Samuel Elbert

He became active in the Provisional Congress of Georgia and its outgrowth, the Georgia Council of Safety. At the suggestion of a committee of the Council of Safety, the companies of the Georgia Militia decided to elect their own officers. As a result, all officers loyal to the king were replaced with staunch supporters of the oppositionist cause. On February 4, 1776, Elbert was made a lieutenant colonel and later colonel in the Georgia Militia. "Samuel Elbert contributed as much as any other man to the early movement for Georgia’s independence", according to researcher C. E. Purcell.[12]

In 1777, Georgia’s president, Button Gwinnett, decided to launch an invasion of Florida to liberate that territory from the British. His plan was to send Colonel Samuel Elbert with 400 continental troops in three galleys and support craft by sea and another element of 109 mounted militia led by Colonel John Baker by land. The two elements were to rendezvous at Saw Pit Bluff, near the mouth of the Nassau River, a site that is presently within the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida.[13]

At about the time this expedition was initiated, an ongoing feud between Gwinnett and the commander of Georgia’s Continental troops, General Lachlan McIntosh, resulted in a duel in which both parties were wounded. Button Gwinnett died of blood poisoning three days later on May 19, 1777.

Nevertheless, one reason Florida never became a part of Georgia might be found in the vagaries of the wind. May 13, 1777 was the date picked for Elbert and Baker to combine their forces and drive back the British. Many problems prevented Elbert’s sea expedition from reaching its destination on time. While on the boats, the men were stricken by disease, which combined with supply problems and head winds, slowed their progress considerably. In addition, the waters in this area are relatively low in the spring, making navigation somewhat difficult. On May 30, Elbert wrote in a letter to his brother in law, Colonel Joseph Habersham, "could we have got the Galleys into St. John’s river, I would, with the men I have with me, made the whole province of East Florida tumble."[14]

Colonel Baker’s mounted militia arrived at Saw Pitt Bluff as planned, but quickly moved to a new location when it became apparent that the British already knew of their intentions. During this move, Colonel Baker’s men were surprised by a force of some 400 British troops, and a brief battle ensued in the vicinity of Thomas Creek just south of where it empties into the Nassau River.[15] Outnumbered and facing withering fire, most of Baker’s men deserted. Colonel Baker together with his few remaining forces was obliged to retreat, returning to Georgia on May 17.

It was about three days later that Colonel Elbert disembarked his troops on the north end of Amelia Island. His forces were joined by a few stragglers from Baker’s detachment, but after reconnoitering, Elbert found the British well entrenched with troops and artillery. While Elbert’s little band was busy trying to cut through the Amelia Narrows, the British commander, Patrick Tonyn, was making plans to attack them with vastly superior forces.

To ensure total victory, the British war ships Rebecca and Hawke were ordered out to block any attempt of Elbert’s little flotilla to escape. A violent storm came up, and the British warships were forced out to sea. Before they could return, they encountered a rebel brigantine of sixteen guns. The ensuing battle damaged the Rebecca so badly that it could no longer carry on, allowing Elbert to leave Amelia Island unopposed.[16]

Failing to surprise the British and without the support of Baker’s detachment, Elbert and his men returned to Georgia without much having been accomplished. Shortly thereafter, Elbert concluded in a letter to General McIntosh:

I think --- that little can be done, unless by a formidable invasion, which I judge to be rather too much for Georgia to undertake till her forces are put on a more respectable footing, and therefore recommend confining our operations entirely to the defensive till a more favorable opportunity. We have too many secret enemies amongst us who keep up a regular correspondence with our Florida neighbors, and until they are put to a stop it will be impossible for us to enter Florida without their having timely notice of our approach.

A later attempt to invade Florida with a much larger army was initiated by Governor John Houstoun and General Robert Howe in 1778. It was doomed to failure from the start by lack of a unified command. One of the few successes of this second invasion attempt came when Colonel Elbert put 300 of his troops aboard three galleys and caused the surrender of three British warships, his Majesty’s schooner Hinchinbrook, the recently repaired sloop-of-war Rebecca, and a third vessel referred to as a prize brig, all anchored along Frederica. These ships had been harassing the Georgia rebels for almost two years. Prevailing conditions favored Elbert’s little flotilla and it wasn’t long before the British were forced to strike their colors and abandon ship. Having suffered no casualties, Elbert was ecstatic.

Elbert's three galleys comprised a good part of the Georgia State Navy at that time. These vessels were the Lee, the Washington and the Bulloch. A fourth galley, named the Congress, was the other galley authorized by the Continental Congress for the state. The galleys were approximately 70 feet (21 m) in length and were powered by two lateen sails as well as oars and had a very large cannon mounted in the bow. Although not suited for ocean going, their maneuverability made them formidable in the shallow coastal waters of Georgia.[17]

The remarkable success of this enterprise encouraged him to consider launching an attack against another heavily armed British vessel, the Galatea, anchored at the north end of Jekyll Island. Apparently he decided against it, and the Galatea, unable to complete its mission, set sail for St. Augustine, Florida a few days later.[18] General Howe commended Elbert and his troops for their victory over the British ships and, partly because of this venture, decided to continue with the invasion of Florida.

Meanwhile, Samuel Elbert continued with his Continental troops toward Florida. Just after they crossed the Satilla River, on June 24, the first Solar eclipse recorded in the British colonies occurred.[19][20] It was called "the dark day" by the troops and may well have been responsible for some of the desertions about then.

Elbert, now joined by General Howe, continued on and occupied Fort Tonyn, which had been deserted by the British. It was here that problems began to arise. Houston and Howe were unable to agree on who would lead the continentals in the invasion and the rebel naval commander, Commodore Oliver Bowen, refused to subordinate himself to the Army. This, along with the lack of surprise and widespread illness among the troops, caused the invaders to be halted in a battle at a place called Alligator Bridge. General Howe announced that "our principal objective has been accomplished" and returned his troops to Georgia. Although the skirmishes between the Patriots and the Loyalists continued, the 1778 expedition was the last of Georgia’s attempts to throw the British out of Florida.

In December of 1778, the British sent a fleet with about 3500 troops led by Colonel Archibald Campbell to retake Savannah. General Howe, in command of the city, declined to accept an offer from Colonel Elbert to use Elbert’s regiment to defend a landing place known as Girardeau’s plantation(32.07°N 81.04°W / 32.07; -81.04). As a result, the British were able to land without incident and soon were able to attack the American army from the rear by traversing a swamp under the guidance of a slave named Quamino Dolly.[21] The Americans were soon forced to retreat across the bridge over Musgrove Creek. Although most of the army crossed safely, the British seized the bridge just before Elbert’s command arrived. As a result, Elbert and his men were forced to swim the icy creek to avoid capture. They later joined General Howe about eight miles (13 km) above Savannah.

Savannah was pillaged by the British, and General Howe later faced a court martial for abandoning not only Savannah, but giving up all of Georgia.[22][23] The defense of Georgia continued with the troops that had not fled to the Carolinas. Among those was Samuel Elbert who, with his remaining troops, briefly occupied Augusta, then deployed to the Brier Creek area where they continually harassed Colonel Campbell’s army as it marched toward Augusta. The weather was cold and conditions harsh. On January 29, 1779, Elbert wrote in a letter to General Lincoln, commander of the Southern army:

The articles of provisions we shall have plenty, of artillery we have none, small arms very ordinary in general and scarce, many men have come to camp without any, which we have not to give them. Entrenching tools and camp utensils are not to be had here.[24]

In late February, Elbert was joined by General John Ashe and about 1800 additional troops. Ashe deployed most of his troops on high ground near Brier Creek. It was here that Elbert nearly lost his life.

Although Elbert was a brigadier general in the Georgia Militia, he was still a colonel in the Continental Army at this time and was in command of one of three divisions under General Ashe. On March 3, 1779, the British launched a surprise attack and quickly routed Ashe’s main army. Ashe disappeared into the woods, ostensibly to rally his scattered troops. The remaining left wing, under General Elbert, was driven back against Brier Creek. With Brier creek behind him and surrounded on all other sides by the enemy, Elbert and Lieutenant Colonel John McIntosh together with 60 Continentals and 150 Georgia militiamen, made a heroic effort to turn the fortune of battle without any help from the other two divisions. In the words of the Georgia Historical Commission, Elbert’s small regiment "made one of the most gallant stands against overwhelming odds of the Revolutionary War."[25] The British Army was forced to bring up its reserves and, with all hope of escape or victory gone, Elbert surrendered the remnants of his command.[26] More than half of the 150 men killed were Elbert's men. Elbert himself was about to be bayoneted when he was recognized as a Mason by a British officer who ordered his life spared.

There is ample reason to believe that, if the other two divisions had fought with the tenacity of Elbert’s command, things might have turned out differently, especially since General Andrew Williamson was on his way with 1200 men and General Griffith Rutherford was coming with 800 men to reinforce the army at Brier.[27] As it was, General Lincoln’s plan to win control of the South and bring the war to an end resulted in disaster. General Ashe was later accused of cowardice for leaving the field of battle while Elbert was still engaged, but since nothing could be proved, a court of inquiry found Ashe only guilty of gross neglect.

Elbert remained a prisoner on parole in the British camp for more than a year. During this time, he was accorded great respect and kindness. The British made every effort to suborn his allegiance, offering promotion, honors and other rewards, but he remained loyal to the American cause.

Elbert was given considerable freedom while being held prisoner, which was unusual given the typically harsh treatment of prisoners at the time. It is a family tradition, however, that this freedom exposed him to a plot upon his life.[12][28] It was attributed to a gang of Tories who had every reason to dislike Elbert since he had been very active against them. Their plan was to have him killed by Indians. While strolling in the woods one day, Elbert encountered two Indians with guns aimed directly at him. He had always extended great kindness to the Indians whenever he had had dealings with them in the past. He made a secret signal to them, and they recognized him as a friend.

The Patriot movement at Augusta petitioned the Continental Congress to offer Brigadier General James Inglis Hamilton in exchange for Elbert, and to arrange for his promotion to the rank of brigadier general in the Continental Army.[29] This request was granted after the capture of Charleston by the British in 1780.

Elbert went immediately to George Washington's headquarters in the north. General Washington was elated to accept Elbert's services, and at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781, Elbert was given command of a brigade. While at Yorktown, he made a lasting friendship with a young French general, the Marquis de Lafayette. This friendship continued after war's end, and these two men maintained a friendly correspondence for many years. Such was Elbert's admiration for Lafayette that he named one of his sons after him.

In 1782, the General Assembly of Georgia chose Elbert, General Lachlan McIntosh, Edward Telfair and a number of other prominent Georgians to serve as commissioners at a conference with the Creek and Cherokee Indians regarding their title to certain Georgia lands. A meeting took place at Augusta in May 1783. In a May 31 treaty, the Cherokee ceded a tract between the Tugaloo and Oconee Rivers.[30] According to Hugh McCall's The History of Georgia,[31] Before the conference had ended, the news reached Georgia that a peace treaty had been concluded between Great Britain and her former colonies.

Many honors were bestowed upon Samuel Elbert. He was elected Sheriff of Chatham County and chosen Vestryman for Christ Church, the first church in the new nation to organize a Sunday school. In 1784, he was selected as one of five delegates from the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization comprising officers who had fought in the Revolution. The same year, he was elected to the General Assembly of Georgia to be a delegate to the United States Congress. This latter honor he was forced to refuse, because he felt, after the long rigors of war, his physical condition was not at its best.

When the General Assembly of Georgia convened at Savannah on January 4, 1785, Samuel Elbert was elected governor of the state, to succeed John Houstoun. Elbert had not sought this honor and he asked for time to give the matter his earnest consideration. On January 7, 1785, Elbert appeared before the House, and formally accepted the honor, saying in part:

I shall ever be sensible of the honor you have conferred on me, in appointing me Chief Magistrate of the State of Georgia. It must, in the highest degree, be flattering to me, that my conduct as a soldier through our last glorious struggle, has met the approbation of my Country; and rest assured that it will be my study as a citizen to merit the confidence you have reposed in me. I firmly rely on the concurrence and support of your Honorable House in every measure that will secure the citizens in their just rights and privileges and which may be conducive to the welfare of the State.[32]

In January, 1785, an unusual piece of legislature was passed by the General Assembly for the regular establishment and support of religion in Georgia, mixing Church and State matters. Though governors at that time had no power to vote, Elbert and succeeding governors who found the legislation untenable, ignored it, as stated in the Digest of the Laws of Georgia.

As governor, Samuel Elbert was intensely interested in educational and cultural matters. Along with another prominent advocate of education, Abraham Baldwin, Elbert persuaded the Georgia House to pass a bill supporting the "full and complete establishment of Public seminaries of learning". On January 27, 1785, the House granted a charter to Franklin College, later to become the University of Georgia, and Baldwin became the university's first president. Georgia thus became the first state to charter a state-supported university. The Savannah Morning News stated that this event was "... perhaps of more enduring and far-reaching importance and good than any other of this great man's notable career."[33]

The matter of taxation came before Elbert early in April, 1785, when William Houston, Georgia's delegate to the United States Congress, wrote a letter informing him that New York and Georgia were the only states that had not conceded the right to levy these taxes – that feeling against Georgia in the national capital New York City at the time was very high, even going so far as to threaten to vote Georgia out of the Union. Undoubtedly, Elbert favored full cooperation with Congress, but governors of that did not wield the power that executives of later years were to possess, and Georgia did not accept the tax.

• Bennett, Charles E. (1970). Southernmost Battlefields of the Revolution. Crossroads, Virginia: Blair.
• Christensen, Mike (April 4, 1976). "Georgia's Navy". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta: Cox Enterprises.
• Coulter, E. Merton (1947). Georgia: A Short History. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. p. 138.
• Elbert, Samuel (January 29, 1779). "Letter to General Benjamin Lincoln, Southern Army Commander". {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• "General Samuel Elbert Masonic Historical Marker". located on Brannen's Bridge Rd. at Brier Creek: Grand Lodge of Georgia Free and Accepted Masons. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Johnson, Joseph, M.D. (1851). Traditions & Reminiscences Chiefly of the American Revolution in the South Including Biographical Sketches Incidents & Anecdotes. Charleston, South Carolina: Walker & James. pp. 473–477.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Jones, Charles C. (1886). The Life and Services of the Honorable Major General Samuel Elbert of Georgia (Speech). a speech on file at the Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.
• "Map of the Battle of Brier Creek". Georgia State Historical Marker located on Brannen's Bridge Rd. at Brier Creek, 11 miles northeast of Sylvania, Georgia: Georgia Historical Commission, compiled by Clyde D. Hollingsworth - 1959. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: location (link), 32.8107°N 81.4841°W / 32.8107; -81.4841
• "Order book of Samuel Elbert". Collections of the Georgia Historical Society. V, pt. 2: 655. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Ouzts, Clay. 2022. Samuel Elbert and the Age of Revolution in Georgia, 1740-1788. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.
• Purcell, Clarice E. (1951). "The Public Career of Samuel Elbert". Master's thesis. University of Georgia. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Smith, Gordon Burns, History of the Georgia Militia, 1783-1861, Volume One, Campaigns and Generals, Boyd Publishing, 2000.
• Sutlive, John L. (former editor Savannah Evening Press) (May 9, 1971). "Governor's Bones - a letter sent to the Atlanta Journal Constitution". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta: Cox Enterprises. {{cite news}}: |first= has generic name (help)
• The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia. Vol. V. 1738–1744.
• The Colonial Records of the State of Georgia. Vol. X. pp. 124–125, 907.
• published by authority of the lords commissioners of the Admiralty; to which is added, The North Georgia gazette, and Winter chronicle. (1821). Written at Philadelphia. The Georgia Gazette. an article on file at the Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia: Printed and published by Abraham Small ... (published November 6, 1788). ISBN 0-665-41835-3. OCLC 15351971.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• "The Last Will and Testament of Samuel Elbert". Will Record Book C 1780 - 1791. Chatham County, Georgia: court of the Ordinary: 105–111. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Whalen, Gail. "The WPA Excavation of Irene Mound". Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia: Coastal Georgia Archaeological Society. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Wheeler, Frank T.; Georgia Historical Society (October 1998). Savannah River Plantations (Images of America: Georgia). Arcadia Pub. pp. 69–82. ISBN 0-7385-0030-5.
• Whitehead, Stella Muse. "To the Glory of Georgia". a profile of Samuel Elbert derived partially from journals of Elbert left to Stella by her grandmother, Jane Stiles Muse Hernandez who inherited them from her first husband, Samuel Elbert Muse, a great grandson of General Elbert. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Wood, Virginia Steele (Summer 2006). "The Georgia Navy's Dramatic Victory of April 19, 1778". Georgia Historical Quarterly. Savannah, Georgia: Georgia Historical Society. XC.