Mark W. Buyck II: No Gold Here

from June 2021

North Industrial Machine: The Johnsons

No

The history of Hernando de Suto's GOLD early exploration of South Caroina to find gold & wealth Here story by Mark W. Buyck, III

Even though Christopher Columbus was an Italian, when he “discovered” the New World, he was sailing for Spain’s Queen Isabella. Spain was intent on claiming and exploiting the resources available in the Americas. In 1501, Amerigo Vespucci sailed down the coast of South America. The two western hemisphere continents are named for Vespucci. Spanish explorers such as Balboa, Ponce de Leon, and Ayllon began exploring the inland areas of the Americas. After Ayllon’s failed settlement attempt in Winyah Bay in 1525, the next documented European exploration into South Carolina was Hernando de Soto.

In 1519, Hernan Cortes, probably the most infamous of the Spanish conquistadors, conquered the Aztecs in Mexico. In 1533, De Soto joined Francisco Pizarro in destroying the wealthy Inca empire in modern-day Peru. Both of these conquests yielded resources and gold. In 1539, Spain sent Hernando de Soto and 600 men to explore the southeastern United States and acquire gold, which was rumored to be abundant in the area. De Soto landed in the Tampa Bay area in May 1539 and almost immediately engaged with and defeated the local Indians. De Soto’s expedition traveled from Indian village to Indian village in search of the elusive gold. Each village they reached would invariably not have any gold, but the villagers insisted that the villages to the north and west all had gold. There are reports that De Soto would seek out a village or tribe’s leader, kidnap them, then demand ransom for their release. The size of De Soto’s force required acquiring food and provisions from the native Indians. The exact path of De Soto’s exploration has long been debated. Not unlike “George Washington slept here”, many communities made tenuous claims over the years that De Soto’s conquistadors had passed their way. While there is archeological evidence of Indian villages dating to the time of De Soto, there is little discovered archeological evidence that can be attributed to De Soto’s forces. Several of De Soto’s men did keep journals which assist in estimating their whereabouts during their 4 plus-year trek. It is generally agreed that De Soto entered South Carolina in April 1540. De Soto was in search of the village of Cofitachequi, where other natives had promised he would find gold and other wealth. The expedition found the South Carolina terrain difficult and were low on food and supplies when they reached the village of Hymahi near the current Congaree National Park. After helping themselves to the village’s food stores, the expedition then followed the Wateree River north to the village of Cofitachequi. Cofitachequi is near the town of Camden adjacent to the Wateree River. It is located on the historic Mulberry Plantation and has been the subject of several professional archeological examinations as well as several hundred years of amateur arrowhead searches. It is estimated the village was first inhabited c. 1250-1300. The town

Hernando de Suto

was built on a large mound overlooking the Wateree River. Although the mound has eroded considerably over the years, it is still extant. When De Soto arrived, he was welcomed by an Indian woman who the conquistadors called the “Lady of Cofitachequi.” The Spanish considered her the Chieftainness of the villages in that area. She and her family lived in a home built on a large platform overlooking the river. The Lady of Cofitachequi fed her visitors and gave them freshwater pearls. After enjoying the Indians’ hospitality for a few days, De Soto’s men purportedly "Lady of Confitachequi" plundered the village burial grounds in search of gold and pearls. Finding no gold, they kidnapped the Chieftainness and forced her to guide them to their next point of plunder. One version of the story is that the Lady escaped with the assistance of an African slave serving the conquistadors. They then returned to Cofitachequi and married. De Soto did not find any gold or significant valuable objects in South Carolina or anywhere else he plundered in the southeast. Indian hostility to the conquistadors grew as word spread of the brutal acts of the conquistadors. After leaving South Carolina, the expedition continued through western North Carolina, Tennessee, North Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. De Soto died in May 1542 on the banks of the Mississippi River, the first European to cross the Mississippi River. Some accounts say he died in Arkansas, others Louisiana. Some say he died of a fever, others an Indian attack. About half of De Soto’s original 700 conquistadors finally made their way to Mexico City in September 1543 with little to show for their trouble. Cofitachequi remained viable following De Soto’s visit. In 1670, Henry Woodward traveled inland from the recently settled Charleston and said the town had 1,000 bowmen. A later visitor in 1701 found the town abandoned.