DE SOTO, Hernando, Spanish nobleman, conqueror and explorer: b. Villanueva de la Serena (Badajoz) about 1496; d. 1542 or 1543. As a captain in 1523-24 he shared the adven tures of C6rdoba's fleet on the Nicaraguan costs, hut was overcome by Gil Gonzalez through treachery. Joining Fran cisco Pizarro in Panama with two ships, 60 men and 10 horses, to take part in the conquest of Peru, he was appointed second in command. In 1532 he was the first Spaniard who spoke with Atahualpa; going to visit the unfortunate Inca in the character of an ambassador, he con tinued to be well disposed toward him dur ing his captivity. He returned to Spain in 1536, where he married in Madrid, the following year, Ines de Bobadilla, daughter of Pedrarias Davila (q.v.). Wholly misled by the first re ports of the wealth of Florida, De Soto re solved to undertake the conquest of that country, which was represented to be as rich as Peru. He sold his property and devoted the proceeds to the equipment of his ships and the outfit of his men. Charles I bestowed upon him readily enough the title of governor of Florida and Cuba. At Sanlacar he collected 950 fighting men, besides sailors. Seven large ships and three small formed the fleet, his wife and family accompanying him in the San Cristobal. De Soto sailed from Sanlacar 6 April 1538, reached Santiago de Cuba safely, and there entered upon his duties as governor of the island, but transferred his authority at that point to his wife before proceeding to Havana (August 1538). By his orders Havana harbor was fortified (see Cum). During the stay in Cuba his command was strengthened; 1,000 well-armed men were finally got ready, and this was probably the hest force which up to that time had undertaken the conquest of any part of America. The fleet sailed from Havana 12 May 1539. In Florida the Spaniards were
moderately successful until they reached the province of Tascaluza, where a great host of natives attacked them. It was said that in this nine hours' fight 11,000 Indians fell, while on the Spanish side 70 were killed and nearly all (including De Soto himself) were wounded. Worn out by the long marches, which did not lead to the discovery of treasure, the soldiers plotted to abandon the enterprise. On learning of this, De Soto marched his men toward the interior, hoping to reach New Spain (Mexico) by land, and knowing that, at ally rate, his followers would not care to desert him when the ships had been left far behind. In a noc turnal battle (December 1540) the Spaniards were again severely handled. Four months later they came upon a fort surrounded with a stockade, in storming which many were killed and nearly all wounded. De Soto still led them forward, through the present Gulf States and probably as far north as Kentucky, until he contracted a fever and died — according to Garcilaso, in 1542, though Herrera says 1543. The Spanish soldiers, who had thought to leave their commander in the lurch, were in this man ner finally separated from him. At first they buried him in a trench the natives had opened near a village on the bank of a great river he had discovered; but several days afterward either fearing the hostiles would dishonor the body or suddenly realizing how they them selves might best honor it — they. hollowed out the trunk of an evergreen oak, weighted the rude coffin with armor, placed the disinterred body within it and sank it by night in the deepest part of the river, which they called the Grande and we call the Mississippi.