EVENT INFORMATION {} DETAILED HISTORY {} PARTICIPATION RULES & INFO {} PICTURES

Join us on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 in the reenactment of the "1668 Sack of St. Augustine" in St. Augustine Florida, our nations' oldest city.  During the day a 17 century-style military encampment will be open to the public at the Fountain of Youth Park and will play host to drills, demonstrations and living history interpretation  from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. 

The reenactment of the sacking and burning of the town will commence Saturday evening at 5:00 PM in the old city, beginning at the Plaza and ending at the Old City Gates. We are always looking for new recruits to portray townspeople, garrison soldiers, Native Americans, and buccaneers! Our focus is on an accurate historical impression, using correct materials, styles, and equipment. You need not be a historian, actor, or military enthusiast to participate however if you are interested please be sure to read the Rules & Information below.

The "Sack of St. Augustine: Capt. Robert Searle's Raid of 1668” is a historical reenactment sponsored by Searle’s Buccaneers and the Men of Menendez (members of the Florida Historic Militia), with the assistance of the St. John's County Tourist Development Council. 

St. Augustine, Florida, that “noble and loyal city” is the oldest inhabited European settlement in North America.  Founded by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, it was a valuable outpost of the Spanish Empire, serving as a haven for the imperial treasure fleets sailing from the New World to Spain.  For over a century and a half, beginning with Sir Francis Drake’s raid in 1586 and ending with General James Oglethorpe’s attack in 1743, English troops and buccaneers repeatedly tried to wrest this strategic port from the Spaniards.

In 1655, Oliver Cromwell’s “Western Design” resulted in the capture of Spanish Jamaica, thus providing English freebooters with a safe base from which to plunder the Spanish Main.  The “Golden Age of Piracy” had begun! 

In 1668, Captain Robert Searle and his privateers sailed from Jamaica to loot the silver ingots held in the royal coffers at St. Augustine.  Under the cover of night, they slipped into the harbor and attacked the sleeping town, killing sixty people and pillaging government buildings, churches and homes.  The devastation wrought by these bloodthirsty pirates prompted Spain’s Council of the Indies to issue money to build a massive stone fortress on Matanzas Bay to protect the city.  The Castillo de San Marcos still stands as an enduring reminder of Florida’s exciting heritage!

Read more (detailed history)
Letter of Governor Guerra to the Viceroy of New Spain, July 7th, 1668 

Searles 2012 Schedule

Encampment Setup: 

For those of you that are able to make it to Searle's Raid this year here is a little information for you. The setup and arrival time for the event will be 12 noon Thursday March 1st at the Fountain of Youth. Remember that you are on your own for food on Thursday. Please, on Thursday, have your vehicle removed from the camping area as soon as you have unloaded and setup you equipment. There will be no overnight parking of vehicles in the camping area.

If you arrive on Friday during the day please unload as quickly as possible then move your car to the parking area; you can then return to setup your camp. If you arrive on Saturday you will need to park your car in the parking lot then unload your gear. Exceptions will be made for those with handicap access tags issued by a state DMV.

No vehicles will be allowed in camp on Saturday without the authorization of myself or another event organizer. Please see, or call me, if you have any questions about this. This will also stand for after the battle on Saturday night. If you need to break down your camp and leave before Sunday, again please, see an event organizer for help with this.

These rules are our attempt to keep the camping area as "period" as possible. We feel that this will enhance everyone's enjoyment while at the event. Cars will be allowed into camp Sunday morning after 6am.

General Appearance: Guidelines & Suggestions

There was little difference in the general appearance of St. Augustine's Spaniards and the buccaneers who sacked the city. The town's elite would favor military styles (St. Augustine was a presidio or garrison town). During this period, there were few uniform regulations for Spanish troops in the New World - dress was left to the individual unit commanders. Consequently, there was little uniformity and Spain's American garrisons tended to wear whatever clothing was available. We know that Spanish artillery crews were issued blue uniforms faced with red in the early 1660s, before a similar uniform dress was applied to the infantry, though it is currently unknown whether or not these were in use in St. Augustine.

Native Americans (e.9., Timucuan, Apalachee, Guale,etc.) in the town would dress the same as the Spaniards; rural, pagan natives would be in traditional garb - loincloths, tattooed, painted, etc. The apparel of slaves would be similar to poor Spaniards. Buccaneers would look much like Spaniards, only more sea-faring garb - caps/head scarves, petticoat breeches, jerkins, earrings, etc. Their garb would be more eclectic and probably more worn - patched, stained with tar/rum/grease/wine/sweat/blood, ragged, etc. They wore what they could plunder, mostly, and wore it until it rotted away or they could steal replacements. The most distinctive difference in the buccaneers' appearance is that they would be MUCH better armed than the Spaniards. As professional raiders they carried as many weapons as possible - the "tools of their trade."

Most garb worn by English Civil War reenactors would be appropriate for this event.

Searle's Sack of St. Augustine and Drake's Raid on St. Augustine are paid in part by grants from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.

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