The Survivors of the De Soto Expedition


Buiza.47 Cortes is a survivor from Almendralejo, according to
Smith-294. Medellin and Almendralejo are both in Extremadura.

 Cuadrado, Gonzalo. Son of Gonzalo Cuadrado and Maria
Gonzalez, citizens of Zafra, SR-305. Smith-294 lists a survivor of
the same name and origin. The existence of Gonzalo Cuadrado is
well documented, for he was a witness in Mexico in 1547, called
to declare in the suit of Hernando Ponce de Leon against Isabel de
Bobadilla, de Soto's widow. He stated he was a native of Zafra in
Spain, a resident of Mexico and more than 35 years of age. He had
known de Soto since 1537 and had accompanied him in the
exploration of Florida. He signed his declaration.48 Cuadrado was
often mentioned by Garcilaso de la Vega, especially when
describing the arrival of the Christians at Panuco.49


 Custreros. A survivor from Astorga, Smith-297.


 Daza, Luis. This man prepared his departure for the Indies
with special care. First, in 1537, he obtained from the local
authorities of Valladolid, where he was born, a certificate that he
was a man of noble lineage and descended from a line of
honorable persons. Second, he successfully petitioned the Crown
to issue a royal mandate naming him a regidor, or member of the
city council where the governor of Florida chose to reside.50 With
these documents secured, he departed Sevilla for Cuba and then to
Florida as part of de Soto's armada. In that new land he remained
for some four years and witnessed many of the hardships,
explorations, and wars with natives. These are described in the
probanzas of Rodrigo Vasquez and Garcia Osorio, both his
companions and de Soto's, while in the exploration of Florida.
After abandoning that land for New Spain, he settled in Mexico
City where he was in 1547, 1554, and 1560, declaring in those
years that he had been born shortly before 1520, and signing his
testimonies.51 One of the survivors of the Florida adventure
described as coming from Castilla la Vieja, is named Daze, a
misspelling for Daza, Smith-296. In another instance, Daza


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