Dear All:
Michael just managed to delete the entire recent batch of comments by mistake. Included was a comment by someone who had tried to edit the Wikipedia entry on de Soto. Supposedly they told him that de Soto committed no atrocities, and that the four historical journals on the expedition, those by Rangel, Biedma, Garcilaso de la Vega, the Inca, and The Gentleman from Elvas, reported nothing that could be compared to modern “atrocities.”
Perhaps the learned Wikipedia “scholars” should READ the actual journals, since using war dogs to rip unarmed human beings, burning men, women and children, and allowing naked captives to starve to die of exposure in freezing mud apparently do not qualify for atrocities in our modern world.
We sincerely urge anyone interested in the subject to peruse THE DE SOTO JOURNALS, Vols I and II, by Clayton, Knight, and Moore, University of Alabama Press, 1993. Interlibrary loan will be happy to procure both volumes if you can’t spring for the used paperbacks on Amazon.
Sorry I lost the original comment.
6 thoughts on “On Hernando de Soto’s atrocities”
August 8, 2011 at 8:43 am
I really enjoy your books and have read all that I am able to find. I am pleased to know that two more books are forthcoming.
I am, of course, curious about the name KOTIN. For me, Kotin is derived from Russia. My Russian ancesters, about whom I know little, came from a small village near Kiev. How did you come up with the name?
Thanks,
Gail Kotin
August 8, 2011 at 3:08 pm
Michael & Kathleen,
Thanks for your wonderful books…read & learn, two beautiful things!
I wondered if there is a list somewhere of All of your books, in order that I could refer to? I am lost now on what book follows what. Since your writing is my fav (followed by Gabaldon’s Outlander series) that concerns me, as I don’t want to miss one.
My library is FULL of your books, by the way…my very best fav is the People series! Any more People in the works? One can hope.
Wish I had the two of you there when I was in field school, oh so many years ago!
Thanks again,
Ellyn
August 8, 2011 at 3:21 pm
SHOOT! Forgot to say I am reading Coming of the Storm now. Great read.
On de Soto’s atrocities…if one believes in Hell, there has to be a special horror there for him and people of his ilke.
Thank you for your comments about “…the learned Wikipedia “scholars”…”. Too often History is CREATED by the Wikipedia in what they think is re-telling of it, especially in the Native American aspect.
Thanks,
Ellyn
September 7, 2011 at 4:50 pm
I think de Soto could rank up there with Custer,Chivington and A. Jackson as buttheads ( would have used a naughty word but am keeping it PG) that did things aka attrocities to the Native Americans. Makes me mad/sad to know that probly some of my ancestors were against the Native Americans when they were here first and all we did was bully them, beat them up and degrade them, and going as far as saying they werent humans. But enough of that. Love your books you 2 so just keep on doin’ what you’re doin’ :)
@ Ellyn These books ALSO rank up there with Gabaldon’s books too for me!!! Glad to see I’m not the only one with such a wide genre of topics they like read about! :)
March 15, 2013 at 6:21 pm
The Contact Battle for America trilogy was excellent, as we’re all the People series I’ve read. What happens to Pearl Hand after Black Shell completes his bargain with Piasa? Any word on a Pearl Hand sequel? She’s quite a gal and an interesting character. She should run for President!
March 17, 2013 at 7:20 am
C.J. We’ve forwarded your comments to Pearl Hand. She was delighted and amused at the same time. While the notion for running for President intrigues her, she insists that she’s carrying a war club to the first debate.