Agustín De Cepeda y Ahumada

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Agustín De Cepeda y Ahumada, (1527-1591) Spanish captain, brother of Saint Teresa of Avila. He was born in Gotarrendura, Avila, and became known in the second half of the sixteenth century. He fought in America against the Mapuche and earned fame as an active and energetic man. Around 1566 he was entrusted with the defense of the Plaza of Cañete, on an occasion when it was badly defended, with scarce munitions and mostly inexperienced soldiers, along with only two cannons.

The Indians, perfectly informed of this development by their spies, got a considerable number together under the orders of their leaders Loble and Millalelmo, and they prepared an attack in which they anticipated a sure triumph. Captain Cepeda found out from sympathetic Indians that his enemy was advancing on the plaza, and so he locked up his people, his livestock and his horses in the fort that they had at the edge of the river, and got in position to defend himself there until he received help to take the offensive.

The artillery and arquebus fire produced a great disturbance among the Indians. When they saw that taking the fort would be a more arduous task than what they had thought, they set fire to the few houses and shed that they had reached in the town and situated themselves strategically to blockade the fort and keep its defenders hungry. Shortly thereafter some Spanish soldiers who came to help from the plaza were enough to make the Indians leave the site.