Cortes drew up his little army in battle array at the foot of a hill. It protected his men in the rear, and at the same time he could use his cannon in the freest and most effective manner. He posted himself with his cavalry in an adjoining thicket, whence at the right time he could charge the enemy unexpectedly. In this order they quietly awaited the onset of the Indians. The ever memorable day upon which the battle was fought was the twenty-fifth of March, 1519, Annunciation Day.
The Indians appeared, most of them armed with bows and arrows. The bowstrings were made of the sinews of some animal or stag’s hair, and the arrows were tipped with sharp bones. In addition to these they carried spears which could be thrown from a distance or used as a hand-weapon. One of their most terrible weapons was a great battle sword, made of very hard wood, the edge of which was formed of exceedingly sharp stones, joined together, and which was so heavy that it had to be wielded with both hands, like an axe. Some of them had clubs, others slings with which they could hurl stones of great size with unusual force and accuracy. The leaders alone protected themselves with quilted woollen coverings, and wooden or tortoise shell shields. The rest went naked, but to give them a frightful appearance they painted their faces and bodies in different colors, and to increase their stature they wore headdresses of tall feathers. Their battle music was in keeping with their looks. They used reed pipes and large sea-shells as wind instruments, and drums made of hollowed tree trunks. The art of fighting in close ranks was entirely unknown to them. They observed a certain order, however, by dividing the whole force into little squads, each with its own leader. They had this in common with the European plan of battle, that they did not engage all their warriors at the same time in a fight, but kept a part in reserve to come to the help of those in front when it should be necessary. Their opening assault was always made with frightful outcries and with great vigor, but if the enemy withstood the first attack and succeeded in throwing the advance into disorder, a panic would strike them and a general retreat ensue.