Adding to Mona's post yesterday, I was a reenactor for Drake's Raid in St. Augustine at the Castillo de San Marcos. In 1585, English pirates fired their muskets at townspeople at the Santa Domingo.
Sir Francis Drake is famous for circumnavigating the globe and defeating the Spanish Armada—not for ransacking a town of 300 inhabitants called St. Augustine. However, the reenactment of that historic day, June 6, 1586, has taken place for 135 years. The Historic Florida Militia presents its reenactment at the Fountain of Youth every year beginning in the morning and continuing until nearly sundown. The Fountain of Youth hosts a military encampment with demonstrations of cooking, military maneuvers, some crafting, and other activities typical of 16th century life in a newly established Spanish colony. The sacking and burning of the town is reenacted in the evening, generally beginning at 8 p.m. on Aviles Street. A procession of soldiers marches from there to St. George Street and continues to the City Gate, where a skirmish will break out. The skirmish is a tactical demonstration of the Spanish rear-guard action with simulated combat. The activities are a symbolic commemoration of one of St. Augustine’s fiery moments in history.
I've included some pictures of my horse Alegre, me, my friend Helen and her horse Excalibur (I'm in the red hat) at the reenactment.
Sir Francis Drake is famous for circumnavigating the globe and defeating the Spanish Armada—not for ransacking a town of 300 inhabitants called St. Augustine. However, the reenactment of that historic day, June 6, 1586, has taken place for 135 years. The Historic Florida Militia presents its reenactment at the Fountain of Youth every year beginning in the morning and continuing until nearly sundown. The Fountain of Youth hosts a military encampment with demonstrations of cooking, military maneuvers, some crafting, and other activities typical of 16th century life in a newly established Spanish colony. The sacking and burning of the town is reenacted in the evening, generally beginning at 8 p.m. on Aviles Street. A procession of soldiers marches from there to St. George Street and continues to the City Gate, where a skirmish will break out. The skirmish is a tactical demonstration of the Spanish rear-guard action with simulated combat. The activities are a symbolic commemoration of one of St. Augustine’s fiery moments in history.
I've included some pictures of my horse Alegre, me, my friend Helen and her horse Excalibur (I'm in the red hat) at the reenactment.
My favorite period for reenactments is the English Civil War but the reenactments are difficult to find. I no longer ride or participate in reenactments but both are sorely missed.
