Hernando de Soto, as the expedition's captain…

Hernando de Soto, as the expedition's captain of horse, becomes the first European to make contact with Atahualpa.

On the afternoon on November 16, Atahualpa leads a procession of the greater part of his forces, but Pizarro's fortunes change dramatically when Atahualpa announces that most of his host will set up camp outside the walls of the city.

He requests that accommodations be provided only for himself and his retinue, which will forsake its weapons in a sign of amity and absolute confidence.

Shortly before sunset, Atahualpa leaves the armed warriors who had accompanied him, on an open meadow about half a mile outside Cajamarca.

His immediate party still numbers over seven thousand but are unarmed except for small battle axes intended for show.

Atahualpa's attendants are richly dressed in what are apparently ceremonial garments.

Many wear gold or silver discs on their heads and the main party is preceded by a group wearing livery of checkered colors, who sing while sweeping the roadway in front of Atahualpa.

The Inca himself is carried in a litter lined with parrot feathers and partly covered in silver, carried by eighty Inca courtiers of high rank in vivid blue clothing.

Atahualpa's intention appears to have been to impress the small Spanish force with this display of splendor; he has no anticipation of an ambush.

The Spaniards have concealed themselves within the buildings surrounding the empty plaza at the center of the town.

Infantry and horsemen are concealed in the alleyways that open onto this square.

Spanish infantry are deployed to guard the entrances to a stone building in the center of the square while men armed with arquebuses and four small cannon take their place within it.

Pizarro orders his men to remain silent and hidden until the guns are fired.

During the hours of waiting, tension rise among the greatly outnumbered Spanish; Pedro Pizarro will recall that many of his fellows urinated out of sheer terror.

Upon entering the square, the leading nobles in attendance on Atahualpa divide their ranks to enable his litter to be carried to the center, where all stop.

A native courtier carrying a banner approaches the building where the artillery is concealed, while Atahualpa, surprised at seeing no Spanish, calls out an inquiry.

After a brief pause, Friar Vincente de Valverde, accompanied by an interpreter, emerges from the building where Pizarro is lodged.

Carrying a cross and a missal, the friar passes through the rows of attendants who had spread out to allow the Inca's litter to reach the center of the square.

Valverde approaches the Inca, announces himself as the emissary of God and the Spanish throne, and demands that he accept Catholicism as his faith and Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor as his sovereign ruler.

Atahualpa is equally insulted and confused by Valverde's words.

Although Atahualpa had already determined that he has no intention of conceding to the dictates of the Spanish, according to chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega, he does attempt a brusque, bemused inquiry into the details of the Spaniards' faith and their king, which quickly bogs down in poorly translated semantics and increases the tension of all the participants.

Spanish sources differ as to the specific event which initiated combat, but all agree it was a spontaneous decision following the breakdown of negotiations (such as they were) with Atahualpa.

Titu Cusi Yupanqui (1529–1571), son of Manco II and a nephew of Atahualpa, will dictate the only Inca account of the events leading up to the battle.

According to Titu Cusi, Atahualpa had received "two Viracochas", Pizarro and de Soto, at a date not specified "many days" before the battle, offering them a golden cup containing ceremonial chicha.

"The Spaniard poured it out."

The Spaniards then gave Atahualpa a letter (or book) which they said was quillca (writing) of God and of the Spanish king.

Offended by the wasting of the chicha, Atahualpa threw the "letter or whatever it was" on the ground, telling them to leave.

Atahualpa had arrived at Cajamarca with "no weapons for battle or harnesses for defense," although they did carry tomes (knives) and lassos for hunting llamas.

The Spanish approached and told Atahualpa that Virococha had ordered them to tell the Inca who they were.

Atahualpa listened then gave one a gold cup of chicha which was not drunk and given no attention at all.

Furious, Atahualpa stood and yelled "If you disrespect me, I will also disrespect you", and said he would kill them, at which the Spanish attacked.

Titu Cusi's only mention of a Bible being presented and then tossed to the ground is restricted to the encounter which took place before the battle, an omission that has been explained as due either to its relative insignificance to the Inca or to confusion between the events of the two days.

His account of the battle itself is heavily influenced by Inca mythology and ritual and is not considered a reliable account.

At the signal to attack, the Spaniards unleash gunfire at the vulnerable mass of soldiers and courtiers and surge forward in a concerted action.

The effect is devastating and the shocked and unarmed defenders offer little resistance.

The Spanish forces use a cavalry charge against their enemies, in combination with gunfire from cover (the defenders also have never encountered firearms before) combined with the ringing bells on the horses to frighten them.

The first target of the Spanish attack is Atahualpa and his top commanders.

Pizarro rushes at Atahualpa on horseback, but the Inca remains motionless.

The Spanish sever the hands or arms of the attendants carrying Atahualpa's litter to force them to drop it so they can reach him.

The Spanish are astounded that the attendants ignore their wounds and use their stumps or remaining hands to hold it up until several are killed and the litter slumps.

Atahualpa remains sitting on the litter while a large number of his attendants rush to place themselves between the litter and the Spanish, deliberately allowing themselves to be killed.

While his men are cutting down Atahualpa's attendants, Pizarro rides through them to where a Spanish foot soldier has pulled the Inca from his litter.

While he is doing so, other soldiers also reach the litter and one attempts to kill Atahualpa.

Recognizing the value of the Emperor as a hostage, Pizarro blocks the attack and receives a sword wound to his hand in consequence.

The main Inca force, which have retained their weapons but remain outside Cajamarca, scatter in confusion as the survivors of those who had accompanied Atahualpa flee from the square, breaking down a fifteen-foot length of wall in the process.

Atahualpa's warriors are veterans of his recent northern campaigns and constitute the professional core of the Inca army, seasoned warriors who outnumber the Spaniards more than forty-five to one (eight thousand to one hundred and sixty-eight).

However, the shock of the Spanish attack—coupled with the spiritual significance of losing the Sapa Inca and most of his commanders in one fell swoop—apparently shatters the army's morale, throwing their ranks into terror and initiating a massive rout.

There is no evidence that any of the main Inca force attempted to engage the Spaniards in Cajamarca after the success of the initial ambush.

The Spanish suffer no losses.

De Soto is a driving force in the Spaniards' victory