Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/59

Rh captured by Almagro, 8 April, 1537, Hernando was taken prisoner; but he was released a few months afterward on conditions which he broke as soon as he was at liberty, and took the command of the troops against Almagro, whom he defeated at Salinas and ordered his execution. But he was accused at court, and, in order to obtain his justification, sailed in the beginning of 1589 with a large quantity of gold as a gift for the crown to Spain. He was coldly received at court, and, although the council of the Indies did not pronounce a final sentence regarding his accusation by Almagro's executor, Diego de Alvarado, he was imprisoned in 1540 in the fortress of Medina del Campo, where he was kept till 1568, although not in rigid seclusion, so that he married his niece in 1551. After his release he retired to his native city, where he died at the age of 104 years. &mdash; Another brother, Juan, a natural son of Col. Pizarro by the same mother as Gonzalo, b. in Trujillo about 1500; d. in Cuzco in July, 1536, came with his brothers to Peru in 1531, and even in Panama began to show enmity to Almagro. When the army, after the death of Atahualpa, penetrated into the interior, Juan commanded the van-guard, and was the first to discover the rich valley of Jauja. When Francisco Pizarro despatched Almagro against Alvarado in 1534, and marched with re-enforcements toward the coast, he left Juan as commander of the garrison in Cuzco, where, by his oppression of Manco Yupanqui, for the purpose of obtaining gold from him, he gave the first cause for the rebellion of that chieftain, who fled to the mountains, but was captured again by Juan and imprisoned. In 1535 he marched against the Indians of Condesuyos, who had assassinated some Spaniards. While he was on this expedition his brother Hernando returned, and was appointed by Francisco vice-governor and chief justice of Cuzco, and Juan served under him. Hernando, against the advice of his brothers, set Manco Yupanqui at liberty, and the inca soon rose in rebellion and besieged Cuzco. When the supreme priest, Villac-Uma, had captured the citadel, whence he seriously interfered with the safety of the Spanish headquarters, Juan, whose dauntless courage was generally acknowledged, was ordered by Hernando to the assault of the fortress, and in the attack he was mortally wounded by a stone. He was buried in the Church of Santo Domingo, which had been principally endowed by him and built on the site of the Temple of the Sun, which was assigned to him after the capture of Cuzco.

PIZARRO, Jose Alfonso, Marquis of Villar, Spanish naval officer, b. in Murcia in 1089 ; d. in Madrid in 1703. He entered, in his youth, the naval service of the knights of Malta, and after- ward served in the Spanish navy, attaining the rank of rear-admiral. When the government heard of the expedition of the English admiral, George Anson, to the Pacific, a fleet of two ships of the line and four frigates, with a regiment of infantry for Chili, was despatched under Pizarro's command in October, 1740, and arrived, 5 Jan., 1741, in the river Plate. Hearing that Anson was refitting in Santa Catharina for entering the Pa- cific by the Strait of Lemaire, Pizarro sailed at once to intercept him, but lost one ship and one frigate in a storm, was obliged to put back for repairs, and on the second attempt, with two vessels, was again dismasted, and returned to Montevideo. Thence he despatched the frigate " Esperanza " to the Pacific, and passed across the Andes to Peru, where for Mime time he exercised the functions of naval Commander-in-chief. After the peace with Eng- land, Pizarro left the frigate on the Pacific station and returned overland to Montevideo, where he found his flag-ship, the " Asia," refitted, and sailed in her for Europe in November, 1745. Part of the crew consisted of Indians from the pampas, who one night rose on the Spaniards, and, after killing the watch on deck, had gained possession of the vessel, when Pizarro succeeded in killing the ringleader, and in the confusion drove the mutineers into the sea. On his arrival at Cadiz in January, 1740, he was promoted vice-admiral, and in 1749 was appointed viceroy of New Granada; but he resigned in 1753 and returned to Spain.

PLACIDE, Henry, actor, b. in Charleston, S. C., 8 Sept., 1799; d. near Babylon, L. I., 23 Jan., 1870. His father, Alexander, was a French va- riety performer, who appeared at Sadler's Wells theatre, London, and came to this country in 1793. For many years he was a professional itinerant, but he became lessee of the playhouse in Charleston, S. C., and in 1811 was one of the managers of the Richmond, Va., theatre, when it was destroyed by fire, with the loss of many lives. Henry appeared as a child, under his father's direction, at the Charleston theatre, and in 1814 was seen at the Anthony street playhouse in New York city. Thereafter he became attached to various travelling companies, playing occasionally in some of the southern cities. On 3 Sept., 1833, he appeared at the New York Park theatre as Zekiel Homespun in " The Heir at Law," and for about twenty-five years, with slight interruptions, he remained attached to that establishment. He made a few brief visits to other cities, and in 1838 played at the Haymarket theatre in London. Being disappointed by his reception, he soon returned, and after the destruction of the Park theatre by fire in 1848 played only occasionally at Burton's theatre and the 'Winter garden. His final performances were in 1865, after which he retired to his country home. There was never a more conscientious American actor, nor one who filled a wider range of characters. Besides being a comedian, Placide was also a good buffo singer ; but his manner was somewhat hard, and his Shakespearian interpretations often lacked unction and raciness. He was an artist of remarkably good average performances and the greatest of New York favorites, but never rose to distinction in any particular character. The portrait of Placide represents him as Dromio in the " Comedy of Errors." His brother, Thomas, actor, b. in Charleston, S. C., in 1808; d. in Tom's River, N. J., 20 July, 1877, was attached in his youth to several minor playhouses in subordinate parts, but his real debut was made at the Chatham garden theatre in New York city in 1828 as Andrew Hang in "Love. Law. and Physic." For several years he was connected with the Park theatre, and he afterward led a roving life. From 1850 until 1854 he managed the Varieties theatre in New Orleans. La., and in 1855 he joined the company at Vallack's theatre. New York city. A little Later j he retired from the stage. Thomas Placide was a