Battle of Las Salinas

Battle of Las Salinas
Part of the Spanish conquest of Peru
Date April 6, 1538 Location near Cuzco, Peru 13°34′0″S 71°58′41″W / 13.56667°S 71.97806°W / -13.56667; -71.97806 Result Victory for Nueva Castilla
Belligerents
Nueva Castilla	Nueva Toledo
Commanders and leaders
Gonzalo Pizarro Hernando Pizarro Alonso de Alvarado Pedro de Valdivia	Diego de Almagro (POW) Rodrigo Orgóñez †
Strength
700	500 6 guns
Casualties and losses
9	120 dead[1]
class=notpageimage| Location within Peru Show map of Peru Battle of Las Salinas (South America) Show map of South America Battle of Las Salinas (America) Show map of America

The Battle of Las Salinas was a military conflict and decisive confrontation between the forces of Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro against those of rival conquistador Diego de Almagro, on April 6, 1538, during the Conquest of Peru. Both camps claimed to represent the authority of the Spanish Crown; Pizarro's forces controlled the province of Nueva Castilla, and those of Almagro, Nueva Toledo.

After an hour of carnage, the battle yielded a victory for Pizarro's forces: with Almagro captured and his lieutenant, Rodrigo Orgóñez killed on the field of battle, the Pizarros routed the enemy and took possession of Cuzco. Almagro was executed in July 1538.