They Announced This Last Night
…and it is SOOOO cool!
It’s an unexpected find that is keeping archeaologists busy at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
Construction on a building was stopped today after the remains of what is believed to be a historic ship were found.
…Number one: could this ship be part of the fleet lead by Don Tristan De Luna as he lead the first group to settle pensacola?… the answer is… maybe.
Winter: “Could it possibly be the de luna ship? Yes.“
Holy schamoly, makes goosebumps break out! Why is a Tristan De Luna ship a big deal? Well, first and foremost, the year of his landing ~ 1559 ~ which gives Pensacola it’s place in the history books as America’s First Settlement. But, in typical Pensacola fashion, we’re not America’s oldest city by virtue of some…ahem… unfortunate weather.
The party anchored in Pensacola Bay, called by them “Ochuse”, and set up the encampment of Puerto de Santa Maria during the summer of 1559 at the site of the modern Naval Air Station Pensacola. With much of the stores still on the ships, Luna sent several exploring parties inland to scout the area; they returned after three weeks having found only one Indian town. Before they could unload the vessels, a hurricane swept through and destroyed most of the ships and cargo. The colony in serious danger, most of the men traveled up the Alabama River to the village of Nanipacana (Nanipacna or Ninicapua), which they found abandoned; they renamed the town Santa Cruz and moved in for several months. Back in Mexico, the Viceroy sent two relief ships in November, promising additional aid in the spring.
The relief got the colony through the winter, but the supplies expected in the spring had not arrived by September. Luna ordered the remainder of his force to march to the large native town of Coca, but the men mutinied. Bloodshed was averted by the settlement’s missionaries, but soon after Ángel de Villafañe arrived in Pensacola Bay and offered to take all who wished to leave on an expedition to Cuba and Santa Elena. Luna relented and agreed to leave, eventually moving back to Mexico, where he died in 1571. The Pensacola colony was inhabited for several more months by a detachment of 50 men Villafañe had left in case further orders arrived from Viceroy Velasco; when they left the area was not populated again by Europeans until 1698, when the Spanish founded the city of Pensacola.
But ‘twould seem we have the hurricane to thank for this wreck, if it indeed turns out to be a De Luna ship. It’s sitting about 300 yards from the present day bay front and under 20 odd feet of white sand ~ just as if it’d blown up onshore during the gale. Can’t wait to hear the rest!
A side note: Speaking of wrecks, Oriskany has finally left Beaumont, Texass on her way here. Play it again, Sam.
Life | tree hugging sister | 
March 17, 2006 9:10 am
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Cool story, sis
It’ll be even cooler if it really turns out to be one of THE ships. I guess there’s hope because they wouldn’t have even entertained the question if the ship construction hadn’t matched up in some way. We actually do have one of the wrecks pinpointed and explored here, but you have to be scuba qualified to get to it. Damn big deal when they found it, too.
Cool stuff. Damn shame Bush sunk it back then.
hahahahah!
O/T – did you know there’s an Oriskany Drive in central Jersey? Details to come over at my place…
Crusader, I think Mother Gaia sunk it just so people could blame Bush.