Augustine Prevost
Encyclopedia
Major General Augustine Prévost (b. August 22, 1723 Geneva, Switzerland – d. May 4, 1786 East Barnet, England) was a Swiss
-born British
soldier who served in the Seven Years' War
and the American War of Independence.
, Prévost joined the 60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot
as a major on January 9, 1756 at the regiment's establishment. He fought in the French and Indian War
, during which he suffered a wound.
, the capital of British East Florida
.
In the winter of 1778, following a proposal of Lord George Germain, Prévost, now a brigadier-general, was given orders by General Sir Henry Clinton
to invade Georgia. Prévost dispatched two units north: one under the command of lieutenant-colonel Lewis V. Fuser and the other under his younger brother Mark.
Prévost arrived at Savannah, Georgia
on January 17, 1779 which was protected by British Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell
. Prévost assumed command but also sent the message to General Clinton that he wished to resign, feeling that a younger man should take his place. In September 1779 Brigadier General George Garth
was sent to replace him, travelling from New York on HMS Experiment. Garth was however captured before he could reach Savannah and Prévost remained to defend the town from a combined French and Continental force in an action that came to be known as the Siege of Savannah
.
, and of Major Augustine Prevost (b. August 29, 1744 Geneva – d. January 17, 1821 Greenville, NY).
Descendents of Prevost settled in the United States
and Peru
.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
-born British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
soldier who served in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
and the American War of Independence.
Seven Years War
Like his younger brother Mark PrevostJacques Marcus Prevost
Jacques Marc, Jacques-Marc, James Marcus or Mark Prevost was a British Army officer of Swiss origin.-Early ife:...
, Prévost joined the 60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
as a major on January 9, 1756 at the regiment's establishment. He fought in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, during which he suffered a wound.
American War of Independence
By the summer of 1776, Prévost, then a colonel, was in charge of a contingent of the 60th stationed in St. AugustineSt. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, the capital of British East Florida
East Florida
East Florida was a colony of Great Britain from 1763–1783 and of Spain from 1783–1822. East Florida was established by the British colonial government in 1763; as its name implies it consisted of the eastern part of the region of Florida, with West Florida comprising the western parts. Its capital...
.
In the winter of 1778, following a proposal of Lord George Germain, Prévost, now a brigadier-general, was given orders by General Sir Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)
General Sir Henry Clinton KB was a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America...
to invade Georgia. Prévost dispatched two units north: one under the command of lieutenant-colonel Lewis V. Fuser and the other under his younger brother Mark.
Prévost arrived at Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
on January 17, 1779 which was protected by British Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell (British Army officer)
General Sir Archibald Campbell KB served as Governor of Jamaica and Madras. He was a major Scottish landowner, Heritable Usher of the White Rod for Scotland and a Member of Parliament for the Stirling Burghs.-Birth:...
. Prévost assumed command but also sent the message to General Clinton that he wished to resign, feeling that a younger man should take his place. In September 1779 Brigadier General George Garth
George Garth
George Garth was a British General, a commander in the American Revolutionary War, and Colonel of the 17th Regiment of Foot.-Life:...
was sent to replace him, travelling from New York on HMS Experiment. Garth was however captured before he could reach Savannah and Prévost remained to defend the town from a combined French and Continental force in an action that came to be known as the Siege of Savannah
Siege of Savannah
The Siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell. The siege itself consisted of a joint...
.
Family
Augustine was the father of Sir George PrévostGeorge Prevost
Sir George Prévost, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and colonial administrator. Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, the eldest son of Swiss French Augustine Prévost, he joined the British Army as a youth and became a captain in 1784. Prévost served in the West Indies during the French Revolutionary...
, and of Major Augustine Prevost (b. August 29, 1744 Geneva – d. January 17, 1821 Greenville, NY).
Descendents of Prevost settled in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.