St. Augustine, Florida - Part Eight

This is a view of the interior of the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine.

One of the most noted figures in Florida history was held prisoner here for a time.

On October 21, 1837, the great Seminole leader Osceola was seized by the U.S. Army when he appeared under a white flag for a previously arranged negotiation near St. Augustine. The action remains one of the more deplorable episodes in the history of the U.S. military.

Osceola and several other Seminole leaders were brought here to the Castillo, then called Fort Marion by the U.S. Army, and imprisoned in some of the rooms in the interior of the old fort. Two of the other leaders managed to escape, but Osceola was seriously ill and could not.

Following the escape, he and his family were placed aboard a ship in Matanzas Bay and sent to Fort Moultrie near Charleston, South Carolina. There he died from sickness on January 20, 1838, just three months after he was seized while under the protection of a white flag.

He is buried at Fort Moultrie, far from his Florida home, but his figure remains larger than life in Florida today. Revered by the state's Native American community, Osceola is also the symbol of Florida State University.

Our series on historic St. Augustine, Florida will continue. Until the next post, you can read more by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com and looking for the St. Augustine heading.

St. Augustine, Florida - Part Seven

Continuing our look at the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida, this is another view of the Castillo de San Marcos.

The oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, the Castillo houses an outstanding collection of colonial era artillery. As its name implies, the Castillo is a true castle. It was built to house the entire population of St. Augustine in the event of attack.

When English forces attacked the city in 1702, more than 1,500 citizens of the city moved into the Castillo and remained there for over 50 days. Although the city was sacked and burned, the fort held and the population of St. Augustine remained safe.

Construction on the Castillo was begun in 1672 and it was strengthened and remodeled several times during the 1700s. It remains a magnificent example of colonial architecture.

Our series on St. Augustine will continue. Until the next post, you can read more by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com and looking for the St. Augustine heading.

St. Augustine, Florida - Part Six

Continuing our look at historic St. Augustine, Florida, this is the drawbridge and entrance to the historic Castillo de San Marcos.

Construction on the old fort began in 1672 and took decades to complete. It is the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States. Although it was subjected to sieges of almost 30 and more than 50 days, the Castillo was never taken in battle.

Part of the reason was the unique coquina stone from which it was built. This stone is found in only three places in the world, one of which is the St. Augustine area. When the British bombarded the fort, they were dismayed to find that their cannonballs sank into the soft stone instead of breaking and battering it to bits.

The fort is now a national monument and is located on the waterfront in historic downtown St. Augustine. I'll have more on the Castillo in the next post. Until then, you can read more by visiting http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ and looking for the St. Augustine heading.

Castillo de San Marcos - St. Augustine, Florida

If you are interested in historic architecture and especially old forts, the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Florida makes for a fascinating visit.

Constructed by the Spanish more than 300 years ago, the old stone fort is the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States. It was besieged numerous times, but withstood each attack and was never taken in battle.

Today the old fort overlooks historic St. Augustine, America's oldest city, and provides visitors with a fascinating look back at the history of the city that was half a century old by the time the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

If you would like to learn more about the Castillo, simply go to http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ and look for the link under the "Battlefields and Forts" heading in the left hand column.