DeSoto Trail 1539-1540--Led by the Lure of Gold - Florida Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

It’s October 11, 1539…
Near here, Captain Juan Añasco of Hernando de Soto’s army has entered the Apalachee village of Aute -
The village is deserted, but we have found a small supply of corn. My men captured several Indians. One is a young trader from a northern chiefdom. We have named him Perico – Parrot. He speaks of a chiefdom to the north called Cofitachequi with much gold and many mines. We will take Perico to De Soto, for he will make a useful guide.

The Conquistador Trail
Beyond the quest for gold, every major Spanish expedition of the 16th century had a religious mission. De Soto brought along 12 priests and friars, who tended to the spiritual needs of the men and attempted to convert the native population to Catholicism.

The Native Path
Perico became a valuable asset to De Soto’s expedition. He learned to speak Spanish and served as an interpreter and guide. When he failed to quickly lead De Soto to Cofitachequi, he feared torture and harsh reprisal. So, Perico fell to the ground and claimed to be possessed by demons. De Soto’s priests held an exorcism and baptized Perico. After being converted to Christianity he was given the name José. It is unknown if he survived the expedition.

”The Governor [De Soto] decided to go farther into the interior, because an Indian boy gave great news of what there was in the interior.”
- Account by Rodrigo Rangel
The De Soto Chronicles

Marker Number: 31 Date: None County: Leon Marker Type: Roadside Sponsored or placed by: Florida De Soto Trail, Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Park Service, and the National Park Service Website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
In your log, please say if you learned something new, and if you took any extra time to explore the area once you stopped at the historic marker waymark.

Please post a photo at the marker location.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.