Scene 22

De Soto's Burial at White Cliffs

This scene features the 1542 burial of Hernando de Soto, a Spanish conquistador, who died of fever during an expedition. Since de Soto had attempted to convince the Native Americans that he was a god, his comrades buried him in the Mississippi River at night, both to hide evidence of his mortality and prevent the desecration of his corpse. This scene was probably selected for inclusion because de Soto was the first documented European to see the Mississippi River.