Sunday, July 27, 2025

Obscure De Soto Film: First Frontier c.1987

 

I finally found an online copy of a film that I've been looking for years.  Known as the "Alabama Film" among reenactor types.  This was before my time in the hobby but I do recognize some of the background players.  The first 20 minutes or so are directly Soto / Mabilia related.  Looks like it had a moderately good budget for an Alabama Public TV production.  Some of the armor looks really good, other stuff not so much; the production is throwing blankets over the horse's saddles since they don't have period correct ones.  It's an interesting look at the past interpretation.



Program Description
First Frontier tells a story of 300 years of Southeastern history. From 1540 to 1835 the region was explored by the Spanish, colonized by the French, controlled by the English and eventually led into statehood by the Americans. At the same time, two cultures, the Native American and the Western European same into contact and often exploded into bloody conflict. "Produced with the cooperation of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians; and under the guidance of scholars from throughout the region and the nation, First Frontier is more than an educational television program, it is a text. This text assembles, for the first time, the record of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, two centuries which have been virtually missing from the chronicles of Southeastern history...

One of these days I have to post my De Soto Film festival list. 

Sunday, April 20, 2025

 It's been awhile since I've last posted.  As I approach retirement age, my reenactment activities have greatly diminished, but still do hang around in armor.  I also read a lot of Hernando de Soto and other conquistador related books.  Rather than just mutter to myself about something I just read, perhaps I should write this stuff down.

So I'm currently reading, Modeling Entradas: Sixteenth-Century Assemblages in North America, edited by Clay Mathers.  University of Florida Press 2020.  In chapter 3 :

Garcilaso relates that one participant recalled that a Chicalla they "set up our forge with two cannons that we brought along" p.45

 

 A couple of pages later discussing a small iron ball found at the Stark Farm site in Missisppi:

...two guns were supposedly employed somehow in the forge operation at Chicalla... p50

 

I know how!  The small pieces of artillery were likely breech-loading swivel guns. Called "Versos" in Spanish.  The inventory of his goods in Cuba after his death was reported included 3 iron versos with their chambers. With the chambers removed you have basically heavy pipes.

The traditional Spanish bellows uses a pair of pipes and bellows into the forge pot.  This allows for a more constant stream of air into than the fire the single bellows you always see in film and in "Ye Old Shope" nailed to the wall.  See the forge at Mission San Luis, in Tallahassee for an example of the Spanish style forge in action.

https://youtu.be/nd8TR4ZQMG0

Saturday, April 21, 2018

5k in armor





The Virtual Running Club is running a free 5k/10/Half race in honor of the 2018 National Park Week.
I've seen fire-fighters and soldiers do races in full gear so why not do it in armor for De Soto National Memorial.

 

 2018 National Park Week 5K/10K/Half

4/21-4/29 2018
FREE REGISTRATION!

#NatParkWeekVRC
#RaceForFreeVRC

Monday, June 6, 2016

Drake's Raid 2016


 I did the Drake's Raid reenactment  in St. Augustine for the first time in years.  The St. Augustine Record has posted some really good photos of the event.

http://beta.spotted.staugustine.com/galleries?groupId=660390

Sunday, April 17, 2016

De Soto lands Again



 Hernando de Soto's landing at DeSoto National Memorial from the Sarasota Herald Tribune photo gallery.


http://galleries.heraldtribune.com/gallery/370792#/0

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Paddle Challenge Selfie


Florida National Parks Centennial Paddle Challenge ...

https://www.nps.gov/bisc/paddlechallenge.htm
National Park Service...
 
Now I need to find a dugout canoe....

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Chickasaws debut documentary about confrontation with Hernando De Soto


 It looks like the Chickasaw Project is finally finished!

Chickasaws debut documentary about confrontation with Hernando De Soto

http://www.kxii.com/community/headlines/Chickasaws-debut-documentary-about-confrontation-with-Hernando-De-Soto-269040071.html


I also found a short trailer for "Fist Encounter".

https://www.chickasaw.net/Our-Nation/Heritage/Heritage-Series/First-Encounter.aspx

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

In the News: Conquistador letter found

Conquistador letter found
Art Newspaper
One of the oldest letters sent to the New World, dated 15 October 1522, has been found in the State Archive in Naples after disappearing for more than a century. The document carries the “Yo el Rey” signature belonging to Charles V, the head of the ...

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Well, I Did Stay at the Holiday Inn Express Last Night



Well, I did stay at the Holiday Inn Express last night.
 Seriously, I did:



 This was photo was taken on my third day in Oklahoma, as I was there to reprise my role as the Adelantado for the completion of the De Soto and the Chickasaw documentary that began filming at De Soto National Memorial last June.

 See for last June's fun:
Typecast and Its a Wrap

and for the Chickasaw perspective on the matter check out:
The Winter of Discontent
http://www.chickasaw.net/history_culture/index_5590.htm

 http://web.archive.org/web/19971009161936/http://www.chickasaw.com/~cnation/art/firsten.htm

and a visual:
http://clio.missouristate.edu/chuchiak/Battle%20of%20Mobile%20(Mabila).jpg


Chickasaw Multimedia built a semi permanent village / set with  on some tribal land in Davis, Oklahoma.

The Village to be Pillaged:

Behind the scenes: One of the Winter Houses was only 3/4 constructed to allow cameras and crew to get inside for interior shots.
Clearly wo years of marching across the realm of La Florida have aged Soto.  -<):{)}  The scenes shot here take place C. the Winter of 1540-4, in the area northeastern Mississippi. Soto's entrada had barely recovered from the battle of Mabila, where most of the expedititon's spare supplies had been burned up.  They faced an opposed river crossing, and will spend the winter in a Chicsa (Chickasaw) village.  The Castillians will be attacked at night and fire set to the village they are staying at, forcing them one again to regroup, recover, rebuild their equipment and move on to the northeast eventually encountering the Mississippi River.                             
 Now that I've done quite a few of these film and video projects I've leared the routine.  Get dressed up, get made up.
..and wait..and wait...and do the same thing three times and wait some more.  Repeat for 12 hours.
In position while the cameras and lighting get set up:



Yes, my instructions are to lie back and relax!
Add caption
What I'm looking at while the crew focuses on my face.

Some of the other "talent" waiting for their cues. 
One of the horses, getting the Blue/green screen treatment for the village on fire sequence.
T-Bone the Horse much happier with a companion nearby.
My last day of shooting was at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, Sulpher.  The lrge council house was used for an interior sequence.  We arrived on set after normal museum hours, but I did get the the really quick 15 minute tour (the museum director was portraying one of the conquistadors!) I wish I had had the time to check it out further. I was quite impressed.  Eventually the finished production should be playing at the museum's theater.   
Some of the Indians in the cast were practicing the the traditional stickball game.  Apparently the get as many as fifty players on a side and the play gets rather rough and tumble.  Rather like English rugby with sticks.  I should imagine that the Spanish who enjoyed semi-military games like canes would have enjoyed the spectacle on those rare occasions when the chronicles describe joint Indian/ Spanish feasting and celebrations.  While I was thre I tried to pick up a couple of Chickasaw phrases for greetings and asked for a translation for "Where is the gold?"  The Chickasaw language evidently doesn't have a word for "gold."  Which I think says a lot about the two cultures and just how hopless Soto's quest in North America really was.

I had a great time out in Oklahoma.  The Chickaswas were great hosts and the film crew very professional.  My only really regret is that the phisical village burning won't be shot until the end of the month, so I spent my last eventing in OK in front of a green screen.  In the mean time a couple of photos from Camp Ucita's prevois burnings:


                               

Ol' Man River

I just came across a documentary on the history of the Mississippi River on Hulu that I was in (C. 2006) called  Ol' Man River  opening sequence & and towards the end 42:25 at about 46:30 (Soto's burial in the river I got as close to drowning as I ever want to get.)

http://www.tv.com/shows/orf-universum-documentaries/watch/ol-man-river-mississippi-2719252/

Sunday, April 21, 2013

De Soto Landing Reenactment

I haven't posted anything on this blog, nor for that matter done any 16th C. reenactment for nearly a year, but did manage to do the annual De Soto Landing yesterday. 

 This de Soto surveys past and present in Bradenton

Hernando de Soto Landing Re-enactment | Photo Galleries ...

DeSoto landing re-enactment a chance to learn real history



Friday, June 15, 2012

Of Like Mind in Spain!

Davis Walker of FLH sent me this link to a reenactment umbrella group in Spain.

Nos es grato presentarles la nueva WEB de la FEDERACION ANDALUZA DE RECREACION HISTORICA.   http://www.farh.web44.net/


Of particular interest to me is of course "El Renacimiento Carlos V y Sus Tercios"
http://www.farh.web44.net/new-page-2/el-renacimiento-carlos-v-y-sus-tercios.html 

Some Photos of what I think is an annual Fall of Granada (1492) reenactment.
http://www.farh.web44.net/actividades/2012-capitulaciones-de-santa-fe.html

http://www.farh.web44.net/actividades/2011-capitulaciones-de-santa-fe.html

http://www.farh.web44.net/actividades/2010-capitulaciones-de-santa-fe.html

I love the low (i.e. Un-Combed) Morion Helmets they are wearing.  I wish I knew where they were getting them.  I haven't been to Spain in over decade now - if I get a chance for a return trip I'll  have to schedule it to coincide with Capitulaciones de Santa Fe.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Drake's Raid Photos

 Photos, Videos, and News stories of last weekend's Drake's Raid event are starting to get posted :

Pictures - Drake's Raid 2012 part 1 - the redoubt - Jacksonville City ...
View a slideshow of 'Drake's Raid 2012 part 1 - the redoubt

Pictures - Drake's Raid 2012 part 2 - St. George Street and the plaza ...
View a slideshow of 'Drake's Raid 2012 part 2 - St. George Street and the plaza

Drake's Raid - Simply St Augustine
Drake's Raid commemorates the 426th anniversary of the burning of St. Augustine by English soldiers. Cannon fire, swordplay & close combat made for a lively ...

Video: Youtube video of Drake's Raid 2012, St. Augustine, Florida

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Chickasaw TV

 I just became aware of some footage shot at De Soto National Memorial last December is showing up on Chickasaw TV.  The reenactor clips are brief and you can get a Native American perspective on the De Soto expedition as well if you look around their site.  A couple of them are liked below.

http://www.chickasaw.tv/#/history/coverflow/cntv_h_desoto

http://www.chickasaw.tv/#/history/list/dosortsearch,823

I should note that is not related to the project mentioned in the previous "Typecast' posting.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Stop Work Order

 

The City of St. Augustine has issued a stop work order of the Boathouse construct at the Fountain of Youth.  I hope this will be resolved soon and they can get back to building the boat.  News reports on the matter below:

 

City halts chalupa boathouse construction

Construction halted on chalupa boathouse

City building official halts first 450th structure

 

Monday, June 4, 2012

"Florida Cracker Horse" on TV

 Calderon's Company Cavalry Contingent (How's that for alliteration?) Bill Boston and his mount Dixie are featured in the latest episode of  RFD TV's the Horse Show www.thehorseshow.com

Episode 392 of The Horse Show with Rick Lamb "Florida Cracker Horse"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rvGQkGwS3xk#t=0s


Sunday, June 3, 2012

Typecast!

In July of 1999 I took part in a film for De Soto National Memorial's Visitor's Center, entitled Hernando de Soto in America.


A little under thirteen years later, I find myself back at it again, which is why I wasn't at Drake's Raid yesterday.  Looking over my credits list I've done about fifteen conquistador related film/video projects, and portrayed Hernando de Soto four times before and been "buried" in the "Mississippi River" three.  This projects working title is De Soto and the Chickasaw and produced by Chickasaw Multimedia

I'm ready for my close up.

I
The Chickasaw are the Chicasa mentioned in the various De Soto accounts and were located in Mississippi when Soto's post Mabila  entrada made its winter 1540-41 winter camp in their territory. Chicasa spent the winter harassing Soto's army eventually setting fire to the village that they had taken over.  


 Chickasaw Multimedia sent a large crew from Ada, Oklahoma to Florida to shoot the scenes from the early part of the Spanish expedition to La Florida.  Having done this a few times before, they were a great crew to work with, though like most productions most of you time is spent waiting cameras and lighting to get set up.

I've worked with horses and dogs on set before this was the first time I've seen pigs used.  Soto is noted for bringing a drove of swine to use as a mobile self foraging and replicating food source and is generally credited with introducing the wild pig into North America where it has become a nuisance species in many parts of the U.S.
 




 

Who needs wardogs, those pigs were scary.  I swear it looked and sounded like Jurassic Park when they were off in the woods.  I can see why pig herding was a punishment duty.  

I've need to take another Advil, a day in armor at 50 years old does take its toll, and I've got a truck of assorted  sixteenth century armor weapons and camp accoutrements to unpack.


In the News: Drake returns to raid city

A brief news story with a couple of accompanying photos on yesterday's Drake's Raid event can be found in the St. Augustine Record: 

Drake returns to raid city

Quote of the Day:

“Is this ridiculous?” one woman asked. “Yes. Do I like it? Yes!”

 

 I wasn't there as you'll see in my next post, but do concur with her sentiment.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Happenings at St. Augustine's Fountain of Youth

It appears that the Boat House/Chulupa project at the Fountain of Youth is coming along.  

Chalupa project brings history to life at the Fountain of Youth
Examiner.com
On a typical May morning that can't make up its mind whether to be one of those cloudless, sunny days “La Florida” is so famous for - or surprise tourists while they examine the newly-marked outlines of founder Juan Pedro Menendez's first camp and fort ...
The Boat dedication is scheduled for May 31, 2012 (Providentially, the tropical storm came through a week early) followed by the annual Drake's Raid reenactment.

Drake's Raid (1586), St. Augustine Florida

www.drakesraid.com/
Drake's Raid, St. Augustine 1586. Saturday, June 2nd, 2012. Being the 26th reenactment of Sir Francis Drake's 1586 raid on St. Augustine. 

Saturday, May 5, 2012

In the News: Re-enactors lead celebration for anniversary of Ribault's arrival


Looks like the French have arrived.


Re-enactors lead celebration for anniversary of Ribault's arrival
Florida Times-Union
The men were members of the Historic Florida Militia, a volunteer group of costumed re-enactors who recreate scenes from history that took place between ...