Last updated: February 13, 2021
Place
Deadly Crossfire Wayside
![Across the upper horizontal section of the panel, a color illustration: against a light brown and gold background, 3 parts of the Castillo de San Marcos, two bastions and a curtain wall, are shown in pale grey. Cut into its upper wall are 10 cannon positions. More than 2 dozen soldiers in blue uniforms, and tri-cornered hats, some with muskets, are stationed along the cannon positions. Criss-crossing long, thin yellow lines emanate from the barrels of the soldiers’ muskets to represent bullet trajectories and wider gold areas emanating from the cannon show their field of fire. To the left of the illustration, white text in English and Spanish reads: No attackers ever made it through the outer defenses to reach this final crossfire. End of Text To the right of the illustration, white text in English and Spanish reads: Cannon from 2 bastions and the curtain wall could strike enemy troops beyond the town in an interlocking field of fire. End of Text Below, against a brown background, white text in English and Spanish reads: Deadly Crossfire. The Spanish built the star-shaped Castillo de San Marcos in the late-1600s. The star design responded to the advent of a deadly new weapon: the cannon. The fort’s complex shape meant a battery of cannons on the gun deck could create interlocking fields of fire. Low and flat on the landscape, star-shaped forts used an obstacle course of defenses. Diamond-shaped protruding corners called bastions created crossfire to repel the enemy. From the bastions and curtain wall, cannon fire could deter or engage an advancing army. A wide ditch at the base of the fort lacked cover for invaders, allowing musket fire to rain down from above. Thick fort walls and a rising slope deflected incoming cannonballs. The fort design has stood the test of time: despite attacks, the Castillo was never conquered. End of Text At the right, a small circle divided into 4, triangular wedges. Each wedge has a portion of a flag and date range for an important period in the fort's history. 1 wedge is full color, indicating the time period of the panel story and the other three wedges are muted. From the top, moving clockwise: Great Britain: 1763-1784; Spain: 1784 to 1821; the United States: 1821-1900; and Spain: 1672-1763, in full color. Below the circle, white text in English and Spanish reads: First Spanish Military Era. Beyond the panel are views of the dry moat; the fort’s inner first wall of defense. Beyond that, views of the bastion, covered way, and glacis; beyond that the surrounding road and St. Augustine. To the left of the panel, and attached to the wall, a 2-step cement platform. [End of Message]](/common/uploads/place/import/85a9503a-5cd5-44ed-bf2e-fe1e8876cc64_image_350.jpg)
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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
The Spanish built the star-shaped Castillo de San Marcos in the late-1600s. The star design responded to the advent of a deadly new weapon: the cannon. The fort's complex shape meant a battery of cannons on the gun deck could create interlocking fields of fire.
Low and flat on the landscape, star-shaped forts used an obstacle course of defenses. Diamond-shaped protruding corners called bastions created crossfire to repel the enemy. From the bastions and curtain wall, cannon fire could deter or engage an advancing army. A wide ditch at the base of the fort lacked cover for invaders, allowing musket fire to rain down from above. Thick fort walls and a rising slope deflected incoming cannonballs. The fort design has stood the test of time: despite attacks, the Castillo was never conquered.