Chief Tuscaloosa
From Tuskaloosa
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History and Chief Tuskaloosa . . .
"... (Chief Tuscaloosa) was an Indian so large that, to the opinion of all, he was a giant. He awaited us in peace in his town..." ("on a high small high hill, an eminence from which much of the country could be seen in every direction..."; Potato Hill, a giant natural earthen mound at the west end of that valley; a location selected by Tuscaloosa to dramatize his nobility before the Spaniards). "We made much festivity for him when we arrived and jousted and had many horse races, although he appeared to think little of this. Afterward we asked him to give us Indians to carry the burdens, and he responded that he was not accustomed to serving anyone, rather that all served him before... he said that he could not give us anything there, that we should go to another town of his, which was called Mauvilla, and that there he would give us what we wanted from him." Seeking treasure in the New World, the Spaniard Hernando DeSoto came into what is now Alabama from the northeast in 1540. Traveling southward, temporarily taking local Native American leaders as hostages to ensure safe passage, DeSoto and a force of some 600 reached the town of Maubila (or Mauvilla) in southwest Alabama in October of 1540. Here, the leader of the conquistadores met Tuscaloosa, an imposing Native American leader described by contemporaries as being seven feet in height. Following an exchange of gifts, a dispute arose. Although the Spaniards suffered casualties by the score, their superior weaponry, combined with their setting fire to the great village, killed thousands of Chief Tuscaloosa's people.
The Battle of Maubila
- Monday, the 18th of October The Governor and his men arrive at Mabila.
- DeSoto advanced to the town during Harvest Moon, probably for the security offered by the moonlight.
- The soldier on horseback were detained by some of the villages - "they were pillaging and scattering themselves".
- An advanced guard, of 40 men on horseback, arrived with DeSoto.
- DeSoto entered the city with Chief Tuscaloosa.
- The Indians provided a ball for DeSoto - including dancing girls and singing. Fifteen or twenty dancing girls entertained DeSoto and his men.
- Mavila was described as a "small and very palisaded town and was situated on a plain"
- The guard estimated that there were only three hundred Indians in the city.
- Chief Tuscaloosa entered one of the houses and when a guard entered to bring him out he found that the house was full of Indians armed with bows and arrows.
- The guard reported to DeSoto that the houses were all full of armed men.
- When the Indians would not respond to DeSoto's request, a Nobleman seized one of the Indians and injured him with his sword.
The battle begins:
- Once the Indian was wounded, all began to fire upon DeSoto and his men.
- DeSoto and his men fled the town and the Indians closed the gates.
- The Indians then began to display the captured possessions of the soldiers, beat drums and raise banners.
- At this point the remainder of the horse and foot soldiers arrived and they decided to attack the town.
- The soldiers tried to resist the Indian, but they were driven across the plain.
- Once DeSoto's men rallied and formed two divisions they made the Indians retreat into the village. The soldiers would have continued to pursue the Indians, but the rain of arrows and rocks from the town wall was too much.
- As the soldiers pulled back the Indians came out to follow the them and forced them back at least 200 paces from the wall.
- The Indians again retreated into the town, and the soldiers realized that it was best to let them come out and fight on the plains. The town was too well defended. Once they realized this, they would give more ground and draw the Indians into the field were the horsemen could be used to their advantage.
Three hours in:
- For three hours the battle raged with one side then the other making the advance.
- With DeSoto's men was a Dominican friar named Fray Juan de Gallegos, the brother of Captain Gallegos also with DeSoto. Friar Gallegos was riding behind the lines trying to give his horse to his brother. He was hit by and arrow, but only slightly wounded because of his robes. He then made the decision to withdraw some distance from the battle.
- The fighting was so fierce that a near by pond was tainted with blood from all the dead and dying warriors.
- The Indians suffered more loses than DeSoto's men because they had no shields, crossbows, lances or horses.
- After three hour se the Indians realized that they were loosing and withdrew to the town wall. With the gates closed the Indians positioned themselves on the wall.
- DeSoto ordered his horsemen to dismount and attack the wall on foot. The horsemen were better protected than the foot solders and most of them carried axes.
- The attacking soldiers were able to break down the town gate and enter with little damage to themselves.
- The Indians then attacked the house that was to be used by DeSoto. But they found the house very well defended by cross bowmen and halberdiers of DeSoto's guard. The house was also defended by one of the first Indians that Desoto had captured when he came to this country. Two priest, a cleric, a friar, and two of DeSoto's slaves were also in the house. Everyone in the house defended it and kept the Indians from entering the door. They also kept the Indians from entering the through the roof. The defense of the house was good enough to keep them safe until the main forces reached them.
- The soldiers outside the city then hacked off the mud and straw that covered the wall and helped each other over the top of the wall and entered the city.
- When the Indians saw the soldiers coming over the wall they fought with the "spirit of the desperate". They fought from the streets and the roofs and were able to do a lot of damage to the soldiers.
- To defend themselves from the roof attack, the soldiers set fire to the building inside the town. Most of the homes were made of straw and the flames illuminated the massacre that was happening inside the city.
Four Hours in:
- DeSoto had been fighting for four hours on foot with his men left the town and mounted a horse. He reasoned that this would increase the fear in the Indians and encourage his men to fight harder. He and another rider returned to the town and used the battle cry "Santiago" ("St. James").
- DeSoto and the other rider were able to break through the lines of the Indians and spear them as they fought in the town plaza.
- During this attack, DeSoto was standing in his stirrups when he was struck by an arrow between the saddlebow and the breastplate. Although he wore a coat of mail, the arrow still broke through and entered about six inches into his left hip.
- Although injured, DeSoto did not want his men to see that he was hurt. He was unable to remove the arrow during the fighting and had to endure it for the rest of the battle. He was also unable to sit in the saddle because of the arrow.
- The fires that had been set spread and as the houses only had one door, those inside the burning houses were trapped. Many women were burned or suffocated when they could not escape the burning houses.
- The blowing smoke in the town, would blind the soldiers for a few minute and give the Indians the advantage, the the wind would shift and the smoke would then blind the Indian and give the soldiers the upper hand. The smoke from the fire only served to increase the number of dead on each side.
Seven hours in:
- The Indians realized that they were losing ground and summoned their women to take up arms and fight. The women could either fight or die, either was better than becoming slaves to the soldiers.
- The women took up the fallen weapons and although they were not as skilled as the men, they were able to put up a heroic front. They stationed themselves in front of their men and repeatedly exposed themselves to death. It was obvious to the soldiers that the women were fighting more to die than to conquer. Many soldiers tried not to kill or wound the women.
- The Indians now realized that as long as they were inside the town they did not have the room to defend themselves. They decided to go over the wall and face the soldiers in the field outside the town. Once over the wall, the Indians realized the folly of this decision. Although they were more agile than the soldiers on foot, the horsemen were their superiors and killed them in the field with little effort.
- The horsemen now entered the city to help the other soldiers. At this point only DeSoto and another were the only horsemen in the city. Once inside, the horsemen advanced to the main street and charged the Indians. The soldiers killed everyone, because no one wanted to surrender - they all wanted to die in battle.
The Battle Ends:
- At the end the Indians killed more than twenty of the soldiers and injured two hundred and fifty.
- The soldiers remained in the area for twenty-eight days to recover.
- The captured Indian women were divided among the wounded men
