The Survivors of the De Soto Expedition


Arias and Isabel Sedano, citizens of Astorga, SR-298. Arias made
his probanza in Lima, Peru, in the year 1563 where he resided in
the city of Le6n de Guanuco. In that document he asserted he came
to the Indies from Spain twenty-five years previous as part of the
army brought by the Adelantado de Soto to conquer and explore
Florida. After several years of hardship he and others left Florida
for Mexico and, in 1544, he continued to Peru where he had lived
since. In Peru he served the King, first against Gonzalo Pizarro's
insurrections, and then against Sebastian de Castilla and Francisco
Hernandez Giron. After listing these and other services he
rendered in Peru, he stated he was very much in need, married to
Isabel de Garay, and with children to support.22

 Aroca, Pedro de. Survivor from Vizcaya, Smith-297.

 Atanasio. Survivor from Badajoz according to Smith-293.
Garcilaso de la Vega called him Hernando Atanasio and indicated
Badajoz as his place of provenance.23

 Avedi, Juanes de. Survivor seaman from Vizcaya, according
to Smith-297. Garcilaso mentioned a Juanes de Abadia who may
be the same man.


 Azeituno, Antonio. Another survivor not mentioned in the
list of Hernandez de Biedma. Twenty-four years after sailing from
Sevilla to Florida via the island of Cuba, Azeituno was a resident
of the city of Zamora in Peru where he declared he had been a
member of the Florida expedition in which he spent five years. He
signed his testimony in 1561 at 38 years of age.24 According to
SR-283, Aceituno was the son of Pedro de Aceituna and Lucia
Lopez, citizens of Jaen.

 Bacan. Survivor from Jerez, Smith-293.

 Baeza. There is one Baeza survivor from Castilla la Vieja,
Smith-296. It seems probable that either of the following soldiers
is that person, however, not from Castilla la Vieja: a) Bartolome de


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