According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the expedition entered Georgia in early March 1540, crossing the Flint River before moving toward the area associated with Capachequi.

The army was moving through a landscape that was completely unfamiliar to the Europeans.

Rivers could become major obstacles.

Food supplies were never guaranteed.

The horses required enormous amounts of feed.

The soldiers depended heavily on Native communities for provisions.

This created an uncomfortable contradiction at the heart of the expedition.

De Soto was searching for wealth and control, but he could not simply march through the region without relying on the people who already lived there.