marker. "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 his spot. By the end of 1780, these prisoners 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
Florida: A Social Studies Resource for Students and Teachers
Produced by the Florida Center for Instructional
College of Education, University of South Florida © 2004.