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.