De Soto was refused Indian maidens to accompany him on his journey

De Soto Was Refused Indian

Maidens To Accompany Him

This story is an excerpt from the book

ALABAMA FOOTPRINTS Exploration: Lost & Forgotten Stories (Volume 1) First Edition

The main purpose of De Soto expedition to America was to find gold. At the time, gold was the great object of nearly all the Spanish explorers and conquerors. They had successfully found it in Peru and De Soto hoped to find even more in the Americas.

Painting of De Soto

His army was well-provided for with helmets, breastplates, shields, coats of steel armor, swords, lances, cross-bows, guns called arquebuses, and one cannon. The Spanish cavaliers numbered two hundred and thirteen and were said to have been “the most gallant and graceful men of all Spain.”

De Soto’s provisions

Fleet grey-hounds and large, fierce blood-hounds, with chains, handcuffs and collars for the neck, were used to aid in capturing and securing Indians whenever it might be needful. Workmen of various trades, with needful tools and large quantities of steel and iron, and scientific men with crucibles for refining gold, accompanied the expedition.

De Soto was also provided with a large drove of hogs, some cattle, and some mules, to travel with them into the wilderness. He had enough food to last two years and European merchandise for the purpose of trade. Twelve priests, eight other ecclesiastics, and four monks, with the needful robes of office, sacramental bread and wine, and various holy relics, made up the religious department of this exploring band.

De Soto’s trail

Narrative of his journey

Historian, Albert J. Pickett states; ”Never was an expedition more complete, owing to the experience of De Soto, who upon the plains of Peru had ridden down hundreds in his powerful charges, and had poured out streams of savage blood with his broad and sweeping sword.”

The following excerpt of their journey is from a Portuguese narrative about his trip and is probably very kind to De Soto.

In early March, De Soto’s band of soldiers left their winter quarters and traveled north and then turned to the northeast when they heard that gold could be found in that direction. They passed through what is now the State of Georgia and reached the area of Savannah and camped on the eastern bank of the river near an Indian town, later called Silver Bluff. In this town south of the present city of Augusta lived an Indian Queen, young, beautiful, and unmarried. She ruled the country around to a large extent.

After De Soto’s arrival, she glided across the river in a magnificent canoe, with many attendants, and after an interesting interview with De Soto, in which they exchanged presents, and passed many agreeable compliments, she invited him and his numerous followers over to her town.

The following day the expedition crossed the Savannah upon log rafts and in canoes. They quartered in the wigwams and under the spreading shades of the mulberry.

After remaining there for several weeks, De Soto left in May 1540, and took the beautiful young Queen with him. He resumed his march, passing up the Savannah to its head waters, and westward to the head waters of what is now called the Coosa. He then turned southward. and met with various adventures.”

In early June 1540, De Soto traveled to a large Indian town where the town of Rome in the State of Georgia stands today. The chief of this town in his address of welcome to De Soto, and alluding to the latter’s request to have corn collected sufficient to last his army two months, is reported to have said: “Here I have twenty barns full of the best which the country can afford.” Besides corn, the Spaniards found, in this old Indian town, large quantities of bear’s oil, laid up in gourds, walnut oil, equal to butter in its flavor, and “pots of honey.”

The Spaniards remained there for 30 days and “shared the generous hospitality of these natives of Georgia.” When about to depart, De Soto, it is said, “of some of his unprincipled officers,” demanded from this hospitable chief “a number of females to accompany them in their wanderings.” The chief refused them this request. The Indian maidens of Georgia scorned to become the slaves and paramours of Spanish cavaliers.

ALABAMA FOOTPRINTS Exploration: Lost & Forgotten Stories (Volume 1)

Alabama Footprints – Exploration – is a collection of lost and forgotten stories about the people who discovered and initially settled in Alabama.

Stories include:

First Mardi Gras in America
The Mississippi Bubble Burst
Royalists settle in Alabama
Sophia McGillivray- A Remarkable Woman
The Federal Road – Alabama’s First Interstate