News Release

castillo de san marcos to honor fallen spanish soldiers 2018

News Release Date: May 14, 2018 St. Augustine, FL – On Saturday, May 26, 2018, Castillo de San Marcos will host a one- hour special event, commencing at 9:30 a.m., to commemorate those Spanish soldiers who fell in defense of the Castillo and the colony of St. Augustine during the British siege of 1740.
 
When General James Oglethorpe invaded Florida in December of 1739, his troops attacked four Spanish outposts – Fort Picolata, Fort San Francisco de Pupo, Fort San Diego, and Fort Mosé- on their way to St. Augustine. The Spanish defended these small fortifications valiantly, but many lost their lives.  Later the next year in 1740, Oglethorpe and an English fleet of seven ships appeared off St. Augustine. For 27 days, the British bombarded the Castillo and St. Augustine.

This commemorative event coincides with our nation´s Memorial Day holiday, remembering the people who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States ‘Armed Forces. A military salute in the form of musket and cannon firing and laying the wreaths will highlight this event.

This FREE event will take place outside of the Castillo on the south lawn. Normal entrance fees apply for those entering the Castillo. The cost is $10 per adult ages 16 and up and FREE for ages 15 and under. For questions about the event, please call [phone] ext. 256.

Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States and interprets more than 450 years of cultural intersections. Learn more at www.nps.gov/casa and visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/CastilloNPS and Twitter www.twitter.com/CastilloNPS.

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's more than 400 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov and visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

-NPS-