Written by Donald E. Sheppard
Drawings: Cheryl Lucente

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Having followed the course of today's Alabama railroads, built on Indian trails, then over the Tennessee River at Muscle Shoals, Hernando de Soto continued up that trail along Shoal Creek into Tennessee, through Loretta and into Lawrenceburg (40 miles from his Tennessee River crossing place at Muscle Shoals).

"After they were in Chicasa they suffered great hardships and cold, for it was already Winter, and most of the men were lodged in the open field in the snow before having any place where they could build houses. This land was very well peopled, the population being spread out as was that of Mabila (in today's Alabama). It was fertile and abounding in corn, most of this being still in the fields. The amount necessary for passing the Winter was gathered. Certain Indians were captured, among whom was one who was greatly esteemed by the (local Chicasa) chief. By means of an Indian the governor sent word to the chief that he desired to see him and wished his friendship. The chief came to offer himself to him, together with his lands and people. He said that he would cause two (other provincial) chiefs to come in peace. A few days afterward they came with him... one being named Alabamo (of Nashville) and the other Nicalasa (probably of Huntsville, Alabama). They presented the governor with 150 rabbits and some clothing of their land, namely blankets and skins."© UA

"Monday, the 3rd of January of 1541, the chief of Chicasa came in peace and gave guides and interpreters to the Christians in order to go to Calusa (probably Huntsville), which had renown (good food, women and dogs, all of which the Spaniards highly valued)... Calusa is a province of more than ninety towns, not subject to anyone, of ferocious people, very bellicose and very feared, and the land is prosperous in those parts..." as it is today.

"In Chicasa the Governor commanded that half of the people of his army should go to make war on Sacchuma (well down Natchez Trace from Lawrenceburg's Plain, into Northeast Mississippi; Sacchuma was not paying homage to the Spaniards, as others of that neighborhood were forced to do), and on the return (from Sacchuma) the Chief Miculasa (Mico means Chief in that Indian language - Mico Calusa was chief of the Calusa, most likely of Huntsville) made peace (probably in Florence, Alabama, through which the army passed on its return to Lawrenceburg), and messengers (with more food and animal skins) came from Talapatica (Moundville, below Tuscaloosa, Alabama)." That foray lasted several weeks.           Link: Western Mississippi Conquest Trails

The natives of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi were forced to provide DeSoto's army with food that winter, least captives taken from their villages - leaders, braves, women and children - would be mutilated and fed to DeSoto's dogs. That tactic worked well in Nicaragua where Desoto learned it from Balboa, his mentor. DeSoto's army had gone to Sacchuma and Florence to find captives and extract tribute for their eventual release. Cabeza de Vaca had been in Mississippi

The army's camp at Lawrenceburg was described by a DeSoto historian of the sixteenth century: "It was situated on a level elevation extending from north to south between two streams having little water but much timber, consisting of walnuts, oaks, and live oaks, at the foot of which was the fruit of two or three years. The Indians let it go to waste because they had no cattle to eat it and they themselves did not use it, having other, better and more delicate fruits to eat... the army collected all the necessary provisions and brought from outlying small villages much wood and straw from which to make houses, because those of the principal village, though they numbered two hundred, were not enough. Our men were in these lodgings almost two months, enjoying some degree of quiet and rest..."

The State of Tennessee has preserved DeSoto's army's Winter encampment in the form of Davy Crockett State Park. That park has two streams, as mentioned above, Crowson and Shoal Creeks. They flow from north to south on either side of a long elevated pasture with forests on either side. Trees line the broad creek beds which flow together at the Park's southern boundary. The high elevation between the creeks extends northward several miles, then opens into a tremendous pasture, tens of thousands of acres stretching northward. Natives would exploit that weakness in DeSoto's encampment.

"One night... having realized that the north wind, which was blowing furiously, was favorable to them, at one o'clock the Indians came... In order to set fire to our encampment..." "... more than three hundred Indians entered in the camp without the sentries detecting them, two by two and four by four, with some little jars in which they brought fire, in order not to be noticed or seen... (they set fire to the north end of the camp; the wind fanned the fire southward)"

"The Indians did us very great damage, and killed that night fifty-seven horses and more than three hundred hogs, and thirteen or fourteen men, and it was a great mystery of God why, without our resisting them or doing a thing, the Indians turned to flee and left us, because if they had pursued us, not a man of all of us would have escaped."

"Next the Spaniards passed to a savanna one league (2 and a half miles) from the camp in which they were, the place had huts and supplies, and they established camp on a slope and hill..." Davy Crockett's homestead sits on that bank of Dry Land Creek, beside the hill which is the City of Lawrenceburg, where Chicasa lived - precisely the specified distance from the army's encampment at todays Davy Crockett State Park. "...and they made haste to set up a forge, and they made a billows from hides of bears; and they tempered their weapons and made new saddle frames and provided themselves with lances, since there were very good ash trees there..." There is still an old water-grist-mill there today, made of stone and ash.

"On Tuesday, the fifteenth of March, during the morning watch, the Indians attacked the Christians (again), determined to finish them, and they struck on three sides (Dry Land Creek and a high ridge on its south side prevented attack from the south)."

"...Thanks to God it rained a little, so that because of the water they abandoned their plan... We were here about two months, making what we had need of in the way of saddles and lances and shields, and then we departed toward the northwest for another province that is called Alibamo (DeSoto held some Alabamo Indians captive most of that Winter and knew they lived in the province north of Chicasa)."

"The land was flat and suitable for the Christians to profit thereby (a giant plain, over ten miles squared, extending northward from Lawrenceburg toward Natchez Trace and, thereby, Alabamo Province). Some Indians were captured (over the preceding several months), from whom the governor got information relative to the land beyond. On April 25th (1541; the day before New Moon), he left Chicasa and went to sleep at a small village called Alibamu (they marched across Lawrenceburg's plain and camped at its northwest end). It had very little corn and it was necessary after leaving there to commit themselves to an unpopulated region for seven days' journey. Next day (while the army gathered food), the governor sent three captains with horse and foot, each one taking a different direction, to search out provisions in order to cross the unpopulated region. Juan de Anasco went with fifteen horse and forty foot along the road where the governor was to go (north), and found a strong stockade where the Indians were waiting..." at the plain's northern opening to Natchez Trace.

THE LOCATION OF FORTRESS ALABAMO IS WORTHY OF NOTE. Three accounts of that event follow; two are first-hand and one, the last, is based on interviews with survivors. The first account: "Here something happened to us that they say has never happened in the Indies, which was that in the middle of the road where we were to pass, without having food to defend nor women to guard there, but rather only to prove themselves against us, they made a very strong barricade of poles in the middle of the road, and about three hundred Indians placed themselves there, with determination to die before they relinquished it. As they saw us appear, some Indians came forth from the barricade to shoot arrows at us and threaten us that no man would remain alive. From this we considered that barricade differently, and with the people that defended it, we believed they had some food there or something that they were guarding, of which we had much need, because we were expecting to cross an uninhabited region of twelve days' duration, in all of which there was not one thing to eat, except what we carried there. About forty of us dismounted and placed ourselves on two sides, so that at the sound of a trumpet we would charge the barricade all at once. We did it thus and entered, although we suffered some damage, for they killed seven or eight men and wounded twenty-five or twenty-six of us. We captured some Indians and others we killed, and we found out from them that they had done that only with the intent of proving themselves against us, and for no other purpose. We looked for food there, although with difficulty, in order to enter into our inhabited region."

The second account: "As soon as they saw the Christians approach, with loud cries and beating two drums, they came out in great fury to meet us. It seemed best to Juan de Anasco and those with him to keep away from them and to inform the governor. He withdrew over a level ground for the distance of a crossbow flight from the barricade and in sight of it. The men of foot, the crossbowmen and those having shields placed themselves before the horsemen so that the horses might not be wounded. The Indians came out by sevens and eights to shoot their arrows and then to retire. In sight of the Christians, they made a fire and seized an Indian - by the feet and head - and pretended they were going to throw him into the fire, first giving him many blows on the head, signifying what they would do to the Christians. Juan de Anasco sent three horse to inform the governor. The latter came immediately, and since he thought he should drive them thence, saying that if he did not do so they would become embolden to attack him at a time when they could do him more hurt, he ordered the horsemen to dismount and having divided them into four companies gave the signal and they attacked the Indians. The latter resisted until the Christians reached the barricade; and as soon as they saw that they could not defend themselves they fled along a way where a stream flowed near the barricade, and from the other shore shot some arrows. And inasmuch as no crossing was found for the horses for the time being, they had time to get away. Three Indians were killed there, and many Christians were wounded, fifteen of whom died on the march a few days later. It seemed to all that the governor was much to blame in not having had an examination made of the disposition of the land which lay on the other side of the stream and of ascertaining the crossing (place) before attacking them..."

The last account:"...having marched on the first day (from Lawrenceburg) four leagues through a level country dotted with many small villages having fifteen or twenty houses, they passed a quarter of a league (just over half-a-mile) beyond the inhabited region... When the Spaniards halted to make camp in that field they sent cavalry (horsemen) to scour the country on every side and see what was all around the camp. They returned with the information that nearby was a fort built of wood, manned by very select warriors... They had bridges over the river made of wood, but so shaky and ruinous that they could hardly pass over them... (the battle is described here, until)... they (the Indians) abandoned the fort within a short time, and those who were able to cross the river, now being safe (from the Spaniards on the near bank), formed themselves into a squadron. Our men remained on this side... DeSoto, who was desirous of punishing those Indians for their impudence and audacity, calling to the mounted men and crossing the river by a good ford that was above the fort, drove them forward across a plain for more than a league, spearing them all if they had not been overtaken by darkness..."

THAT PLACE STILL EXISTS: Traveling north on Buffalo Road from Lawrenceburg, one passes broad fields until reaching the north end of the plain where DeSoto's army camped. The land becomes hilly and broken there, except at Buffalo Creek, which flows northward from the plain into Buffalo River. Indian trails followed that creek and river to Natchez Trace and today's Nashville, the home of the Alabamo Indians. But DeSoto had no reliable guides to lead him there; his captives had died of starvation and exposure that winter. A pasture on Buffalo Creek's west shore, however, invites anyone proceeding northward through it - between steep hills on either side.

As one precedes, however, Buffalo Creek becomes a muddy ravine, its west bank pasture narrows, and the land inclines up a steep hill behind which Buffalo Creek bends left and cuts the hill's backside into a cliff. Alabamo fort was located at the foot of the hill (pictured above) at the north end of Buffalo Creek's west bank, out of view of the army's camp at the north end of Lawrenceburg's plain. DeSoto's scouts were enticed up that side of Buffalo Creek.

There is a broad pasture on the east ravine bank at the cliff, but to get there one must back-track to the valley entrance, turn east, cross Buffalo Creek at a sandy ford which is hidden by the creek's forest (where it is bridged today, pictured at left), then follow the creek's east bank north to the pastures east of the cliff; the way the Indians knew how to get to Nashville.

After the army attacked the fortress, the Alabamo Indians escaped up the hill to the cliff. They crossed the creek's ravine on an inclined bridge to the northeast shore pasture, then headed for home. The Spaniards had to go back to the valley entrance to find the ford (pictured above) to get northeast of the cliff. Most of the Indians had crossed their bride by the time the Spaniards arrived at dark. With no moon light, DeSoto resolved not to chase them (to Nashville); he had more important things to do. He would go northwest, instead, toward Quizqui (Casqui, according to later Frenchmen).

DeSoto's humiliation at the barricade probably spared Alabamo women and children his torment and was, most likely, cause for local celebration. Buffalo Creek's westside pasture, just south of the hill, is marked by a large earthen mound at the very spot where DeSoto's army found Alabamo barricade. That mound may well memorialize the brilliant natives who deceived DeSoto's powerful army.

DeSoto perceived that rivers flow northward from Lawrenceburg (map at left) and surmised that the north shore of this "Island of Florida" lay just ahead. Along the way, the rivers continued to flow northward until he reached the Ohio River, nine marching days up the trail from Alabamo barricade.

DeSoto didn't worry about deserters any more, he knew his army would catch up or die in hostile Indian Country. "On Saturday, the last day of April (1541), the army departed from the site of the barricade and traveled nine days through an uninhabited region (thru Meriweather Lewis National Monument then up today's Highway 48 - see map at right - the Indians of Hohenwald, Centerville and Dickson fled before them) and (followed) a bad road through forests and swamps" all the way beyond the Cumberland River.

DeSoto crossed the Cumberland River just east of today's Highway 48 Bridge below Clarksville; the only place on that river's run with no high bluffs on either side. That fording place, on the Indian trail which DeSoto followed from Lawrenceburg, would become a ferry crossing before the Civil War. Union soldiers would cross there, too, but headed down the trail. DeSoto entered a new province at Clarksville: "He reached the (first) town of Quizquiz without being perceived. He seized all the people (women and children) of the town before they got out of their houses."

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