Spanish Exploration & the Oto--Don Pedro de Villasur

Lt. Colonel Don Pedro de Villasur was a Spanish explorer who was sent from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Nebraska country in 1720. He was sent by Spain to persuade the Pawnee and Oto to stop trade with France and start with Spain. He took construction tools, farming implements, domestic animals, and goods to trade, as well as the following people:

**40 to 45 vetran Spanish troops

**60 to 70 Pueblo Indians

**Some Apache scouts

**1 Priest

**Black explorer Joes Naranjo, who scouted the Platte River in Nebraska

**Indian trader and interpreter Jean L'Archeveque, who was to act as translator with the Oto and Pawnee by interpreting letters from the Frenchman who was reportedly leading them

In June, the Villasur expedition left Santa Fe and headed north to what is now Nebraska. This was the first expedition that was organized by the Spaniards for this region. They met with the Oto and Pawnee near what is now Schuyler and tried to trade several times unsuccessfully. Deciding to regroup and devise a new strategy, Villasur and his party went toward present-day Columbus, where they camped on the grassy plain between the Loup and Platte Rivers. Here they planned to conquer, colonize, and annex the land to Spanish Mexico (1). Perhaps because they did not like what they heard, or maybe because they had a premonition of doom, most of the Pueblo left.

At daybreak in August (some say the 10th [3] , some say the 14th [2] , yet others the 20th [1] ), the Spanish expedition was surprised by a viscous attack by the Oto and Pawnee. They came from all directions, yelling their war cries, their painted faces filled with hate. Imagine being awakened by their yells, opening your eyes and seeing angry, painted red men, hearing them shouting in a strange language, words that are unmistakably filled with rage. Watching as they kill your fellow soldiers. One by one you see them fall. The priest, the Apaches, the interpreter, the Pueblo, even de Villasur himself. Everyone around you is dying, some quickly, others not so fortunate. As you run, praying you won't be next, you can hear the screams of the dying behind you.

In the end, 13 Spanish soldiers returned to Santa Fe on September 6, 1720. The defeat of de Villasur ended Spanish exploration of the Nebraska territory until 1806, when Melgares was sent.

[1] http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/onli...

[2] http://panesu.org/subject/markers/The-Vi...

[3]http://www.searches.rootsweb.com

Other sites used for research are:

http://www.fredrossiter.com/wel2dc.htm http://www.ned.state.ne.us/ss/markers/30... http://www.panesu.esu14.k12.ne.us/subjec... Spaniards http://www.neupc.org/NEHistExpl.html http://members.tripod.com/~PHILKON/Augus... http://www.historychannel.com