Battle of Thomas Creek
Battle of Thomas Creek | |||||||
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Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States |
Great Britain Muscogee | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
John Baker |
Mark Prevost Thomas Brown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
100–200 militia[1][2] | 250 infantry, militia, and Indian warriors | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
4–8 killed 9 wounded 31–34 captives (of whom many were later killed) | none reported |
The Battle of Thomas Creek, also known as the Thomas Creek Massacre, was an ambush of a small detachment of mounted
The invasion attempt consisted of a naval flotilla carrying Continental Army troops and a company of militia cavalry traveling overland. The flotilla was delayed in reaching the rendezvous point, and British intelligence had learned of the expedition and located the cavalry. The British established an ambush, which broke up and scattered the cavalry, taking more than 30 prisoners. The Muscogee were reported to kill a number of the captives in cold blood afterward, in revenge for the death of a member of their own tribe in an earlier skirmish.
Colonel
Background
Following a raiding expedition by
The expedition left
Order of Battle
Continentals
Below is a list of the units involved in the "invasion", though most left half-way through Georgia due to general Charles Lee being called away. The units which were part of the group included[10]
- (detachment) 3rd South Carolina Regiment (South Carolina Ranger Regiment), cavalry unit
- Georgia Regiment of Horse Rangers
- 1st North Carolina Regiment
- 2nd North Carolina Regiment
- 3rd North Carolina Regiment
- (detachment) 2nd South Carolina Regiment
- 1st Georgia Regiment
- 2nd Georgia Regiment
- 3rd Georgia Regiment
- (elements) 5th South Carolina Regiment (1st South Carolina Rifle Regiment)
- 6th South Carolina Regiment (2nd South Carolina Rifle Regiment)
- (detachment) 4th South Carolina Regiment (South Carolina Artillery Regiment)
Kingdom of Great Britain
The units involved in the defence of
- East Florida Volunteers (Loyalists)
- 1st East Florida Militia [Regiment]
- 2nd East Florida Militia [Regiment]
- Minorca Volunteer Company, East Florida Militia
- East Florida Rangers (Loyalists)
Prelude
Governor of East Florida
On the night of May 14–15 Brown sent 15 Indians to steal Baker's horses.[7][12] They successfully took some of Baker's horses (sources disagree on the exact number, suggesting either 40 or 100), but were chased down by Baker's men.[13][14] In the ensuing skirmish the horses were recovered; however, at least one Indian (a Chiaha) was killed, and his body was reported by the British to be mutilated by the Georgians.[7][12][14] Governor Tonyn's report of the action, written on June 18, noted that this "greatly exasperated the Savages", which would prove to have disastrous consequences for the Americans.[12]
Worried about the delay of Elbert's force, and having learned from a local resident that authorities had been alerted to the expedition, Baker moved west to find a better strategic location to wait, and encamped on the banks of
Battle
Brown's Indians and rangers set up an ambush ahead of Baker's route, while Prevost's regulars advanced in three columns behind Baker. When Baker's column reached the ambush around 9:00 am, Brown's men delivered a surprise volley at 50 yards (46 m) from the front and flank. Baker and his men turned to flee, directly into Prevost's oncoming regulars. The Patriots, already shaken, were quickly overwhelmed by the large numbers of rangers and Indians appearing in the underbrush.[16] About half of the Georgians fled at first sight of the enemy; Baker, his horse taken by one of his companions, escaped into the swamps.[13]
Casualty reports from the encounter vary. David Russell reports that three Georgians were killed, nine wounded, and 31 captured, and that many of the captured were later massacred by vengeful Muscogee.[2] Charles Jones reports similar numbers, except that 34 were taken prisoner,[13] a captive count echoed by William Nester.[5] Edward Cashin claims that 40 prisoners were taken, of whom 16 survived the Muscogee massacre.[17] The National Park Service account of the battle says that eight were killed in the battle, nine wounded, and 31 captured, of whom 15 were later killed.[18] Neither Governor Tonyn nor Lieutenant Colonel Brown reported any casualties on their side.[19]
Aftermath
Elbert reached East Florida with his men two days after the battle, landing on the northern end of Amelia Island.[14] Unbeknownst to Elbert, Governor Tonyn had sent a small fleet to oppose his at the St. Marys River, but winds drove them out to sea where one ship got involved in battle with a privateer, and Elbert was able to reach Amelia Island without serious incident.[20] He was met on May 19 by 13 of Baker's men, who reported the action.[8] Three men who escaped captivity arrived two days later, reporting that five of their compatriots had been slain in cold blood by their Indian guards.[21] Given this news, the threat of Tonyn's small fleet, and the fact that his boats were unable to negotiate the narrow channel between Amelia Island and the mainland, Elbert decided to abandon his invasion, and sailed for Savannah on May 26.[14]
Brigadier General
Brown and his men resumed raiding activities into Georgia, which led to renewed calls in Patriot circles for action. The effectiveness of Brown's raiding also prompted Governor Tonyn to lobby General
The battle site is now located in
Notes
- ^ a b Searcy, p. 93
- ^ a b c Russell, p. 83
- ^ Nester, p. 163
- ^ Heitman, p. 27
- ^ a b c Nester, p. 164
- ^ Cashin, pp. 64–65
- ^ a b c d Cashin, p. 64
- ^ a b Jones, p. 267
- ^ Siebert, p. 70
- ^ Wright, all regimental pages used.
- ^ Pennington, pp. 32,39
- ^ a b c Pennington, p. 39
- ^ a b c d Jones, p. 266
- ^ a b c d e Piecuch, p. 102
- ^ Searcy, p. 95
- ^ Pennington, p. 41
- ^ Cashin, p. 65
- ^ "Timucuan Preserve pamphlet" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
- ^ Pennington, pp. 39–42
- ^ Pennington, pp. 42–44
- ^ Jones, p. 268
- ^ Cashin, p. 66
- ^ Piecuch, pp. 102–105
- ^ Piecuch, pp. 132–134
- ^ Thomas Creek Preserve
- ^ Florida Historical Markers Program – Nassau County
References
- Cashin, Edward (1999). The King's Ranger: Thomas Brown and the American Revolution on the Southern Frontier. New York: Fordham University Press. OCLC 246304277.
- Heitman, Francis (1892). Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution. Nichols, Killam & Maffitt. OCLC 2823069.
- Jones, Charles Colcock (1883). The History of Georgia, Volume 1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 1816720.
- Nester, William (2004). The Frontier War for American Independence. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. OCLC 260092836.
- Pennington, Edward (July 1930). "East Florida in the American Revolution, 1775–1778". The Florida Historical Society Quarterly. 9 (1). Florida Historical Society: 24–46. JSTOR 30149717.
- Piecuch, Jim (2008). Three Peoples, One King. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press. OCLC 185031351.
- Searcy, Mary (1985). The Georgia–Florida Contest in the American Revolution, 1776–1778. University, AL: University of Alabama Press. OCLC 10483821.
- Siebert, William (October 1943). "Privateering in Florida Waters and Northward in the Revolution". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 22 (2). Florida Historical Society: 62–73. JSTOR 30138486.
- "Florida Historical Markers Program – Nassau County". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- "Thomas Creek Preserve". City of Jacksonville, FL. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2010-10-12.
- Robert K. Wright Jr., The Continental Army, 2006 United States Army Center of Military History, Washington District of Columbia, United States of America.