Mabila

Mabila was a fortified town in the Alabama interior, part of the country ruled by the chief Tuskaloosa. Its wooden palisade enclosed houses and a plaza. In October 1540 Hernando de Soto's Spanish expedition arrived with Tuskaloosa, whom it had taken under guard while demanding supplies and porters. Warriors gathered inside the town, and a confrontation erupted into a fierce battle. The Spaniards set Mabila ablaze; many Indigenous people were killed, and the expedition suffered heavy losses and lost its baggage in the fire.