Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-11-20
The Burial Of De Soto.

Ihere are fewer pictures of blasted
human hopes, of ambition baffied-in
WORD, OF utter absolute wreck, than the
solltary, fearful, unusual burial Of De
soto. He who landed with splendid
force OF knights and men-at.arms, many
long tried in American battles, with
glitter of steel and every attribute of
material pomp, coming with means to
found city not only, but an empire,
ales amid his starving, ragged, destitute
handful of survivors, who reverencing
ms fallen greatness, sought to secure
AIS body from the Indians who had torn
up and mutilated the Spanish corpses
committed to the earth.
They buried him in the river, at the
dead of night, with sentinels posted to
keep the natives at distance, that the
sad ceremony might be safe from the
observance of spies. His body was con-
veyed to the centre of the river. The
hooded priests and steel clad cavaliers
gathered around the remains of the
chief who had led them through all
| their perilous wande rings, and thew
committed his body to the stream.
watching it sink to the bottom through
scalding tears, and commanding the
soul of the good cavalier to Heaven,
they sadly worked. their way back to
the shore.
"The discoverer of the Mississippi
slept beneath its waters. He had cross
ed large part of the continentin search
of gold, and found nothing so remarka-
BILE as his burial place."
De Soto had landed in Tampa Bay,
May Is, 1889, with an army conveyed
in squadron of eight yes sells and three
small craftsmen-one of the most i'm
posing and best appointed forces ever
entering the American wilderness to
Expeditions of Virginia, Plymouth,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, or the New
4 Netherlands, seemed too contemplate
even to find a record in history; yet De
Soto's march was but the brilliant course
of a meteor, dazzling for a moment to
end in darkness. Bitter hostility met
him on the shore. Battle followed bat
, tie. Lured on by tales of gold, he
fought his way steadily on. Vitachuco,
powerful chief, was defeated; the
Princess of Cofachiqui fell into his
hands, with her realm, rich in pearls
the gigantic Tuscaloosa threw open his
doors to the powerful white man, but
they led him off as a prisoner or hos
tage.
At Mauvilla. town whose name is
preserved IN Mobile, the warriors raj
, lied to rescue their chief. A fierce bat.
tie ensued. Ten thousand braves sur
rounded the Spaniards, pouring missiles
3 on them from every side. After nine
e hours fight, European skill and armol
: won the day, but DE Soto lost eighty o.
3 his bravest officers, and mostof his pro.
r visions and supplies persisted in the
: burning town.
Still fighting on, he reached the Missis
t sippi in April, 1541, and crossed it in
e his wild search for gold. Despondent
: at last, he turned back to die on the
r shores of the great river.
# His survivors again attempted to eX-
: plore the Western wilds, failed in theil
l.. hopes, once more retraced their steps
d their course marked by the most terrible
sufferings and fearful dangers, and a
last reached the Mississippi shore. Here
they built vessels, their progress inter
IT rupted by battles with the natives, anG
It embarked and sailed to the ocean
It their course marked with difficulties
e and fearful losses. A poor, miserable
IS remnant of them at last reached The
,e Spanish town of Panuco, in Mexico.