St.
St.
| St. Mary's River The British barges passed the St. Mary's waterfront as they made their way upstream to the Battle of St. Mary's, the last battle of the War of 1812. |
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St. Mary's River
The British force passed
through this view on its way to
fatal defeat at the Battle of St.
Mary's.
The British force passed
through this view on its way to
fatal defeat at the Battle of St.
Mary's.
Where the Battle Began...
The fighting started near
present-day Folkston along a
narrow stretch of the St.
Mary's River.
The fighting started near
present-day Folkston along a
narrow stretch of the St.
Mary's River.
Battle of the St. Mary's - Georgia & Florida
Last Battle of the War of 1812
| Copyright 2013 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. Last Updated: December 17, 2013 |
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Sir George Cockburn
The raid up the St. Mary's was
ordered by Admiral Sir
George Cockburn, the same
man responsible for the
burning of Washington, D.C.
The raid up the St. Mary's was
ordered by Admiral Sir
George Cockburn, the same
man responsible for the
burning of Washington, D.C.
The last battle of the War of 1812 was fought
along the St. Mary's River on the border of
Georgia and Florida on February 24, 1815.
Various historians have claimed that the
Battle of New Orleans, Second Battle of Fort
Bowyer or Battle of Point Petre (Point Peter)
were the final engagements of the war, but
all of those encounters took place before the
Battle of the St. Mary's.
British forces had occupied Cumberland
Island on the Georgia coast in January 1815
planning to use it as a base for operations
against the state of Georgia. They attacked
the U.S. Army post at Point Petre on the St.
Mary's River on January 13, 1815, driving off
the American garrison and then occupying
nearby St. Mary's, Georgia.
They withdrew from St. Mary's a short time
later, but continued to capture ships along
the Georgia coast and encouraged both free
and enslaved African Americans to come to
Cumberland Island and join their forces. As
many as 1,500 took advantage of the British
offer.
Florida was then part of Spain, so the British
forces generally stayed away from Amelia
Island and the south side of the St. Mary's
River. They had no desire to draw local
Spanish forces into the fight against them.
By late February the British had learned of the
Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812,
but apparently decided to make one final raid.
Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn, the
same British officer that had directed the
burning of Washington, D.C. in 1814, ordered
a company of Royal Marines to go up the St.
Mary's River, which formed the dividing line
between Georgia and Spanish Florida.
The objective of the raid is a bit unclear. U.S.
officers reported that the British were going to
destroy Archibald Clark's sawmill near
present-day Folkston, Georgia. The British,
however, said they were going to attack U.S.
"works" - an apparent reference to the U.S.
post at Camp Pinckney near Colerain.
The British marines, 52 in number, started
up the river by water on February 23, 1815.
The seven barges and one gig (a gig is a
small boat rowed with oars) were under the
command of Commander Charles George
Rodney Phillot of HMS Primrose and
Commander David Ewen Bartholomew of
HMS Erebus.
On February 24, 1815 - 47 days after the
Battle of New Orleans, 42 days after the
Battle of Point Petre (Point Peter) and 12
days after the Second Battle of Fort Bowyer -
they reached a point within 3/4 of a mile of
their objective:
...The enemy were first attacked by the
Patriots from the Florida shore near Camp
Pinckney, when the barges immediately
tacked about to retreat, but our men being in
ambush on this shore gave them a second
reception. - Lt. Col. William Scott, U.S,A.
The Patriots mentioned in the report by Lt.
Col. William Scott of the U.S. Army were part
of a disintegrating force of revolutionaries
that had tried to seize Florida from Spain in
1812. Their force involved in the attack on the
British included only 30 men under the
command of "Colonel" Dill. They were joined
from the Georgia side of the river by Captain
William Mickler and 20 U.S. soldiers.
along the St. Mary's River on the border of
Georgia and Florida on February 24, 1815.
Various historians have claimed that the
Battle of New Orleans, Second Battle of Fort
Bowyer or Battle of Point Petre (Point Peter)
were the final engagements of the war, but
all of those encounters took place before the
Battle of the St. Mary's.
British forces had occupied Cumberland
Island on the Georgia coast in January 1815
planning to use it as a base for operations
against the state of Georgia. They attacked
the U.S. Army post at Point Petre on the St.
Mary's River on January 13, 1815, driving off
the American garrison and then occupying
nearby St. Mary's, Georgia.
They withdrew from St. Mary's a short time
later, but continued to capture ships along
the Georgia coast and encouraged both free
and enslaved African Americans to come to
Cumberland Island and join their forces. As
many as 1,500 took advantage of the British
offer.
Florida was then part of Spain, so the British
forces generally stayed away from Amelia
Island and the south side of the St. Mary's
River. They had no desire to draw local
Spanish forces into the fight against them.
By late February the British had learned of the
Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812,
but apparently decided to make one final raid.
Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn, the
same British officer that had directed the
burning of Washington, D.C. in 1814, ordered
a company of Royal Marines to go up the St.
Mary's River, which formed the dividing line
between Georgia and Spanish Florida.
The objective of the raid is a bit unclear. U.S.
officers reported that the British were going to
destroy Archibald Clark's sawmill near
present-day Folkston, Georgia. The British,
however, said they were going to attack U.S.
"works" - an apparent reference to the U.S.
post at Camp Pinckney near Colerain.
The British marines, 52 in number, started
up the river by water on February 23, 1815.
The seven barges and one gig (a gig is a
small boat rowed with oars) were under the
command of Commander Charles George
Rodney Phillot of HMS Primrose and
Commander David Ewen Bartholomew of
HMS Erebus.
On February 24, 1815 - 47 days after the
Battle of New Orleans, 42 days after the
Battle of Point Petre (Point Peter) and 12
days after the Second Battle of Fort Bowyer -
they reached a point within 3/4 of a mile of
their objective:
...The enemy were first attacked by the
Patriots from the Florida shore near Camp
Pinckney, when the barges immediately
tacked about to retreat, but our men being in
ambush on this shore gave them a second
reception. - Lt. Col. William Scott, U.S,A.
The Patriots mentioned in the report by Lt.
Col. William Scott of the U.S. Army were part
of a disintegrating force of revolutionaries
that had tried to seize Florida from Spain in
1812. Their force involved in the attack on the
British included only 30 men under the
command of "Colonel" Dill. They were joined
from the Georgia side of the river by Captain
William Mickler and 20 U.S. soldiers.
Battle of Fort Bowyer - Alabama
Battle of Horseshoe Bend - Alabama
Battle of New Orleans (Chalmette Battlefield) - Louisiana
Fort Gadsden Historic Site - Florida
Fort Morris State Historic Site - Georgia
Fort Moultrie - South Carolina
Nicolls' Outpost - Florida
Old Fort Jackson - Georgia
Battle of Horseshoe Bend - Alabama
Battle of New Orleans (Chalmette Battlefield) - Louisiana
Fort Gadsden Historic Site - Florida
Fort Morris State Historic Site - Georgia
Fort Moultrie - South Carolina
Nicolls' Outpost - Florida
Old Fort Jackson - Georgia
According to British reports, the ambush led
to land fighting between the Royal Marines
and the East Florida Patriots:
...The British immediately landed, when a
sharp skirmish took place, and in less than
twenty minutes the enemy was dislodged. -
Report dated Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 29, 1815.
Even though the 52 British Marines were able
to drive off the visible Patriot force, more of
the 30 Patriot riflemen opened fire on them
from positions concealed in woods. Phillot
and Bartholomew decided to retreat.
Less than one hour later, however, Captain
Mickler arrived on the Georgia side of the
river with his detachment of 20 U.S. soldiers
and entered the battle:
...[A] fire also was opened upon them, by a
considerable force from the opposite shore;
but though attacked upon both sides, and in
a river but from 30 to 50 yards wide in most
parts of it, the flotilla fought its way through. -
Report dated Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 29, 1815.
The American and Patriot forces involved in
the Battle of the St. Mary's reported a loss of 2
killed and no wounded.
The British reported their losses at 29 killed
and wounded. Among the latter were both
Phillot and Bartholomew. Eighteen of those
hit by American fire were reported to be
seriously wounded.
The Battle of the St. Mary's took place along
the river from about 3/4 of a mile downstream
from today's Camp Pinckney Landing near
Folkston all the way down to near St. Mary's
where the British boats finally pulled out of
the range of the American rifles.
Places to view the general scene of the
action include Camp Pinckney Landing,
Temple Landing and the St. Mary's waterfront
on the Georgia side of the river. On the
Florida side, the river can be accessed from
points including Kings Ferry.
Please click here for a map of the St. Mary's
River.
to land fighting between the Royal Marines
and the East Florida Patriots:
...The British immediately landed, when a
sharp skirmish took place, and in less than
twenty minutes the enemy was dislodged. -
Report dated Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 29, 1815.
Even though the 52 British Marines were able
to drive off the visible Patriot force, more of
the 30 Patriot riflemen opened fire on them
from positions concealed in woods. Phillot
and Bartholomew decided to retreat.
Less than one hour later, however, Captain
Mickler arrived on the Georgia side of the
river with his detachment of 20 U.S. soldiers
and entered the battle:
...[A] fire also was opened upon them, by a
considerable force from the opposite shore;
but though attacked upon both sides, and in
a river but from 30 to 50 yards wide in most
parts of it, the flotilla fought its way through. -
Report dated Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 29, 1815.
The American and Patriot forces involved in
the Battle of the St. Mary's reported a loss of 2
killed and no wounded.
The British reported their losses at 29 killed
and wounded. Among the latter were both
Phillot and Bartholomew. Eighteen of those
hit by American fire were reported to be
seriously wounded.
The Battle of the St. Mary's took place along
the river from about 3/4 of a mile downstream
from today's Camp Pinckney Landing near
Folkston all the way down to near St. Mary's
where the British boats finally pulled out of
the range of the American rifles.
Places to view the general scene of the
action include Camp Pinckney Landing,
Temple Landing and the St. Mary's waterfront
on the Georgia side of the river. On the
Florida side, the river can be accessed from
points including Kings Ferry.
Please click here for a map of the St. Mary's
River.
St. Mary's River
A sailing vessel lies at anchor
in the St. Mary's River. In 1815
the river was the dividing line
between the U.S. state of
Georgia and the Spanish
colony of Florida.
A sailing vessel lies at anchor
in the St. Mary's River. In 1815
the river was the dividing line
between the U.S. state of
Georgia and the Spanish
colony of Florida.
