Cristóbal de Olid

Cristóbal de Olid or Christoval de Oli (born towards 1483 with Baeza, Spain - died in 1524, with Naco, Honduras), was a Spanish Conquistador which took part in exploration and the conquest of Mexico in company of Hernán the Cortes. Having betrayed this last during a forwarding towards Mow Hibueras, he is condemned to died and cut the throat of (or strangled) in public on the place of Naco.

Its beginnings

Cristóbal de Olid, is native of Baeza or Linares, in the province of Jaén, in Spain. We are unaware of its youths very. It Marie on an unknown date with Felipa de Araujo, a Portuguese, with whom he has a girl, María (or Antonia) Olid there Viedma.

It is found with Cuba and becomes the interpreter of Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. Towards 1518, it lives with Trinidad. It leaves for the Yucatan to research forwarding Juan de Grijalva, on order of Diego Velázquez, but a storm makes him lose its anchors and obliges it to return to Cuba.

The conquest of Mexico

It is at that time that Hernán the Cortes prepares its forwarding and he becomes captain of the one of his ships. Bernal Díaz del Castillo describes it as follows to us: It was intrepid with foot and horse, extremely solved, but much more made to receive orders than to order with the others. It was 36 years old (...) and was of high size, strongly member, broad of shoulders, good turning, slightly fair, of a beautiful aspect of face, although having the lower lip split and as divided by a crack. It had the strong voice and spoke about an imposing tone; its conversation was pleasant, and, inter alia qualities, it was generous. At the beginning of forwarding, it showed better servants of the Cortes, but the ambition to order and not to receive orders more the aveugla. Indeed, Cristóbal de Olid is a friend of the Cortes and besides it receives many rewards of its share. It is thus named main of camp to Veracruz, then becomes lieutenant-governor and alcalde of the city in 1519. Having all the confidence of the Cortes, this last also entrusts to him a group of attack against the forwarding of Pánfilo de Narváez. At the time of the Sad Noche , it is also at the sides of the Cortes.

After the escape of Tenochtitlan, it takes the head of a forwarding of 200 infantrymen, 10 riders and many Indiens auxiliaries, in order to make safe the road of Veracruz, while attacking the towns of Guacachula and Tecamachalco, hostile with Spanish.

At the time of the reconquest of Tenochtitlan, it orders one of 3 divisions which attacks the city, made up of 30 riders, 20 fusiliers and principal rafters, 175 infantrymen and 8.000 Tlaxcaltèques. Its 3 lieutenants are Andrès de Tapia, Francisco Verdugo and Francisco de Lugo. May 13rd 1521, division gets under way for Aculman, where it must spend the night. It is in this context that is born the incident with Pedro de Alvarado. Indeed, it decides to make go its men a little more quickly than those of Alvarado, in order to arrive in first at Aculman to seize all the houses to spend the night there. On its arrival, Alvarado thus does not have any housing, its soldiers either. Dissatisfaction is such as men put the hands on their swords, ready with in découdre. Some interpose to bring back everyone to the reason. The Cortes is obliged to send messengers to regulate the different one. The calm cost, but this incident marks a final point of rupture in its relations with Pedro de Alvarado.

A few days later, it attacks Tenochtitlan with its division, at the sides of the division of Alvarado. The attack is a failure, and it decides to take its division to go to Cuyoacan. By doing this, he answers the starting orders of the Cortes, but divides in fact the Spanish forces, which reproaches him in particular Pedro de Alvarado but also Bernal Díaz del Castillo. He installs his camp with Cuyoacan before being joined by the Cortes and his brigantins. The attacks on Tenochtitlan follow one another, but without result. One allots sometimes the fact to him of having saved the life of the Cortes, whereas it wounded and was submerged by the Aztec ones. It is in fact a confusion with an almost homonymous soldier, Cristóbal de Olea, native of the Old woman-Castille.

After the catch of Tenochtitlan, it leads a forwarding successful to the Michoacán and grows rich. It represses then agitations with Zacatula and Colima.

Treason and death

January 11th 1524, it leaves for Las Hibueras (Honduras) to the head of the forwarding assembled by the Cortes. It includes/understands five ships with artillery, 400 men, 30 horses. It must however pass by Cuba to recover horses and additional ammunition bought by the Cortes via Alonso de Contreras.

When it arrives at Cuba, it comes into contact with Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, the governor. This last wishes to deprive the Cortes of the future discoveries of this new forwarding. Also, it pushes it to be released from this supervision and to colonize the grounds of Mow Hibueras in the name of the king of Spain.

May 3rd 1524, it unloads with Las Hibueras and founds the town of Triomphe of the Cross . It benefits from it immediately to reject the authority of the Cortes with the agreement of its soldiers (a great part of them being old forwardings of Narváez)

In June 1524, the Cortes is informed of its treason and sets up a forwarding, that he entrusts to his cousin Francisco of mow Casas. It is also composed of five ships and a hundred of men, with for mission of apprehending it and of punishing it. Forwarding is victim of the storm and it seizes Francisco of mow Casas. However, some rare soldiers still faithful to the Cortes betray it and help Francisco of mow Casas to escape. In unknown circontances, it is wounded during a confrontation with this last. He then judged, is condemned to died and cut the throat of (or strangled) publicly on the place of Naco.

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