sandoval gave the Aztec king together to Cortés.

Later, Cortés sent him to the Coatzacoalcos area. From there, he pacified Huatusco, Tuxtepec and Oaxaca. He founded the city of Medellín in Tatatetelco and harbor Pacífico de Espíritu Santo.

In Panuco he suppressed a revolt of the native Indians.

In July 1523 Gonzalo de Sandoval founded the city of Colima. From 1524 to 1526 he participated in the Hondurasfeldzug with Cortés.

Return to Spain

In 1527 he traveled with Cortés to Spain and came in December after only forty-one days in the port of Palos in Spain. But already on the journey he was seriously ill. Shortly after his arrival he died. First, however, still 13 gold bars were stolen from him. He was buried in the monastery of La Rabida. As he had no legitimate children, he continued his niece as heir of his vast wealth.