Four hundred and fifty-four years ago, on September 16, 1565, Admiral Don Bartolomé Menéndez de Avilés, Don Pedro’s older brother and San Agustín’s first mayor, mustered the first militia troops in the continental United States to defend the newly founded Spanish pueblo of San Agustín de la Florida (present-day St. Augustine, FL) against pending attack by the French.

On Friday, September 13^th, 2019, at 3PM, Florida Living History, Inc. ( www.floridalivinghistory.org ), in partnership with the Florida National Guard ( www.floridaguard.army.mil/ ) and Florida Department of Military Affairs, will commemorate the 454^th anniversary of the first mustering of America’s original citizen-soldiers and the 454^th “birthday” of the National Guard of the United States.

This year’s First Muster commemoration will feature an exhibition of paintings of Florida history by award-winning artist and Florida native, Jackson Walker ( http://jacksonwalkerstudio.com/ ).