The Seminole Wars Foundation, the West Point Society of North Florida, and the Florida National Guard Historian hosted the annual commemoration of the end of the Second Seminole War in St. Augustine on Saturday, August 15, 2026. The event featured a parade and ceremony at the National Cemetery pyramids to honor those who perished in the conflict. 

This year's event featured a reproduction caisson and cannon, historical reenactors in period costumes, period musicians, a musket volley, and participation by members of the Florida Freemason Lodges replicating their attendance in the 1842 event.

Historical Context: In 1842, officers, soldiers, and musicians paraded through the streets of St. Augustine to commemorate the more than 1,400 fallen from the Seminole Wars, some of whom were Freemasons. To honor them, three coquina pyramids were erected in the cemetery where some of the fallen were interred. These structures, collectively known as the Dade Monument after Major Francis L. Dade, serve as symbolic markers for the fallen.

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