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Montgomery Advertiser Some explorers looking for gold in the "New World" had fateful endings, but none quite as dramatic as Hernando de Soto during his meanderings through what would become known as Alabama. 
The Spanish conquistador's 1540 exploration began to unravel at a south Alabama village where his well-armed troops had the advantage and slaughtered thousands of Indian defenders. Little did de Soto realize at the time, but the toll taken on his men at Mabila eventually would end his quest as well as his life.Illness, not an Indian arrow or lance, did him in two years later and his weighted body was dumped into the Mississippi River. His mission may have been a bust, but it also produced one of history's most enduring mysteries -- Where was Mabila? There is no doubt that the village existed because de Soto expedition survivors wrote what they remembered when they finally got back to Spain. As sketchy as those accounts may have been, they represented just about all that remained of the ill-fated expedition. "It was a traumatic experience for those who survived and to have to describe what happened years later must have been difficult, to say the least," said Ed Bridges, director of the state Department of Archives and History. Questions surrounding Mabila have persisted for more than four centuries with archaeologists, anthropologists, geologists, historians and folklorists trying to pinpoint the exact location of the village. Some believe it might have been at or near Alabama's first capital at Cahawba in Dallas County. Others think it may have been somewhere in Clarke County or even farther south than that. Bridges is as fascinated by the de Soto exploration and Mabila as anyone in Alabama, and last Thursday his department provided a special treat for those who share his interest. It came in the person of Vernon James Knight Jr., a University of Alabama anthropology professor who has written "The Search for Mabila: The Decisive Battle Between Hernando de Soto and Chief Tascalusa." If the chief's surname rings a bell, it should because it became the name attached to the town of Tuscaloosa more than 200 years after his death. In the introduction to his book, Knight describes the showdown at Mabila as "one of the most profound events in 16th century North America." "Although the Indians were defeated, the battle was a decisive blow to Spanish plans for the conquest and settlement of what is now the southeastern United States," Knight writes. His book is basically a compilation of studies and opinions by those who want to learn more about Mabila and its importance to Alabama and America. University of Alabama history professor Larry Clayton offered a perspective, one in which he stressed the importance of the village because of its contribution to the "big picture." "Perhaps it is not the hallowed ground of a Gettysburg, but it opens a window into the past, revealing a panorama of what the human heart is capable of feeling and doing -- for the great evil and for great good," Clayton wrote. Historians generally agree that de Soto, a commander known for his military brilliance, ruthlessness and arrogance, made a major blunder when he refused to return to his ships for more supplies after the costly battle at Mabila. He had, in effect, left his base of support behind, said Knight, who added that de Soto may have had much more on his mind after the clash with Chief Tascalusa and his warriors. "It was an amazingly complex period in history," he said, following his appearance at the Archives program. "De Soto wasn't supposed to loot the Indians. He was supposed to create a colony and become its governor." Bridges sees Mabila as a road map to life during the 16th century in a land "discovered" by Columbus only 60 years before de Soto arrived with his troops. "His expedition tells us about the native American society at the first meeting and real contact with Europeans," Bridges said. "It also gives us a better understanding of just how populated these villages were along the rivers in Alabama." Bridges underlines the importance of the de Soto expedition by calling it "the Holy Grail of Alabama archaeology." "People have been searching for Mabila for 100 years and it remains a mystery," he said. "And, if nothing else, it remains a great mystery." Alabama leaders created two commissions to learn more about Mabila and "De Soto Trail" signs dot highways in the region. One panel's report dates back to the 1930s and there are those who feel it left more questions than answers. The mystery may never be solved, but the fascination with Mabila, de Soto and Chief Tascalusa likely will continue for years to come. Now if we can just find out what really happened to Judge Crater and Jimmy Hoffa.
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