The National Park System, of which Castillo de SanMarcos National Monument is a unit, is dedicated toconserving the scenic, scientific, and historic heritage ofthe United States for the benefit and enjoyment of itspeople.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Stewart L. Udall, Secretary
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Conrad L. Wirth, Director
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents,
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington 25. D.C. Price 20 cents
THE BUILDING OF
Castillo de
San Marcos
by
ALBERT C. MANUCY
Historian
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
National Park Service Interpretive Series
History No. 1
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON
CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS, OLDEST EXISTING MASONRY FORT IN THE UNITED STATES, IS A TYPICAL EUROPEAN FORTIFICATION OF THE LATE 1600’S. IT OVERLOOKS THE ENTRANCE TO ST. AUGUSTINE HARBOR, AND FROM ITS WATCHTOWER THE SENTRIES LOOKED OUT OVER THE MIGHTY ATLANTIC TOWARD THE TREASURE FLEETS ON THEIR WAY TO SPAIN.
Contents
- Page
- FLORIDA AND THE PIRATES 1
- BEGINNING THE CASTILLO 8
- THE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION 15
- DEFENDING SAN MARCOS 26
- THE END OF AN ERA 31
- GLOSSARY 34
The Building of
Castillo de San Marcos
FLORIDA AND THE PIRATES
A Pirate Raid forced the Queen of Spain to build Castillo de San Marcosin Florida. On May 28, 1668, a sailing vessel appeared off the shallowbar of St. Augustine Harbor. It was a ship from Vera Cruz, bringing asupply of flour from New Spain to feed the poverty-stricken soldiers andsettlers in Spanish Florida. Out went the harbor launch to put the barpilot aboard. The crew of the launch hailed the Spanish seamen liningthe gunwale of the supply ship, and to the routine questions came the