Cofitachiqui,
The Lady of - A gracious and friendly Indians girl, niece of
the chieftainess of Cofitachiqui, a town of the Muskogee Indians, on the
Savannah River, in what is now Georgia. When De Soto visited this
place in 1540, he was welcomed by the "Lady of Cofitachiqui" on behalf
of her aunt, and she presented him with a valuable string of pearls.
This friendship was ill returned by De Soto, who carried her away as a
hostage to protect his party from attacks of Indians under her influence.
After two weeks of captivity the "Lady" managed to escape in the mountainous
region of northeast Georgia, and in leaving carried away a box of pearls
De Soto had seized, much to the Spaniard's chagrin.
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