Battle of Thomas Creek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Thomas Creek
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date May 17, 1777 Location Duval County, near present-day Callahan, Florida 30°30′24″N 81°47′32″W / 30.506800°N 81.792117°W / 30.506800; -81.792117 (marker location) Result British victory
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain Creek Indians
Commanders and leaders
John Baker	Mark Prevost Thomas Brown
Strength
100–200 militia	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, happened on May 17, 1777. It was a surprise attack by British forces, American Loyalists, and Native Americans on a small group of Georgia cavalry soldiers. This battle took place near Thomas Creek in northern East Florida. It was the only major fight during the second of three attempts by American forces to invade East Florida early in the American Revolutionary War.

The American plan involved two groups: a naval fleet carrying soldiers and a group of cavalry (soldiers on horseback) traveling by land. The naval fleet was delayed. Meanwhile, the British found out about the American plan and located the cavalry. The British set up a surprise attack. This attack scattered the American cavalry and captured over 30 soldiers. Sadly, Native Americans fighting with the British later killed many of these prisoners. They did this to get revenge for one of their own who had been killed in an earlier fight.

Colonel Samuel Elbert, who was leading the American invasion, decided to stop the mission. His ships faced narrow waterways and strong British defenses. Another attempt to invade East Florida in 1778 also failed due to disagreements among the American leaders.

Why the Battle Happened

After some attacks by Loyalist forces led by Thomas Brown in February 1777, Georgia decided to strike back. Georgia's leader, Button Gwinnett, planned an attack on St. Augustine, the capital of British East Florida.

General Robert Howe, a Continental Army commander, agreed to help. He allowed Colonel Samuel Elbert's troops to join. There were some disagreements about who should lead the mission. In the end, Colonel Elbert was put in charge. The American force included about 300 Continental soldiers and a group of cavalry led by Colonel John Baker. Baker's group had between 100 and 200 men.

The expedition started on May 1. Colonel Baker's cavalry rode overland. Colonel Elbert's soldiers sailed along the coast, planning to meet Baker's group. Baker reached the meeting point on May 12. However, Elbert's ships were delayed by bad winds and did not arrive until May 18.

Who Fought in the Battle

Both sides had different types of soldiers fighting in this conflict.

American Forces

The American side included soldiers from the Continental Army and local militia (citizen soldiers). These units came from states like Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. They were fighting for American independence.

British Forces

The British side was made up of regular British Army soldiers, Loyalist militia, and Native American warriors. Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown. The Native American fighters were mainly from the Creek tribe.

Leading Up to the Battle

The Governor of East Florida, Patrick Tonyn, found out about Georgia's invasion plans in April. He knew that Baker's cavalry had crossed the St. Marys River on May 10.

A group of Loyalist rangers and Creek Native Americans, led by Lieutenant Colonel Brown, were already active near the border. They discovered Baker's camp. Brown wanted to capture an American soldier for information. However, Baker's patrols were careful, and Brown's men were shot at when they tried to get close.

On the night of May 14–15, Brown sent 15 Native Americans to steal Baker's horses. They managed to take some horses, but Baker's men chased them. In the chase, the horses were recovered, but at least one Native American was killed. This made the Native Americans very angry, which would have serious consequences later.

Colonel Baker was worried because Elbert's ships were delayed. He also learned that the British knew about their expedition. So, Baker moved his camp to a better spot near Thomas Creek. Meanwhile, Brown's Native Americans and rangers were joined by more British soldiers led by Major Mark Prevost. Their total force grew to about 200 men. Their scouts found the American camp on the night of May 16–17.

The Battle of Thomas Creek

On May 17, around 9:00 AM, Brown's Native Americans and rangers set up a surprise attack along Baker's path. Prevost's British soldiers advanced behind Baker's group. When Baker's cavalry reached the ambush, Brown's men fired at them from the front and sides.

Baker and his men tried to run away, but they ran right into Prevost's soldiers. The American soldiers were already surprised and quickly overwhelmed by the large number of rangers and Native Americans appearing from the bushes. About half of the Georgians fled immediately. Colonel Baker himself escaped into the swamps after one of his companions gave him a horse.

Reports on the number of casualties (killed, wounded, or captured) vary slightly. It is believed that between 4 and 8 Georgians were killed, 9 were wounded, and 31 to 34 were captured. Sadly, many of the captured soldiers were later killed by the angry Creek Native Americans. The British and their allies reported no casualties.

What Happened Next

Colonel Samuel Elbert

Colonel Elbert arrived in East Florida with his men two days after the battle. He landed on the north end of Amelia Island. Governor Tonyn had sent a small fleet to stop Elbert, but strong winds pushed them out to sea. This allowed Elbert to reach Amelia Island without trouble.

On May 19, 13 of Baker's men met Elbert and told him about the ambush. Two days later, three men who had escaped captivity arrived. They reported that five of their fellow soldiers had been killed by their Native American guards. Given this bad news, the threat of Tonyn's small fleet, and the fact that his boats could not get through the narrow channel to the mainland, Elbert decided to give up the invasion. He sailed back to Savannah on May 26.

Brigadier General Augustine Prevost, the military commander in St. Augustine (and Mark Prevost's older brother), gave all the credit for the victory to the regular British soldiers. He criticized Brown's rangers and Native Americans for not chasing down the remaining American soldiers. He also refused to pay for the expedition, saying that "the Indians had their plunder, the rangers the cattle, the Soldiers nothing but the trouble."

Brown and his men continued to raid into Georgia. This led to more calls from the Americans for action. The success of Brown's raids also made Governor Tonyn ask General William Howe for a larger expedition to take back control of Georgia for the British.

In 1778, American General Robert Howe and Georgia's president John Houstoun planned another invasion of East Florida. This one also had problems with leadership. The few troops who made it to Florida were turned back at the Battle of Alligator Creek Bridge. Later, in December 1778, British forces captured Savannah, Georgia. Troops from St. Augustine joined them, bringing back British rule to Georgia.

Today, the battle site is part of Jacksonville's Thomas Creek Preserve. It is also part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The site itself is undeveloped. There is a highway marker on nearby U. S. Route 1 that remembers the battle.