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by George Smithson
In 1550, Valdivia war ready to expand southward, after having subdued the Mapoche clans from the the Santiago region northwards and brought the Promauceans into willing submission and alliance for his conquest of the south. Crossing the Maule river with 10 lancers and 100 Spanish foot and mumerous Yanacona servant warriors from Santiago and Promaucean clans Valdivia marched south to the Bio Bio river defeating various separate clan forces that attempted to come against him. A day away from his destination, Penco, the site of the future Concepcion, he camped for the night along the Bio Bio between two lakes that restricted the approach of any attacking force to a narrow frontage that the small conquistador force could defend.
Meanwhile the clans of Pencoan Butamapu: Ņuble, Itata, Renoguelen, Guachimavida, Marcande, Gualqui, Penco and Talcaguano gathered an army of 20,000 men in 3 divisions under their Toqui Aynabillo and marched on the Spanish camp. A night attack was determined on in an attempt to thwart the Spanish advantage of firearms and horses. At midnight the Spanish sentries allerted the camp to the approaching host. Valdivia mounted his lancers and with the support of the Spanish foot and Yanacona archers under the Mapocho Toqui Michimalongo proceaded to attack the Pencoans advancing closely packed because of the restricted space between the lakes.
The Pencoan army showered the Spanish with arrows like a hailstorm. The Spanish cavalry charged the Pencoans but their densly packed warriors with copper points on their pikes prevented them from breaking into their formation and their long clubs struck the horses making them rear back and shy away and injured many dispite their armored covers. Valdivia seeing the lancers would make no impression ordered his lancers to dismout and fight on foot. Using their lances, sheilds and especially their swords the dismounted cavalry and the foot began to cut the Pencoans down in droves, yet were hard pressed in a stuborn 3 hour fight.
When the ground became so littered with corpses and slippery with blood that pressing forward became difficult to the Pencoans they fell back for a short time. Valdivia sent 30 of his men to strike the wavering Pencoans in the flank while he ordered the rest of his force, including the Yanacona to charge their front. The Pencoans could not resist anymore and broke, sweeping away the commands to their rear. The Yanacoana were let loose to pursue the fugitives, and killed many more Pencoans. The Spanish loss was 30 horses and 1 Spaniard while the Pencoans lost 3000 or more and many others injured.
Time: Midnight. Season: Summer
Battlefeild: Spanish camp was between two lakes (WW) that secured their flanks and the Bio Bio river was at their rear. This forced the Indians to attack them on one side across a narrow neck of land that the small expedition could defend with secure flanks. Woods were some distance to the Indians rear to which they could flee if defeated.
Spanish [defending invader]
1 Spanish CinC [Valdivia ]- Ln(S) @35AP 35 *
2 Spanish cavalry - Ln(S)@ 15AP 30 *
2 Spanish foot - Bd(O)@ 7AP or Sh(S)@ 7 AP** 14 **
1 Yanacona Sub General [ Michimalongo ]- Bd(F)@ 25AP 25
12 Yanacona Clubmen/archers - Bd(F)@ 5AP or Bw(O)@ 4AP 65
18 elements 119AP
Notes: *The Spanish Ln(S) can dismout as Bd(S)in a tactical move. **Spanish foot can be either Shot or Blade (S) but Shot(S) is restricted to arquebus range of 100 paces. The Yanacona may be Bow or Blade, but in the battle the Spanish are noted as doing the hand to hand fightng while the Yanacona are noted as having been shooting in support, then Valdivia ordered them to join with their clubs in the general attack on the waivering Pencoans, and in the following pursuit. To capture the nature of the Mapuche archer/clubmen, a tactical move can change a Yanacona group or element from bowmen to blades but this can not be reversed.
20000 Pencoans [attacking defender]
1 Pencoan toqui[Aynabillo] Bd(F)@25AP or Wb(S)@ 25AP 24-25
39 Pikemen - Wb(O) @ 4AP or Pk(F) @ 4AP 156
40 Clubmen/archers - Bd(F)@ 5AP or Bw(O)@ 4AP
80 elements 320-341AP
1 Pencoan sub general - Pk(F) @ 24AP or Wb(S) @ 25AP 24-25
29 Pikemen - Wb(O) @ 4AP or Pk(F) @ 4AP 116
15 Club men Irr Bd(F) @ 5AP 75
15 Archers, slingers or javelinmen - Irr Bw(I) @ 3AP
or Irr Ps(I)@ 2AP 30-45
60 ele 245-261AP
1 Pencoan sub general - Pk(F) @ 24AP or Wb(S) @ 25AP 24-25
29 Pikemen - Wb(O) @ 4AP or Pk(F) @ 4AP 116
15 Club men Irr Bd(F) @ 5AP
75
15 Archers, slingers or javelinmen - Irr Bw(I) @ 3AP
or Irr Ps(I)@ 2AP 30-45
60 ele 245-261AP
200 ele Total 810-863AP
Notes: The Toqui's command was in the lead, the other two commands filling in behind it, never could engage because of the narrow approach. To capture the nature of the Mapuche archer clubmen a tactical move can change a group or element of archer/clubmen from bowmen to blades but this cannot be reversed. The Toqui's command breaks normaly or if the Toqui is killed, his army if his lead command is broken and routs, because the rear commands were swept away by the rout. The battle can be fought with only the Toqui's command as it was the only one that was engaged.
Note on Scale: Spanish Lancer elements are about 30 men. Spanish foot 50 men. Yanacona and Pencoans elements = 100 men. This was about the size and effectiveness of the early conquisatador and Mapuche tactical units in relation to their opponents. Most of the early conquistadors were veterans of the Italian Wars and later the 80 Years War but eventually the Spaniards advantages in quality would decline but their numbers never were very great.
Comments on the battle: This was an instance where the invader had all the advantages of the defense. Valdivia knowing he was vastly outnumbered in this populous and warlike land took care to pick defensable sites for his camps and forts where his paltry numbers could be utilized to the full and his enemies strength neutralized. The option to allow dismounting of the lancers and the change in the element type of the Mapuche archer/clubmen exactly portrays the battle accounts of this battle and many others, by men who were in them.
