A Harsh Green Desert

On July 18, 1539, Hernando de Soto’s army crossed nearby grasslands they called the green desert, where despite the lush green environment they could find no water and many men suffered under the intense summer sun. Rodrigo Rangel recorded that under a very strong sun they went to a savannah and arrived very fatigued, that a steward of the Governor named Prado died of thirst, and that many foot soldiers were in great hardship and others would also have perished had those on horseback not aided them. De Soto’s captive Indian guides knew of the many natural springs in the area and in many cases purposely led his army away from drinking water and villages to protect their people, though if their deceit was discovered the consequences were often fatal. Rangel, an expert horseman and De Soto’s personal secretary, had been handpicked to accompany the expedition and provided a firsthand account that became one of the four narratives collected in The De Soto Chronicles, the only complete record of De Soto’s experiences in La Florida.

Zephyrhills, Florida · United States