The Survivors of the De Soto Expedition


oath in Puebla de los Angeles, New Spain in 1544, that he had
been with de Soto in the Florida expedition. He indicated that he
had seen Juan de Afiasco bring back from Florida three natives
after he discovered the landing port for the expedition. He added,
in his answers given in Juan de Afiasco's probanza, that he had
witnessed most of what Afiasco asserted. He, as had all the rest of
the survivors, went to Mexico where he remained at least until the
year 1544, when he was 34 years old. Fernandez signed his
deposition.56

 Fernandez, Juan. Son of Francisco Perez Pentiero and
Catalina Martin, citizens of Alburquerque, SR-278. A survivor
with the same name and from the same place is listed in
Smith-295.

 Figueroa, Pedro de. A survivor from Zafra, Almendralejo, or
Segura, Smith-294.

 Fraile. Luis Hernandez de Biedma listed three surviving friars
without giving their names, Smith-298. Two have been identified
in this monograph as Juan Gallegos and Fray Francisco de Torres.
Therefore, one is still unidentified and is referred to as Fraile.

 Fuentes, Luis de. Son of Garcia de Fuentes and Beatriz
Escobar, citizens of Sevilla, SR-296. This may be the same
Fuentes from Sevilla, survivor of the de Soto expedition according
to Smith-292.

 Gaitan, Juan. Surviving treasurer of the army, native of
Talavera de la Reina, Smith-295. The royal officials of the
expedition were Gaitan, the treasurer, Hernandez de Biedma, the
factor or administrator of the royal coffers, and Afiasco, the
contador. From Havana they sent a letter to the King dated May 8,
1539, recounting how de Soto's armada was about ready to sail for
the Florida port already selected by Aiiasco and located 75 to 80
leagues from Havana. They mentioned that the total ships ready
was nine and that the army contained 513 men, composed of 313
footmen and 200 horsemen, the latter taking a total of 237


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