Prisoners of War In St. Augustine During the American Revolution
From the onset of the American Revolution in
1775, the British Crown Colony in East Florida was
a Loyalist bastion. In its capital, St. Augustine,
the British lodged as prisoners many American
Patriots and their French allies. Most of these
prisoners were given the liberty of the town, but
some were held in Castillo de San Marcos. A few
captives rented quarters, but most of the men were
housed in the unfinished State House which stood
near this spot. By the end of 1780, these prison-
ers included three signers of the Declaration of
Independence-- Thomas Heyward, Jr., Arthur
Middleton, and Edward Rutledge. On July 4, 1781,
the Patriot captives celebrated Independence Day.