Place

Prison Cell (Carcel)

The carcel or prison is visible through small windows in a locked door on the east wall of the Spanish Guard Room. The 6 foot tall, wood paneled door is white, with black metal bolts, and a sliding metal locking bar. In the center, near the top and bottom of the door are two openings about 5 inches wide by 8 inches tall. The upper opening, at a 5 foot height, has a metal screen. The lower opening, at a 3 foot height, is unscreened. A metal plaque on the door reads,  Carcel-Prison  The view of the carcel, as seen through the door openings, shows a room 10 feet wide, 12 feet deep, and 10 feet tall, with an arched ceiling, and an uneven dirt floor. The shell stone block walls are partially covered with smooth plaster. Carvings are seen on both the plaster and the stone blocks. The room has no windows but is lit for visitor viewing.  The carcel door has an exhibit on either side, both in English and Spanish. The exhibit on the left is titled,  Prison Carcel: The text reads,  This small cell acted as the town jail for the Spanish and as a military jail under British occupation. During the American Revolution, South Carolina statesman and patriot Christopher Gadsden was held in solitary confinement here for 42 weeks.  The exhibit on the right is titled,  Juan O’Donovan. ca. 1760 to ca. 1820.  A portrait shows a lieutenant in the Spanish Hibernia Irish Regiment, described in detail later. Text explains that this man fell in love with a governor’s daughter and eloped. Because the governor disapproved of the match, O’Donovan was arrested and sent to Havana, Cuba. After two years, the governor relented, and O’Donovan returned to be re-joined with his bride.  In the portrait, O’Donovan seems to be bowing slightly. He has rosy cheeks, a high forehead, brown eyes, and a rounded nose. He wears a white wig that has a circular curl at ear level. He is wearing a red jacket, vest, and breeches that reach just below the knee. His shirt has a high white collar that covers most of his neck. Two inches of ruffled white lace show above the vest and wrists. A gold and black sash is worn across his jacket, from his right shoulder to his left hip. A sword, with a hilt with a gold tassel, is worn at his left hip with the tip of the sheath protruding beyond the tail of his jacket. He wears tall white knee socks, with black shoes that have a wide gold bucket on the top. In his right hand, he holds a black hat that curves up in three corners, to make a triangular shape. His left hand rests on the sash across his chest, near his heart.

Quick Facts

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

This small cell acted as the town jail for the Spanish and as a military jail under British occupation. During the American Revolution, South Carolina statesman and patriot Christopher Gadsden was held in solitary confinement here for 42 weeks.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

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Last updated: February 11, 2021