Editing Fernandina Beach, Florida (section)

====Republic of East Florida====
At the beginning of the [[Florida Seminole Wars#Patriot War of East Florida (1812)|Patriot War]], with the approval of President [[James Madison]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] Governor [[George Mathews (Georgia)|George Mathews]] on March 13, 1812,<ref>{{cite book|last=Cusick|first=James G.|title=The other war of 1812 : the Patriot War and the American invasion of Spanish East Florida|year=2007|publisher=University of Georgia Press|location=Athens, Georgia|isbn=978-0820329215|pages=32}}</ref> insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island" seized the island. After raising a Patriot flag, they replaced it with the [[Flag Acts (United States)#Flag Act of 1794|United States flag]]. American gunboats under the command of [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]] Hugh Campbell maintained control of the island. On May 15, 1812, the British brig. [[HMS Sappho (1806)|''Sappho'']] fired on Gunboat no. 168, which had fired on the loyalist merchant vessel ''Fernando'' to prevent her leaving. Outgunned, the American gunboat withdrew, which enabled several vessels to escape from the port. President Madison eventually denounced the filibustering of George Mathews, however, on the grounds that Mathews had violated his instructions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/uncpress/chapters/may_manifest.html |title=Manifest Destiny's Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America, by Robert e. May. Chapter 1 |access-date=July 23, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209182541/http://www.ibiblio.org/uncpress/chapters/may_manifest.html |archive-date=February 9, 2009 }} Manifest Destiny's Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America. Robert E. May. Chapter 1</ref><!-- Bot generated title -->