Place

It Begins Wayside

A full color illustration fills the entire panel. At the left, a tall white rounded belltower with a bell hanging from a wooden beam under a red roof is on the corner of the fort. Beyond the tower is a blue-grey and muted orange sky and next to the fort is the pale blue shore of a river. Inside the tower, a soldier in a blue uniform leans out of one of the  high rounded vertical window openings; his left arm and hand extends outward towards  soldiers below.  Below, to the right 5 soldiers in blue uniforms with red trim at the neck and wrists and black tri cornered hats actively respond to the soldier in the tower. 2 soldiers move forward with long brown muskets; a third soldier holds a long brown cannon ram rod and leans toward a cannon set on a low, 4-wheeled cart. The fifth soldier points toward enemy ships. To the right of the cannon a man in a white shirt and blue breeches adjusts the cannon and looks out towards the water. In the distance, smoke appears from points on Anastasia Island and four, 2-masted ships with white sails   At the upper center and right of the panel, white text in English and Spanish reads:  It Begins. After days of watching the British prepare, bursts of smoke signal their attack from Anastasia Island. The sentry in the San Carlos watchtower in front of you yells and rings the bell. His quick action alerts the garrison that the British are firing at the Castillo. Soldiers surge to their posts or run for cover.  This marked the beginning of a 38-day siege in 1740. In the end, cannon fire partially damaged the eastern outer wall and the bombardment killed 2 townspeople.  End of Text  At the bottom 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 bright, 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, is bright.  Below the circle, light grey text in English and Spanish reads: First Spanish Military Era.  Immediately to the left of the panel, a low stone wall extends ahead toward the fort’s v-shaped corner and its rounded, 2-story bell tower. On this level, is a rectangular doorway; above on all 4 sides, tall, rounded openings. Ahead and to the right of the bell tower is a wooden platform with three reproduction cannons.  Beyond the walls, views of the Matanzas River and the tops of palm trees.  [End of Message]

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

After days of watching the British prepare, bursts of smoke signal their attack from Anastasia Island. The sentry in the San Carlos watchtower in front of you yells and rings the bell. His quick action alerts the garrison that the British are firing at the Castillo. Soldiers surge to their posts or run for cover.

This marked the beginning of a 38-day siege in 1740. In the end, cannon fire partially damaged the eastern outer wall and the bombardment killed 2 townspeople.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Last updated: February 13, 2021