Searle's Sack and Encampment

On the first weekend in March, St. Augustine commemorates the "1668 Sack of St. Augustine," when the pirate Robert Searle and his buccaneers invaded St. Augustine, burned part of the town, and killed several citizens. The weekend begins with an encampment on Friday and Saturday and ends with a battle on Orange Street on Saturday evening.

Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Oldest House Museum Complex hosts a recreation of a typical 17th-century encampment. Historians and militia perform drills, demonstrations, and living history interpretations, including weaponry, leatherwork, and cooking.

On Friday at 4:30 p.m., Searle's Buccaneers and the Men of Menendez march in a procession from the Cathedral Basilica, north on St. George Street, to the Santo Domingo Redoubt on Orange Street.

On Saturday, at 4:30 p.m., Searle’s Buccaneers and the Men of Menendez reenact Searle's sacking and burning of the town, and the efforts of St. Augustine's militia to protect the gold and citizens. Searle's Buccaneers march from the Plaza de la Constitución up St. George Street to the Domingo Redoubt on Orange Street. There, the Men of Menendez engage the pirates in battle to save the town.

Admission: All events are free. Those who want to enjoy the regular exhibits at the Oldest House Museum Complex must pay the normal fee. 

When:

• At 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6, the two groups proceed from the Cathedral Basilica, up St. George Street.
• The Oldest House Museum Complex encampment is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 7.
• On Saturday, March 7, at 4:30 p.m., the battle reenactment begins when Searle's Buccaneers march from the Plaza de la Constitución to the Santo Domingo Redoubt on Orange Avenue.

Where:

• The procession on Friday and the battle reenactment on Saturday begin around the Plaza de la Constitución in the center of St. Augustine's historic district and proceed north on St. George Street, ending at the Santo Domingo Redoubt on Orange Avenue, just across from Potter's Wax Museum.
• The Friday and Saturday daytime encampment is at the Oldest House Museum Complex, 14 St. Francis Street. 

More about Florida's Historic Militia: Both Searle's Buccaneers and the Men of Menendez are members of Florida's Historic Militia, an umbrella organization that provides services for member individual militia groups. Florida's Historic Militia strives to present accurate historical information and demonstrations for the periods from the 16th through the 19th centuries.

Those groups affiliated with FHM are:

• Men of Menéndez – 16th-century Spanish 
  St. Augustine Garrison – 18th-century Spanish 
  East Florida Rangers – 18th-century British 
  Searle’s Buccaneers – 17th-century British 
  Drake’s Men – 16th-century English

Searle's Sack is funded by Tourism in St. Johns County.