I have written several times about the expedition of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto’s travels through our area 475 years ago and his encounters with the Chickasaws and other Indian nations. News out of Arkansas last week brought to mind what was potentially the greatest introduction made by de Soto. He introduced the Native American people to Christianity. It appears that a huge wooden cross raised by him in 1541 at the Indian village of Casqui, now the Parkin Archaeological State Park in northeastern Arkansas, may have been found.
De Soto’s expedition received a Charter from King Charles V of Spain. De Soto was to pacify and Christianize the native peoples he encountered but was to commit no atrocities among them. From the expected gold and other riches to be found he would give the king 20% with the balance going to de Soto out of which all expenses would be paid. The expedition has often been called a search for “gold, glory and God”. Although there were about 12 Catholic priest with the expedition to spread the word of Christ, apparently and unfortunately the interest in gold became the driving force.
The Spanish expedition landed in Florida about May 30, 1539, and began their trek across the south. Though Christianizing the people he encountered was part of de Soto’s charter, it is seldom mentioned in the journals kept by those with him. It was recorded, though, that about April 9, 1540, a cross was raised at the Indian village of Ocute (northeastern Georgia).
About Dec. 14, 1540, de Soto arrived at the Tombigbee River. Two or three days later, after making rafts, the Spanish crossed the river and that night occupied the Chickasaw village of Chicaza. That ancestral home of the Chickasaw Nation has been the object of an ongoing archaeological search.
The best evidence points to that village which became de Soto’s 1540-1541 winter camp site as being in the Starkville — West Point — Columbus area.
After crossing the Mississippi River in June of 1541, the Spanish entered the province of Casqui. The journal kept by a Knight of Elvas recorded what happened when the people there and their chief met de Soto:
“As soon as they came to the Governor, all of them prostrated themselves upon the ground… The cacique (chief or leader) …said, that seeing the Governor was the son of the Sun, and a great lord, he besought him to do him the favor to give sight to… two blind men…(de Soto) answered, that in the high heavens was he that had power to give them health, and whatsoever they could ask of him; whose servant he was: and that this Lord made the heavens and the earth, and man after his own likeness, and that he suffered upon the cross to save mankind, and rose again the third day, and that he died as he was man, and as touching his divinity, he was, and is immortal; and that he ascended into heaven, where he standeth with his arms open to receive all such as turn unto him: and straightway he commanded him to make a very high cross of wood, which was set up in the highest place of the town… The Governor and his men kneeled down before it, and the Indians did the like.”
Last week it was reported that on the highest mound at the Parkin Archaeological State Park in Arkansas the remains of the base of a huge post 35 inches in diameter had been found. Parkin is believed to be the site of Casqui. Carbon-14 dating place the date range for the post at between 1515 and 1663. More test are being performed but it appears that the remains are probably those of that cross raised on a high mound in 1541. The site is being excavated by archaeologist with the Arkansas Archaeological Survey’s de Soto Cross Project under the co-direction of Tim Mulvihill and Jami Lockhart.
The Parkin site was purchased and preserved by the State of Arkansas with the assistance of The Archaeological Conservancy and last week Jessica Crawford, Southeastern Regional director for TAC was present during the excavations. TAC has played an important role in preserving historic sites across the country, including sites in Mississippi and Alabama. Crawford was in Columbus for the de Soto program two weeks ago and has previously presented programs at Plymouth Bluff. For those interested in history and archaeology, The Archaeological Conservancy is well worth joining. Their website is: archaeologicalconservancy.org.
Rufus Ward is a local historian. Email your questions about local history to him at [email protected].
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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