DeSoto's Southern Trail
by Donald E. Sheppard"... (Chief Tuscaloosa) was an Indian so large that, to the opinion of all, he was a giant. He awaited us in peace in his town..." ("on a high small high hill, an eminence from which much of the country could be seen in every direction..."; Potato Hill, a giant natural earthen mound at the west end of that valley; a location selected by Tuscaloosa to dramatize his nobility before the Spaniards). "We made much festivity for him when we arrived and jousted and had many horse races, although he appeared to think little of this. Afterward we asked him to give us Indians to carry the burdens, and he responded that he was not accustomed to serving anyone, rather that all served him before... he said that he could not give us anything there, that we should go to another town of his, which was called Mauvilla, and that there he would give us what we wanted from him." ©University of Alabama Press
"After a march of two days (down the Alabama River and through today's Selma, on the Full Moon) we reached a town called Piachi (just above Cahaba, the site of Alabama's first Capitol, downstream of Birmingham; that river is low today, probably for that reason). Near it flowed a large river. The Governor asked the Indians for canoes (to cross the Cahaba River). They said that they did not have any (they had probably sent their women and children downstream in their canoes), but they would make rafts (for us)..."
"In that town of Piachi it was found out that they had killed Don Teodoro, and a black man, who came forth from the boats of Panfilo de Narvaez (who had been in Mobile Bay a dozen years before this army arrived; the two deserters had fled from the stranded Narvaez Expedition)."
"From the port (Charlotte Harbor) to Apalache (above Panama City, both in Florida)... the governor had marched east to west; from Apalache to Cofitachequi (Columbia, S.C.)... from southwest to northeast; from Cofitachequi to Xualla (Tryon, N.C.)... from south to north; and from Xualla to Tuscaloosa (Autaugaville, AL)... he marched... from east to west to the province of Coosa (Ft. Payne, AL) and... to Tuscaloosa from north to south. After crossing the River of Piachi (the Cahaba River)... Chief Tuscaloosa sent an Indian from that place to Mauvilla... to advise them to have provisions prepared and Indians for carrying... we marched for three days (down the north bank of the Alabama River)..."
"On Monday, the eighteenth of October, the Day of Saint Luke, the Governor arrived at Mabila, having passed that day through some towns (just downstream of Prairie Bluff; DeSoto advanced to Mabila during Harvest Moon, probably for the security afforded by moonlit nights.)... But these (bountiful) towns detained the soldiers, pillaging and scattering themselves, for the land seemed populous; thus only forty on horseback arrived in (the) advance guard with the Governor, and since they were a little detained, in order for the Governor not to show weakness, he entered in the town with Chief Tuscalusa... The Indians then did a kind of ball (for the Governor), with dancing (girls) and singing."
"We arrived at Mavila at nine o'clock in the morning. It was a small and very palisaded town and was situated on a plain (just above the baptismal pond, pictured above, at today's Boiling Spring Cemetery, northeast of Catherine)... Some important Indians came forth to us upon seeing us and asked the Governor, through the interpreter, if he wished to spend the night there or to enter the town... It seemed better to the governor to enter the town, and we [the advance guard with DeSoto] were commanded to enter... Having entered within, we were walking with the Indians, chatting, as if we had them in peace, because only three hundred or so appeared there... they began to do their dances and songs... fifteen or twenty women in front of us... Chief Tuscalusa arose and entered one of those houses... the guard entered to bring him out, and he (the guard) saw so many people within... that he told the Governor that those houses were full of Indians, all with bows and arrows... The governor called to another Indian who was passing by there, who likewise refused to come. A Nobleman... seized him by the arm in order to bring him, and then the Indian gave a pull that set himself free.. the Nobleman put hand to his sword and gave him a slash that cut off an arm. Upon wounding this Indian, all began to shoot arrows at us... we suffered so much damage that we were forced to leave, fleeing from the town... When the Indians saw us outside, they closed the gates of the town and began to beat there drums and to raise banners with a great yell, and to open our trunks and bundles and display from the top of the wall all that we had brought..."
"At this time, all the horse and foot (soldiers) who came marching (immediately) behind (DeSoto), happened to reach Mavilla. They were of different opinions there as to whether they should attack the Indians in order to enter into the town or whether this should be avoided, as the entrance was doubtful. But, at last, it was decided to attack them."
"The few riders... (who had fled from) the village with their horses (and)... a few others who had arrived from the (army's) march... went to resist the... Indians (who) were pursuing the (soldiers of DeSoto's guard). They, however much they tried, could not prevent the Indians from driving (DeSoto and his escorts) across the plain... until the Indians saw the horses charging them. Then the Indians held up a little and gave our men a chance to rally and form two divisions (at DeSoto's direction), one of footsoldiers and one of horsemen. These fell upon the Indians with such courage... that they did not stop until they had shut (the Indians)... in the village. But when (we) attempted to enter, such a shower of arrows and stones rained upon (us) from the wall and its loopholes that (we) withdrew... Seeing (us) retire, the Indians came out again with the same impetuosity as the first time, some through the gate and others jumping down from the wall. They engaged our men rashly, even grasping the horsemen's lances, and the Spaniards were forced, in spite of themselves, to (retreat) more than two hundred paces from the wall. The Spaniards withdrew without turning their backs, fighting with all discipline and good order, because in this lay their salvation. They were few and lacked those (soldiers who had not yet arrived at the village)... those being in the rear guard, which had not yet come up."
"Our men at once charged the enemy and drove them back toward the village, but they made a strong attack from the wall, from which the Spaniards came to understand that it was better to fight them on the plain, at a distance from the village, than near it (given that horses could be used to advantage only in the open). Thus from that time on, when (our people retreated) they purposely yielded more ground than the Indians forced them to lose, in order to draw the Indians away from the village so that by their retreat the horsemen would have more ground and room where they could charge them with lances. First one and then the other (of the battling forces), attacking and withdrawing in this manner, as if in a tournament with reed spears - though it was a very cruel and bloody battle - and again standing their ground, Indians and Spaniards fought for three hours, savagely killing and wounding each other. "In these attacks and retreats that were thus made, there rode behind among the Spaniards a Dominican friar named Fray Juan de Gallegos, the brother of Captain Gallegos. He was not attempting to fight, but he wished to give his horse to his brother, and with this desire he shouted to him to come out and mount the horse. The captain, who had never ceased to be among the first, as he had happened to be at the beginning of the battle, made no effort to reply to his brother because he was unable to do so, nor would his reputation and honor permit him to leave the post that he occupied. In these advances and retreats the good friar made... with the horse during an assault by the Indians, one of them caught sight of him, and though he was some distance away (the Indian) discharged an arrow at the moment when the friar happened to turn his horse to flee from them. (The arrow) struck him in the back and wounded him, though slightly, because he wore his two cowls and all the other robes that those of his order usually wear, which are many, and over all this he had a large felt hat that was fastened around his neck with a cord and hung down over his shoulders. The arrow wound... was not mortal because of all these defenses. The friar took warning from it and went off some distance, fearing that they might shoot him again."
"The Indians fought with so great a spirit that they drove us outside again and again. It took them so long to get back that many of the Christians, tired out and suffering great thirst, went to get a drink at a pond (Boiling Spring) located near the stockade, but it was tinged with the blood of the dead..."
"There were many wounds and deaths in this obstinate battle, but the one that caused the Spaniards the greatest regret and grief... because of the misfortune through which it happened and because of the person upon whom it fell... was that of Don Carlos Enriquez, a gentleman... He was married to a niece of the govenor and, because of his great virtue and affability, he was esteemed and beloved by all... From the beginning of the battle this gentleman had fought like a very valiant soldier during all the attacks and retreats, and his horse having been wounded in the last retreat by an arrow that had gone into one side of his breast above the breast-leather, in order to draw it out he changed his lance from his right hand to his left, and grasping the arrow, pulled at it. With his body extended forward along the horse's neck, he made an effort (to remove the arrow), (but by) turning his head slightly over his left shoulder so that his throat, which was unprotected, without armor (for all the rest of his body was well armored)... (the arrow) wounded him in such a manner that the poor gentleman at once fell down from his horse with his (own) throat cut, though he did not die until the next day."
"With such events incident to battles, Indians and Castillians fought with many deaths on both sides, although the mortality was greater among the Indians because they had no defensive arms (shields, crossbows, lances or horses). After fighting for more than three hours on the plain, the (Indians) realized that they were getting the worst... and they all decided to withdraw toward the village, close the gates, and station themselves on the walls. This they did, calling to one another to assemble from every direction. On seeing the Indians closed up (inside the fortress), the govenor ordered that all the mounted soldiers, because they were better armed than the footsoldiers, dismount and attack the village, taking shields to defend themselves and axes to break in the gates, as most of them carried axes with them... Instantly a squadron... was formed, which attacked the gate, broke it down with axes, and entered through it with no little damage to themselves. "(In the meantime, the Indians who were) closed up in the village... ran to the house that had been designated for the governor's service and chamber, which they had not attacked hitherto because it seemed to them that they had it safely (in their grasp). Thus they now went very boldly to enjoy the spoils that were in it. But they found the house well defended, because inside were three crossbowmen and five halberdiers of the governor's guard who were accustomed to accompany his equipage and servants, and one of the first Indians whom they captured in that country, who was now a friend and a faithful servant, and as such carried his bow and arrows to be ready when it should be necessary to fight against those of his own nation in the favor and service of the foreigner. There also happened to be in the house two priests, and a cleric and a friar, and two of the governor's slaves. All these people stationed themselves to defend the house, the priests with their prayers and (the guards) with arms, and they fought so courageously that the enemy could not gain the door. The Indians then decided to go in through the roof and accordingly opened it in three or four places, but the crossbowmen and the Indian archer worked so effectively that those who dared enter through the holes in the roof were shot down dead or badly wounded, as they appeared (through the holes in the roof). These few Spaniards were conducting this spirited defense when the general and his captains and soldiers came up to the door of the house, fighting, and drove the enemy away from it. Thereupon those in the house were released and went out to the field, giving thanks to God for having saved them from such danger."