Rotary District 6920 Conference Main

American Revolution
In Coastal Georgia

 
 


Engagement Details

Colonel Samuel
Elbert relays news
of the Frederica
Engagement

Georgians in
Frederica Battle

The Revolutionary
War at Sea

The British Ships

The American Ships

Military Men

Maps of the
Engagement Location

Weapons of the
Period

April 1778 Naval Action near Frederica
at St. Simons Island

Naval Action Brochure


East Florida, who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution, was separated from Georgia by the wilderness of forest and swamp lands. In January 1776, the Continental Congress called upon Georgia and the Carolinas to capture St. Augustine and sanctioned expeditions against East Florida. 

Three routes existed for armed conflict: an ocean voyage in the Atlantic; the King’s Road connecting Fort Howe on the Altamaha River and Fort McIntosh on the Satilla River; and the Inland Passage- coastal rivers and tidal creeks, which was the most accessible route. In 1776, the Georgia Council of Safety commissioned armed craft called "galleys" to oppose His Majesty’s ships and the British privateers operating out of St. Augustine.

The First and Second Florida Expeditions by the Americans in 1776 and 1777 respectively proved to be disastrous, primarily due to inadequate planning and lack of coordination between Georgia's military and civilian authorities.  A Third Florida Expedition was being planned in 1778, when word reached Georgia of an expected invasion led by British General Augustine Prevost. Colonel Samuel Elbert, in command of the Georgia Continental Army and Naval forces, learned in early April of 1778 that the British vessels HMS frigate Galatea, HMS brigantine Hinchinbrook, sloop Rebecca, and brig Hatter were sailing near St. Simons Sound.

Colonel Elbert detailed about 300 men from the Four Georgia Continental Battalions at Fort Howe to march to Darien. They embarked at Darien on three Georgia Continental Navy galleys, Lee, Washington and Bulloch, and with the 50 men of the First Company of Artillery on board a flat boat, proceeded down the Altamaha River and its South Branch to the Frederica River. On April 18, 1778, about 100 Georgia Continental troops landed at Pike’s Bluff on St. Simons Island and marched to Frederica where British prisoners were taken.

The next morning, April 19, the American forces on board the galleys attacked the British vessels. As Virginia Steele Wood, Reference Specialist in Naval and Maritime History at the Library of Congress, describes the naval encounter, "… the wind had died thereby favoring the Americans and making it impossible for the British to carry out their plan of sailing directly into the galleys for boarding. Initially the galleys executed a few random shots as they rowed toward the enemy, then anchored at a safe distance of half a mile and began a heavy cannonade, firing right on target for several hours.

"Since Hinchinbrook’ s fourteen 4-pounders’ limited range were no match for the galley's 18-, 12-, and 9-pounders, all three British vessels began dropping downriver. … Believing they were in a deep channel they resumed moving downstream with the ebb when suddenly Rebecca grounded in a place the British called "Raccoon Gut." Almost immediately Hinchinbrook and Hatter suffered the same fate. Meanwhile the galleys, still firing, were closing fast, by then about 10 am. Being faced with imprisonment or abandoning ship the British crowded into their ships’ boats leaving behind some of Hinchinbrook ‘s crew. Six to seven miles distant, the 20-gun HMS Galatea was awaiting them in St. Simons Sound, and all who escaped made it safely on board."

The Victory at St. Simons helped stiffen American resistance at a critical period in Georgia. The Engagement, which the British called the "Debacle at Raccoon Gut," temporarily left British East Florida with no naval defenses except the HMS Galetea. But the Third Florida Expedition ended in 1778 in much the same way as the previous two. After the capture of Savannah by the British in December 1778 and Sunbury in January 1779, the Revolutionary War had ended on the Inland Passages in Coastal Georgia and British East Florida.

Frederica Naval Action (additional details) 

Patriots in the sparsely settled Georgia territory between the Altamaha and St. Marys Rivers were frequently harassed by raiders from British East Florida, who rounded what cattle they could find, and drove them back across the St. Marys River. Others pillaged rice and timber or took slaves from the plantations. In an effort to stop the depredations, Georgia had attempted unsuccessful military expeditions into East Florida in 1776 and 1777. The Third Florida Expedition was planned in l778, when Colonel Samuel Elbert, in command of Georgia Continental Army and Navy forces, learned that the British vessels, HM frigate Galetea, HM brigantine Hinchinbrook, sloop Rebecca and an armed watering brig, were sailing in St. Simons Sound. 

For harbor and river defense and to transport troops and supplies. Colonel Elbert was dependent upon the Georgia Navy galleys, four of which had been underwritten by the Continental Congress: Lee, Washington, Bulloch and Congress. All were constructed, launched and fitted out in Savannah during 1776 and 1777; and were under the command of Commodore Oliver Bowen. Although no drawings or specifications of the galleys exist, they were probably like those built by other states with two masts and triangular sails, and measured approximately seventy-feet keel, thirteen-feet beam, and four-one-half-feet depth amidships. 

On 15 April 1778, when Colonel Elbert learned that four British vessels were sailing in St. Simons Sound, he detailed about 360 men from the Four Georgia Continental Battalions at Fort Howe to march toDarien. There, they embarked on three Georgia Navy galleys: Washington with Captain John Hardy in command, Lee under Captain John Cutler Braddock and Bulloch under Captain Archibald Hatcher. 

By mid-afternoon of 18 April, the flotilla entered the Frederica River and anchored at Pikes Bluff, about a mile and a half above Fort Frederica. First to land were the troops under the command of Colonel Robert Rae and Major Daniel Roberts.  Colonel Elbert then ordered Captain George Young and the artillery detachment to land and set up the field piece. Officers were designated to command troops on board each galley: Colonel John White on Lee, Captain George Melvin on Washington and Lieutenant Barnard Patty on Bulloch. Colonel Elbert then directed Colonel Rae with 100 men to march to Fort Frederica where British prisoners were taken. Other men in Hinchinbrook scouting party escaped by boat and rowed to Galatea in St. Simons Sound to alert British Captain Jordan, who then sent a ship loaded with soldiers, to assist Hinchinbrook and Rebecca. 

By the time the intelligence about Hinchinbrook and Rebecca got back to Colonel Elbert, he deemed it too late in the evening to initiate an attack. Early the next morning, 19 April, the galleys sailed down the river to attack the British vessels, which were drawn up in their “order of battle.” As Virginia Steele Wood, Specialist in Naval and Maritime History at the Library of Congress, describes the naval action: “It was probably soon after first light, nearly 5:30am, when Colonel Samuel Elbert preempted the British and commenced his attack on HM brigantine Hinchinbrook, the armed sloop Rebecca and the watering brig. A strong ebb was running in its first quarter, and by a freak of nature the wind had died thereby favoring the Americans and making it impossible for the British to carry out their plan of sailing directly into the galleys for boarding.  Initially the galleys executed a few random shots as they rowed toward the enemy, then anchored at a safe distance of half a mile and began a heavy cannonade, firing right on target for several hours. 

“Since the limited range of Hinchinbrook’s and Rebecca’s 4-pounders were no match for the galleys’ heavier ordnance, all three British vessels began dropping down river. The officers fervently hoped they could find a place to maneuver and that a breeze would spring up to help them, but it was not to be. Believing they were in a deep channel they resumed moving downstream with the ebb when suddenly Rebecca grounded in a place the British called ‘Raccoon Gut.’ Almost immediately Hinchinbrook and the watering brig suffered the same fate. Meanwhile the galleys, still firing, were closing fast, by then about 10 a.m. Being faced with imprisonment or abandoning ship the British crowded into their ships’ boats leaving behind some of the Hinchinbrook’s crew. Six to seven miles distant, HM Galatea was awaiting them in St. Simons Sound, and all who escaped made it safely on board.” 

Colonel Elbert sent Brigade Major Joseph Habersham to inform General Howe of the capture of the British ships.  The Frederica Naval Action was a tremendous boost to Georgians’ morale for it put out of action two ships that had been interrupting trade by capturing American merchant vessels off the coast ofSouth Carolina and Georgia. The victory helped delay for over eight months a major move by the British to capture Fort Morris and Sunbury. It was also an excellent demonstration of just how effective heavily armed galleys could be in confined waters when pitted against blue-water vessels. The tidal currents, lack of wind and underwater shoals certainly affected the outcome, but credit must be given to Colonel Samuel Elbert for his courage, his tactics, his determination, the quality of his leadership, and to each of the officers and men who served under his command. 

Prepared by Bill Ramsaur, Marshes of Glynn Chapter, GASSAR.