Sites & Celebrations

History

On Christmas Day, 1775, General George Washington informed Congressman Joseph Hewes that the lack of gunpowder was “inconceivable.” Intelligence reports indicated that the British had significant stores of gunpowder on New Providence Island, the Bahamas, prompting Commodore Esek Hopkins to consider it for a future operation. However, due to the burning of Norfolk and British attacks on coastal towns, Hopkins was assigned a higher priority mission. He arrived at his flagship, the Alfred, on January 4, 1776, greeted by officers, including Continental Marine Captain Samuel Nicholas.

Crowds gathered at Philadelphia’s Willing & Morris Wharf and James Cuthbert’s Wharf to bid farewell to the departing ships Alfred, Columbus, Andrew Doria, and Cabot. First Lieutenant of the Alfred and future Navy legend John Paul Jones hoisted the first colors raised on an American warship. The Colors of the American Fleet were striped under the Union with 13 stripes, called the Thirteen Colonies, and their Standard a Rattle Snake Motto, ‘Don’t Tread on Me’.

As Hopkins settled into his cabin, he reviewed two letters of instruction provided by Congress. The first letter outlined the expectations of the fleet during the Continental Navy’s first deployment. The second letter identified his mission: to proceed immediately to Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay, if the winds and weather permitted. At that point, if the British forces were not vastly superior, he was to enter the bay and seek out and destroy any enemy naval forces.

Delays due to weather gave Hopkins time to reflect on his situation and orders. The task assigned to him by Congress was to engage the world’s most powerful navy with only a small fleet of converted merchant ships, which were outfitted with low-caliber guns and crewed by inexperienced sailors. Hopkins was concerned about his chances of success. He decided to leverage a clause in his directive that stated: “If bad winds or stormy weather, or any other unforeseen accident or disaster disable you, you are to follow the course that, in your best judgement, suggests itself.” As a result, he opted to sail south, aiming to capture gunpowder from New Providence Island, over 1,000 miles away.

On March 3, 1776, Captain Nichols led a landing force of 270 Marines and sailors ashore, two miles east of Fort Montague, near the village of New Guinea. This marked the first amphibious landing in Navy and Marine Corps history. On March 4, Fort Nassau was taken without a fight. The British flag was lowered, and the Grand Union Flag of the United Colonies was raised in its place. The Governor, Monfort Browne, was taken prisoner by force of arms.

The Marines captured 88 cannons, 15 mortars, 24 barrels of gunpowder, and thousands of rounds of ammunition needed by the Continental Army, Navy, and Marines. They secured so much materiel that the fleet was unable to carry it all back. Consequently, Hopkins impressed the local sloop, Endeavor, with a promise of payment, assuring that the ship would be returned to its owner after she delivered her cargo.

Annual Celebration

The annual commemoration of the First Amphibious Assault occurs at the beginning of March. The Fort Lauderdale Chapter hosts the event at the Fisher Family Pier, located at 222 N. Pompano Beach Blvd. in Pompano Beach, Florida. SAR, DAR, and/or CAR chapters that wish to participate in the commemoration, either by providing color guard members or laying a wreath, must submit this registration form before the deadline listed on the form.

History

In the spring of 1777, General George Washington authorized a second invasion of East Florida. Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh was placed in command of 1,200 Georgia militia and Continental regulars, sparking bitter resentment from his political rival, Button Gwinnett. Their feud quickly undermined unity, and both men were recalled to Savannah before the campaign could fully advance. Meanwhile, East Florida’s Governor Patrick Tonyn had already learned of Georgia’s plans, giving the British time to prepare defenses.

On May 1, Colonel John Baker led the cavalry overland from Sunbury, Georgia, while Colonel Samuel Elbert guided Continental troops through inland waterways. The rendezvous point was Sawpit Bluff near the Nassau River, but Baker’s force struggled with swollen rivers and hostile encounters. On May 4, Seminole warriors attacked, wounding two militiamen. Despite setbacks, Baker pressed forward, crossing the St. Marys River by May 10. By May 12, Baker reached Sawpit Bluff but grew uneasy when Elbert’s force failed to arrive. Learning that his plans had been exposed, Baker shifted west to Thomas Creek. British Major Mark Prévost reinforced Loyalist Lt. Colonel Thomas Brown and his rangers, swelling their numbers to nearly 200. Tensions escalated when Brown’s Native allies raided Baker’s camp, stealing horses and suffering casualties. Reports of the mutilation of a slain warrior enraged Britain’s Native allies, setting the stage for a brutal confrontation.

On May 16, Baker, realizing the British knew of his presence and with no sign of Elbert’s troops, ordered a retreat inland. That night, he camped unknowingly near Prévost and Brown’s combined force of over 250 men. The British commanders planned an ambush for the following morning. At dawn on May 17, Baker’s 109 men advanced along Thomas Creek, unaware of the trap. Brown’s rangers and Native allies opened fire from the front and flanks, while Prévost’s regulars closed in from behind. The Patriots were overwhelmed within minutes. Baker escaped into the swamps, but his men suffered heavy losses—three killed, nine wounded, and up to forty captured. Many prisoners were executed by enraged Seminoles, while others were marched in chains to St. Augustine.

The defeat at Thomas Creek crippled the invasion. Survivors straggled back to Georgia, and Colonel Elbert, facing dwindling supplies and naval setbacks, abandoned the campaign. By summer, Georgia forces withdrew north of the Satilla River, effectively ending hopes of conquering East Florida. The Battle of Thomas Creek remains the southernmost Revolutionary War battle fought in the thirteen colonies, remembered as a swift and decisive British victory.

Annual Celebration

The annual, nationally recognized SAR commemoration of the Battle of Thomas Creek takes place on the last Saturday in March. It is hosted by the Jacksonville Chapter within two miles of the location of the battle at 2145 Arnold/Gold Star Rd. Jacksonville, FL. SAR, DAR, and/or CAR chapters that wish to participate in the commemoration, either by providing color guard members or laying a wreath, must submit this registration form before the deadline listed on the form.

History

During the 3rd Florida invasion led by Colonel Elijah Clark, Clark led his mounted Georgia militia against British Major Mark Prévost’s forces, who were defending Alligator Creek Bridge. As with the prior two expeditions, there was a serious leadership disagreement between the two leaders: Georgia Governor Houstoun and General William Howe. Even though there were 2,600 Continental and militia forces under the two leaders, they disagreed on how to proceed with the invasion of Florida.

General Howe (with one half of the forces) opted to stay and occupy Fort Tonyn, located about 14 miles north of the Alligator Creek Battle site on the St. Mary’s River, even though British Loyalists had burned it. Governor Houstoun opted to attack the 500 British Regulars, 200 South Carolina Royalists, and Seminole Indians at Alligator Creek Bridge. As Houstoun’s forces, under General Screven, chased the Loyalist forces back to the bridge, the British Regulars thought Screven’s forces were Loyalist forces retreating from the burned Fort Tonyn.

On June 30, 1778, Colonel Elijah Clark led his mounted militia against the British bridge entrenchments during the skirmish, and Clarke was wounded. General Screven’s main reserve force, seeing that Clarke was injured and barely able to escape capture, ordered a retreat. This was the third failed expedition. It was primarily due to a lack of coordination, which had also doomed the two previous assaults on the Florida-Georgia borderlands.

The third invasion into Florida swamp land was a disaster. Although American battle casualties were only 13, over 500 Patriots died of disease before they could be withdrawn from East Florida.

Annual Celebration

The annual, nationally recognized SAR commemoration of the Battle of Alligator Creek Bridge takes place towards the end of June. It is hosted by the Jacksonville Chapter, and takes place in Callahan, Florida. SAR, DAR, and/or CAR chapters that wish to participate in the commemoration, either by providing color guard members or laying a wreath, must submit this registration form before the deadline listed on the form.

History

When Spain entered the Revolutionary War in 1779, Bernardo de Gálvez, the governor of Spanish Louisiana, immediately launched offensive operations to seize British West Florida. He was successful in gaining control of the Lower Mississippi with the capture of Fort Bute and Baton Rouge in September 1779, and of Mobile on 14 March 1780. By early 1780, the British garrison at Fort George, located in present downtown Pensacola, consisted of nearly 1,800 men, including British Regulars, local militia, and Native Americans. These forces were arrayed behind two defensive structures – the Crescent and the Sombrero – and finally Fort George.

The Spanish forces arrived on 8 March 1780 and consisted of 21 ships with 1,700 sailors and a total of 3,000 regulars after reinforcements arrived in April. The formal siege began on 24 March. Enduring a series of attacks from both British shelling and Native Americans, the Spanish also contended with a series of storms in early May that flooded their trenches and forced the Spanish ships to withdraw from the harbor for fear of damage from running aground. On 8 May, a Spanish mortar landed in the British powder magazine in the Crescent and exploded, killing 57 of the British defenders. The Spanish quickly acted to take this fortification. Realizing that the defenses could not be held after this loss, General Campbell surrendered on 10 May.

The Siege and Victory at Pensacola is recognized as a significant battle in support of the United States' struggle for independence from Great Britain. While no American units were involved, the victory completed a series of victories by Spanish units under the command of General Bernardo de Gálvez, which eliminated British military control of the lower Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast. That loss of control was a significant factor in Great Britain ceding the land between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains to the United States and the colonies of East and West Florida to Spain as part of the 1783 Peace Treaty.

Annual Celebration

The annual, nationally recognized SAR commemoration of the Siege and Battle of Pensacola takes place in May. It is hosted by the Pensacola Chapter, and takes place in Pensacola, FL. SAR, DAR, and/or CAR chapters that wish to participate in the commemoration, either by providing color guard members or laying a wreath, must submit this registration form before the deadline listed on the form.

History

On 9 March 1783, the Alliance, Captain John Barry, and the Duc de Lauzun, Captain John Green, split up onto each ship their precious cargo of Spanish silver dollars that were badly needed by the Congress in Philadelphia. Off the coast of what would become Fort Pierce, FL, they completed the transfer and headed north along the coast of Florida. At this same time, the British ships Alarm, a thirty-two-gun frigate, Captain Charles Cotton, Sybil, a twenty-eight-gun frigate, Captain James Vashon, and Tobago, an eighteen-gun sloop-of-war, Captain George Martin, met off the coast of Cape Canaveral, FL, and began cruising southward, looking for the American ships.

Captain Barry spotted the British ships on the morning of 10 March 1783. Captain Barry decided to head southwest for the protection of the Spanish fleet, which he knew was sailing for a raid on Jamaica. As they tried to escape, the slower ship, the Duc de Lauzun, lagged. Captain Barry slowed his ship for the Duc de Lauzun to come alongside and advised Captain Green to jettison his cannon to lighten his ship. A fourth ship appeared on the horizon, and the British vessels shifted their positions, one breaking off from the pursuit.

Captain Barry decided that the fourth ship was an ally, so he made the daring move to engage the one British ship, Sybil, which was closing in, and thus buy sufficient time for the Duc de Lauzun to escape to safety. Captain Barry deliberately placed his ship between the Duc de Lauzun and the oncoming Sybil. The Sybil continued firing her cannon, and the Alliance took several shots; one smashed into the captain’s cabin, killing a master’s mate and wounding several others. Captain Barry left the quarter deck and personally walked from cannon to cannon, encouraging and cautioning his men not to fire until he gave the order himself. He wanted to lure the enemy in as close as possible, “half a pistol range.” The Alliance took a full broadside from the Sybil and still did not fire her cannon.

At the last moment, Captain Barry ordered the main topsail hove to the mast to position the Alliance directly abreast of the Sybil. At the order from Captain Barry, the full fury of a broadside from his ship was unleashed upon the Sybil. The British guns went silent after forty minutes of close fighting; the Sybil lost two sails and had considerable damage to her hull. The Sybil quickly broke off from the fight and fled back to the other British vessels.

The last naval battle of the American Revolution happened off the coast of Florida, where the American warship Alliance encountered the British warship, Sybil. (Painting by Irwin Bevan courtesy spacecoastdaily.com) Her casualties were reported to range up to thirty-seven killed and forty wounded. Thanks to the courage and skill of Captain Barry, both American ships completed their mission. On 20 March 1783, the Alliance sailed into Newport, Rhode Island, abandoning the plan to return to Philadelphia due to a strong British patrol.

Sometime later, news reached America that on 3 February 1783, the peace treaty had been ratified – the war for independence was over. Thus, the last naval battle of the American Revolutionary War was fought and won off the coast of Florida, just south of Cape Canaveral – sealing another American naval victory!

Annual Celebration

Since 2007, the annual commemoration of the Revolutionary War's last naval battle has taken place at Veterans Memorial Park, 555 Fortenberry Road, Merritt Island, Florida. The nationally recognized Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) event occurs each March, hosted by the Brevard Chapter in Merritt Island. It features a live signal cannon firing by members of the local Naval Ordinance Test Unit (NOTU) from Port Canaveral. SAR, DAR, and/or CAR chapters that wish to participate in the commemoration, either by providing color guard members or laying a wreath, must submit this registration form before the deadline listed on the form.