Battle of Alligator Creek Bridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Alligator Bridge
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date June 30, 1778 Location near present-day Callahan, Florida, United States Result British victory
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
James Screven	Mark Prevost Thomas Brown
Strength
100 cavalry 100 militia	700 infantry 100 Loyalist militia
Casualties and losses
9 killed unknown wounded unknown captured	5 killed unknown wounded none captured

The Battle of Alligator Bridge happened on June 30, 1778. It was the only major fight in a plan to take over British East Florida during the American Revolutionary War. American soldiers from Georgia were led by General James Screven. They chased a group of Loyalists led by Thomas Brown. The Loyalists ran into a large group of British soldiers. These British soldiers were set up by Major Mark Prevost. The American forces were then forced to turn back.

Why the Battle Happened

The area between Georgia (a rebel state) and British East Florida was often raided. This went on for the first three years of the American Revolutionary War. Leaders in Georgia thought they could capture St. Augustine, the capital of East Florida. They tried to invade several times.

In 1776, an attempt failed when General Charles Lee was called away. Another try in 1777 also failed due to problems with leaders and supplies. Only a small group of cavalry entered East Florida. They were ambushed in the Battle of Thomas Creek. After this, Georgia gave up its military bases south of the Satilla River.

The last American base in Georgia was Fort Howe. It was on the Altamaha River. The northernmost British base in Florida was Fort Tonyn. It was in what is now Nassau County, Florida.

British Governor Patrick Tonyn and General Augustine Prevost had different ideas. Tonyn wanted to attack more often. Prevost wanted to stay on defense. Tonyn sent Thomas Brown's group to guard the St. Marys River. This river was the border. Brown's men often raided southern Georgia. They took cattle to feed the British province.

In February 1778, Georgia's leaders decided to try invading East Florida again. Governor John Houstoun was in charge. General Robert Howe of the Continental Army disagreed. He wanted to play defense. But plans sped up after Brown's rangers captured and burned Fort Howe. This made Georgia's leaders think a British invasion was coming.

Who Fought in the Battle

American Forces

The American units involved in this invasion included:

• 3rd South Carolina Regiment (cavalry)
• Georgia Regiment of Horse Rangers
• 1st South Carolina Regiment
• 1st Georgia Regiment
• 2nd Georgia Regiment
• 3rd Georgia Regiment
• 4th Georgia Regiment
• 6th South Carolina Regiment (riflemen)
• 4th South Carolina Regiment (artillery)
• 1st and 2nd Georgia Continental Artillery Companies

British Forces

The British units defending British East Florida were:

• East Florida Volunteers (Loyalists)
• 1st East Florida Militia
• 2nd East Florida Militia
• Minorca Volunteer Company, East Florida Militia
• East Florida Rangers (Loyalists)

Before the Battle

General Howe finally agreed to help with the invasion. In early April, about 400 Continental troops from Georgia moved south. They reached the site of Fort Howe on April 14. More soldiers joined them over the next month. By early May, there were about 1,300 men.

General Howe arrived on May 10. He started planning the march south. The weather was hot, and many soldiers ran away. Some were even executed for desertion. The army finally started moving on May 28. They moved very slowly. They crossed the Satilla River on June 21 and reached the St. Marys River on June 26.

Governor Tonyn and General Prevost knew the Americans were coming. Brown's rangers and Native American allies kept watching. They sometimes fought with the Americans. General Prevost moved his troops forward. He placed most of them on the main road to St. Augustine.

The American plan almost fell apart. General Howe and Governor Houstoun argued about what to do. Houstoun wanted to march straight to St. Augustine. Howe wanted to capture Fort Tonyn first. They could not agree. Howe ordered his troops toward Fort Tonyn. The Georgia militia stayed put.

Brown learned about Howe's move. He burned Fort Tonyn and ran into the swamps. Howe took over the ruins of Fort Tonyn on June 29. The road south from the fort led to a bridge. This bridge crossed Alligator Creek, a branch of the Nassau River.

Major James Marcus Prevost, the general's younger brother, was there. He had about 200 British soldiers and some Loyalist rangers. They built a small fort of logs and brush to defend the bridge.

The Battle Begins

On June 30, General Howe sent 100 cavalry soldiers south. General James Screven led them. Their job was to find Thomas Brown's men. Brown sent some of his men to go around the Americans. The rest hid along the road.

But Brown's flanking group was betrayed by deserters. They were ambushed, and most were captured or killed. Brown then started moving toward Alligator Bridge. Screven's cavalry caught up to him just before he reached the bridge. Brown's men were chased right into the British position at the bridge.

At first, there was confusion. Neither Screven's nor Brown's men wore regular uniforms. So, the British thought everyone arriving was Brown's men. But this quickly changed. A gunfight broke out. Prevost's soldiers quickly got into position. They started firing at Screven's men. Some of Brown's men tried to get around the Americans.

The fighting was intense. Soldiers on both sides were hit. General Screven was wounded. Some of the American militia barely escaped being trapped. Screven then ordered his men to retreat.

What Happened Next

The next day, Major Prevost moved out with his men. They also had Brown's and Daniel McGirth's men. They surprised an American group repairing a bridge. But instead of pushing forward, they decided to retreat. They cut down trees across the road as they went.

The American army was divided. Howe and Houstoun still disagreed. The Continental forces ran out of food. They asked the Georgia militia for supplies. The militia finally crossed the St. Marys River on July 6. This added some strength to the Continental force. But disease and desertion had reduced it to only 400 soldiers.

The lack of food and the arguments between leaders ended the invasion. The American forces began to retreat on July 14. This effectively stopped Georgia's idea of taking control of East Florida. General James Screven was later killed in November 1778. This happened in a surprise attack led by Thomas Brown.

The place where the bridge was is thought to be in Callahan. There is a marker there. But some historians believe the actual bridge was a bit farther east.