Kilted in the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the US

[Kilted Karl]

I will never live that down.... Yes it should be European settlement. Thank you.

Dear All,

San Augustine is a wonderful city. it is chock full of history, living historians, and, believe it or not, Scottish history.


I wore my kilt the whole time (the first time I have really worn it apart from Scottish events) and it was great. I got a lot of good responses, especially from the reenactors who appreciated the whole "wool/historical/quality clothing thing.


I was also surprised that there was a lot of Scottish heritage and kilt wearing in the history of this Spanish city.



In 1740 (I think it was) James Edward Oglethorpe, governor of Georgia, (who seemingly had a thing for highlanders) laid siege to San Augustine and the Castillo de San Marcos vowing to leave his bones before its walls (a vow that he did not keep, just like the Spanish commander who vowed to shed his last drop of blood in the defense of the city). When he came south from Georgia he brought his highlanders with him. Scottish valour notwithstanding, the coquina walls and their Spanish defenders held the Castillo against the English and Oglethorpe was forced to retire.



Somewhere along the line, fort Mose was captured and garrisoned with Scots. This did not last long. One night, the Spanish and their Indian allies surprised the fort, captured it and slaughtered the defenders. The Scottish, as one reenactor told me, were cut up into teeny pieces, literally.


Thus the English bid for Florida was turned back, for the time being.


Later, the Spanish decided to try for Georgia. This went no better than the English attack of Florida. In a Spanish attack of a fort garrisoned by highlanders, the Scots were given a great opportunity for revenge. An opportunity they took.


(The Spaniard is dressed as the garrison of the Castillo would have been dressed in 1740. Funny thing though... the Scotsman has the important end of the gun....)

There are also some Scottish connections in the Seminole wars. The Seminoles were not a "tribe" of Indians nor were they native to Florida, but were rather a conglomeration of native and other people from further north. Some of the Seminoles and at least one of their leaders had Scottish heritage and even Scottish names. According to one tour guide we met, one of the Seminole leaders was descended in direct line from a Scottish Chief.

feel free to correct my history or add to it. It has been couple of weeks and my memory is not the best

As a whole, my kilted visit to San Augustine was very pleasant, much more enjoyable that If I had been wearing modern trousers, and a wonderful introduction to the world of kilt wearing!

If any of you happen to go (if you have not been), the best history places (that we visited) are the Castillo de San Marcos


the Fountain of Youth Historical Park, only a short walk from the Castillo, (once a "touristy" place but now becoming a real historical park)

and Fort Matanzas


If you do go kilted to the Fountain of Youth and meet one John Powell (who REALLY gets into his Catholic Spanish persona)



Tell him that more of the dirty rotten stinking heretic Scots have arrived! I think he will understand

Your Obedient Servant,

Karl