by Donald E. Sheppard"The other Spaniards (on the outside of the fortress) who could not go in through the gate, because it was (too) narrow, so as not to wait in the fields and lose time in fighting, made vigorous strokes at the wall with their axes and knocked off the mixture of mud and straw that (had been plastered on the wall)... uncovering the transverse logs... (then), assisting one another, they climbed up (the now exposed transverse logs), got over the wall, and entered the village... The Indians, on seeing the Castillians inside the village that they had considered impregnable... fought with the spirit of desperate men, in the streets as well as from the roofs, from which they did much damage to the Christians. The latter, in order to defend themselves from those who were fighting from the flat roofs or terraces, and to insure that they would not attack them from behind, and also in order that the Indians might not come back (outside) to gain the houses... decided to set fire to the (fortress). They did so and, as the houses were made of straw, in a moment a great deal of flame and smoke arose, which added itself to (the confusion of) the blood... and the massacre that was taking place in such a small village."
"The governor, who had fought throughout the four hours on foot at the head of his men, went out of the village and mounted a horse. So as to increase the fears of the enemy and the spirit and courage of his men, he went back into the village, accompanied by another who was also mounted, and both riders, calling the names of Our Lady and "Santiago" ("St. James," the traditional battle cry of the Spanish) and shouting loudly to their men to make way, broke through the enemy squadron from one side to the other as it was fighting in the principal street and in the plaza. Then they turned back upon them, spearing them on either side..."
"During these attacks and withdrawals, at a time when the governor was standing in his stirrups to throw a lance at an Indian, another who was behind him shot an arrow above the hind bow of the saddle, which struck in the small unprotected space the general (had) exposed between the saddlebow and the breastplate, and though he wore a coat of mail, the arrow broke through it and penetrated some six inches into (his) left hip. The good general (DeSoto) alike in order not to let it be known that he was wounded so that his men would not become alarmed because of this hurt, and because in the press of the fighting he had no opportunity to pull out the arrow, fought with it through all the rest of the battle, which was almost five hours, without being able to sit in the saddle, which was no small proof of the valor of this captain and if his skill in horsemanship..."
"The fire that they had set to the houses increased momentarily and did the Indians much damage, for as they were numerous and could not fight in the streets and plaza, because they could not all get into them, they fought from the terraces and flat roofs. The fire trapped and burned them there or forced them, in fleeing from it, to fling themselves down from the terraces.
"It did no less damage in the houses where it came in through the door, for... they were large rooms with only one door, and when the fire blocked it, those who were inside could not get out and were burned and suffocated by the fire and smoke. Many women who were closed up in the houses perished in this way."
"The fire was equally harmful in the streets, because sometimes the wind blew the flame and smoke over the Indians, blinding them and helping the Spaniards to drive them back without their being able to resist. Again it would turn in favor of the Indians against the Christians and enable them to regain the part of the street that they had lost. Thus the fire went favoring now one side and now the other, and increasing the mortality of the battle."
"The fighting was sustained on both sides with the cruelty and fury that has been seen until four o'clock in the afternoon, the battle having been continuous for seven hours. As this hour the Indians, seeing how many of their men they had killed by fire and the sword and that for lack of fighters their strength was decreasing while that of the Castillians was increasing, summoned the women and ordered them to take up some of the many arms that were lying in the streets and set about taking vengeance for the death of their people; and if they could not avenge them, they should at least see to it that all of them should die before becoming slaves of the Spaniards."
"When they gave this command... many of them had already been fighting bravely for some time along with their husbands, but with this new order not one remained who did not go to the battle, taking up arms that they found lying on the ground, of which there was an abundance. Many of the swords, halberds, and lances that the Spaniards had lost came into their hands... They also took up bows and arrows and shot them with no less skill and ferocity than their husbands. They stationed themselves in front of the latter to fight, and resolutely exposed themselves to death with much more nerve than the men. They thrust themselves among the enemy's weapons with great fury and recklessness, showing well that the desperation and courage of women in what they have determined to do is greater and more heedless than that of men. The Spaniards, however, seeing that the Indian women were doing this more with the desire of dying than conquering, and also out of regard for the fact that they were women, abstained from wounding and killing them."
"While this long and stubborn battle lasted, the trumpets, fifes, and drums did not cease to sound the alarm very insistently, so that the Spaniards who had lagged behind in the rear guard would hurry to the assistance of their men. The maestro de camp and those who were coming with him (had) marched scattered about the country hunting and enjoying themselves, ignorant of what was going on in Mauvila. But when they (were close enough and) heard the noise of the military musical instruments and the shouts and outcries that sounded inside and outside the village, and saw the clouds of smoke that rose up in front of them, suspecting what it might be, they passed the word back to the last ones and all of them marched at top speed, arriving during the last part of the battle."
"The battle that took place in the country was no less bloody; it was for this purpose that the fields had been cleared (by the Indians, before the Spaniards had arrived at Mauvilla) of timber and cleaned even to uprooting the grass and herbs. Having enclosed themselves in the village to make a defense, the Indians realized that because of their numbers they would hinder one another in fighting, and that because the space was limited they could not profit by their lightness and agility. Thus many of them agreed to go out to the fields, letting themselves down from the walls, where they fought with all good spirit and courage and eagerness for victory. But they soon recognized that their plan was illadvised, because if their lightness gave them an advantage over the Spanish foot soldiers, those on horseback were their superiors and speared them in the field entirely at their pleasure, without there being able to defend themselves, for these Indians do not use pikes, although they have them, which are the defense against horsemen, because they had not permitted themselves to believe that we would come up within reach of the pikes, but expected to assault and kill us with arrows a good distance before we should reach them. This is the chief reason the Indians use the bow and arrows more than any other weapons. Thus a great many of the died on the field were ill-advised in their ferocity and vain presumption. The Spaniards of the rear guard came up, horsemen and foot soldiers, and all attacked the ndians who were fighting in the field. After engaging in battle for a long period of time and receiving many deaths and wounds, though they arrived late, they received a very good share of them..."
"At this time, which was now nearly sunset, the shouts and cries of those who were fighting in the village still sounded. Many of those who were mounted entered to aid their men; others remained outside to be ready for whatever might be needed. Hitherto for lack of room none of the horsemen had fought inside the village except the general and one other. Now, therefore, many mounted men entered and scattered through the streets, for there was work for them to do... Breaking through the Indians who were fighting there, they killed them."
"Ten of twelve horsemen advanced along the principal street where the battle was fiercest and bloodiest, and where... Indian men and women were fighting most desperately... The horsemen charged upon them... so furiously that they knocked down many... of the Indians. The Spaniards were fighting hand to hand with the enemy, all of whom they killed, for none wished to surrender or give up their arms, but to die... fighting like good soldiers..."
"...(when) the battle ended, one of the Indians who had been dazed (during the fighting)... attempted to save his life by fleeing... he ran to the wall and jumped up on it with much agility, as to escape across the fields... but seeing the Christians that were there... and the massacre that had occurred and that he could not escape, he preferred death to giving himself up as a prisoner... and taking the cord from his bow, he fastened it to the branches of a tree (which was part of the wall)... and the other (end of the cord) around his neck (and) let himself down from the wall so quickly that, although some Spaniards desired to rescue him... they could not get there in time. Thus the Indian was hanged by his own hand, causing amazement by his action... From this (we) surmised the recklessness and desperation with which all of the Indians (of North America) fight, for the one who was left alive killed himself."
"We fought that day until it was night... we killed them all, some with fire, others with the swords, others with the lance..." "All of the clothing carried by the Christians, the ornaments for saying mass, and the pearls were all burned there... and the horses that they tied within... were killed." "...the Indians killed more than twenty of our men (most of whom were DeSoto's powerful friends or relatives), and two hundred and fifty of us were injured... We stayed there treating ourselves twenty-eight days (until the next Full Moon)... We took the women and divided them among the most seriously wounded..."
DeSoto had "learned there that Francisco Maldonado was waiting him in the port of Ochuse (Mobile Bay), six days' journey from there. He arranged with Juan Ortiz (his native interpreter) that he should keep still about it.." but the men had "...heard that we were up to forty leagues (105 miles) from the sea. Many wished for the Governor to go there... because the Indians gave us news of the small ships being there..." Captives taken by Maldonado at Mobile Bay the proceeding winter had led DeSoto into the ambush at Mabila.
DeSoto's biggest problem after the battle was containing his men from escape to the ships. Any bad news they carried could seriously damage his plans to colonize America... and New World news circulated fast in Europe. His scouts, who always patrolled on horseback for miles around his encampments, provided him with the topographic intelligence to solve that problem.
The men, having heard from captives that the ships were nearby, but not knowing where, had only their own intelligence, and not that of DeSoto's, to use for planning any escape. The last time they had seen a large river, however, which logic would hold flowed into the sea where his ships were, was in Piachi (near Selma) but that trail went back through hostile country.
To contain the men DeSoto moved them north and west from the battle ground, away from the nearby Alabama River, to a place where scouts found the creeks flowing northwest just ten miles from the fort. That kept the men from following creek beds to the river, and, thereby, to their only escape route. Wounded and dead natives were found "in the huts and by the roads" during their four-week recovery while DeSoto led them farther north and west; downstream, to the troops way of thinking. None of them had a clue what DeSoto was up to.
"The Governor felt it advisable to look for a land where we might in order to be able to spend the winter..." DeSoto would direct his army farther north, up Tuskaloosa-Prairie Bluff Road, to winter in Tennessee, thereby containing them above the north flowing Tennessee River to avert any escape. He would continue north at Springtime, searching for the South Sea passage to China on the north side of this "Island of Florida." He would never return.
Twenty years after DeSoto's visit, survivors of his expedition returned to Mauvila in an attempt to settle that land. A Conquistador named Tristan de Luna, who had been told of the bountiful Mauvila Province, its proximity to the sea and its safe anchorage at Prairie Bluff (for the protection that bluff offered against destructive northwest Winter Winds), brought settlers to the same place where DeSoto had been "defeated." To entice those settlers, who were well aware of DeSoto's plight at the legendary Mauvila, Luna named that place "Nanapacana." In Spanish vernacular that name means "nothing but pecans" - the delicious fruit and valuable wood which WAS the only "treasure" brought from North America to Spain by DeSoto's ill-fated Conquistadors. Everyone in Europe knew that. That name was magic for enticing New World settlers.
The Final Report of the "Official" Hernando de Soto Expedition Commission