   the battle of alligator bridge took place on june 30, 1778, and was the only major engagement in an unsuccessful campaign to conquer british east florida during the american revolutionary war. a detachment of georgia militiamen under the command of general james screven chased thomas brown's loyalist company into a large position of british regulars established by british major mark prevost and were turned back. ==background==  the frontier between the rebel state of georgia and the loyal british province of east florida was for the first three years of the american revolutionary war the scene of ongoing raiding. political and military leaders in georgia believed that east florida's capital, st. augustine, was vulnerable, and repeatedly promoted expeditions to capture it. the first, in 1776, fell apart when continental army general charles lee was called north shortly after it got underway. the second, in 1777, had command, supply, and logistical issues; only a company of cavalry actually entered east florida, only to be ambushed in the battle of thomas creek. following that failure, the georgians abandoned all their military posts south of the satilla river. the southernmost post in georgia was fort howe (previously known as fort barrington), on the banks of the altamaha river, and the northernmost florida outpost was at fort tonyn, in present-day nassau county, florida. east florida governor patrick tonyn had under his command a regiment of rangers led by lieutenant colonel thomas brown, and several hundred british army troops under the command of major general
1778_in_the_United_States Battles_of_the_American_Revolutionary_War Battles_of_the_American_Revolutionary_War_involving_the_United_States Conflicts_in_1778 Florida_in_the_American_Revolution Nassau_County,_Florida