Such was the enemy the little army of Spaniards now saw advancing upon them in countless numbers. Silent and solid as a wall they awaited the attack. When they had come within bowshot, the battle opened with terrible yells and a shower of arrows which darkened the air. The Spaniards replied with a cannon and musketry fire, which covered the ground with heaps of the closely crowded enemy. The Indians, however, were undaunted. They filled up the void, threw sand in the air to conceal their losses in a cloud of dust, and after another flight of arrows came to a hand to hand struggle. The Spaniards did their best to overcome superiority of numbers, but the impetuosity and the multitude of the enemy were so great that they could not long withstand them. Their ranks were already broken through in several places, and a general massacre seemed imminent when suddenly Cortes appeared with his cavalry and charged into the midst of the enemy. It was a new and dreadful sight to the poor Indians, who had never before beheld horsemen. They thought they were huge monsters, half man and half beast, and were so overcome with fear that their weapons dropped from their hands. The Spaniards improved the opportunity to get into order again, the cannon fire was renewed, and, attacked upon every side, the panic-stricken Indians incontinently fled.
Satisfied with this display of his superior power, Cortes at once ordered that the fugitives should be spared and only a few of them captured in order to make a peaceful arrangement with the whole nation. Eight hundred Indians lay dead upon the field, and only two Spaniards, but seventy of the latter were wounded. All the Indians who were not too severely wounded had fled. The field was made the site of a city, which, in honor of the day and the event, was called Santa Maria de la Vittoria, and afterward became the capital of the country.
On the following day some of the captives were brought before Cortes. Their faces wore an expression of anxiety and fear for they had no doubt that they would be sentenced to death, but how great was their joy and astonishment when he received them with the greatest kindness, and Aguilar, the interpreter, announced their freedom. Their delight was still further enhanced when Cortes displayed his generosity by making them gifts of trifles, which he knew would secure their good-will. Overcome with joy, they hastened to tell their people how handsomely they had been treated. The result was that the Spaniards won over all those hearts which had been filled with rage and vengeance. To manifest their confidence and good intentions, various Indians shortly came, bringing all kinds of subsistence for which they were generously recompensed. The cacique himself sent messengers with gifts and begged for peace. It was granted, and when, soon afterward, he came in person, assurances of peace on each side were confirmed by presents. Among other expressions of good-will the cacique brought twenty young women who knew how to bake Indian corn bread, and made a present of them to Cortes. One of them, who had been christened Marina, was the daughter of a cacique and had been kidnapped when a child and sold to the cacique of Tabasco. She was not only unusually beautiful but intelligent, and in a short time learned the Spanish language and was of great service to Cortes afterward in his dealings with the Mexicans.