Siege of Savannah
Encyclopedia
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 Franco-American
attempt to retake Savannah from September 16 to October 18, 1779. On October 9 a major assault against the British siege works failed. During the attack, Polish nobleman Kazimierz Pułaski, fighting on the American side, was mortally wounded. With the failure of the joint American-French attack, the siege
failed, and the British remained in control of Savannah until July 1782, near the end of the war.
, British military planners decided to embark on a southern strategy to conquer the rebellious colonies with the support of Loyalist
s in the southern states. Their first step was to gain control of the southern ports of Savannah, Georgia
and Charleston, South Carolina
. An expedition in December 1778 took Savannah with modest resistance from ineffective militia and Continental Army
defenses. The Continental Army regrouped, and by June 1779 the combined army and militia forces guarding Charleston numbered between 5,000 and 7,000 men. General Benjamin Lincoln
, commanding those forces, knew that he could not recapture Savannah without naval assistance; for this he turned to the French, who had entered the war as an American ally
in 1778.
French Admiral the Comte d'Estaing spent the first part of 1779 in the Caribbean, where his fleet and a British fleet monitored each others movements. He took advantage of conditions to capture
Grenada
in July before acceding to American requests for support in operations against Savannah. On September 3, an uncharacteristically early arrival as there was still substantial risk of hurricanes, a few French ships arrived at Charleston with news that d'Estaing was sailing for Georgia with twenty-five ships of the line and 4,000 French troops. Lincoln and the French emissaries agreed on a plan of attack on Savannah, and Lincoln left Charleston with over 2,000 men on September 11.
at Savannah, another 900 at Beaufort, South Carolina
under Colonel
John Maitland
, and about 100 Loyalists at Sunbury, Georgia. General Augustine Prevost
, in command of these troops from his base in Savannah, was caught completely off guard when the French fleet began to arrive off Savannah and recalled the troops stationed at Beaufort and Sunbury to aid in the defense of Savannah.
Captain James Moncrief of the Royal Engineers
was tasked with constructing fortifications to repulse the invaders. Using 200-300 African American slaves working up to twenty hours per day, Moncrief constructed an entrenched defensive line which included redoubt
s, nearly 1200 feet (365.8 m) long, on the plains outside the city.
The French commander, rejecting the idea of assaulting the British defenses, unloaded cannons from his ships and began a bombardment of the city. The city, rather than the entrenched defenses, bore the brunt of this bombardment, which lasted from October 3 to 8. "The appearance of the town afforded a melancholy prospect, for there was hardely a house that had not been shot through", wrote one British observer.
When the bombardment failed to have the desired effect, d'Estaing changed his mind, and decided it was time to try an assault. He was motivated in part by the desire to finish the operation quickly, as scurvy
and dysentery
were becoming problems on his ships, and some of his supplies were running low. While a traditional siege
operation would likely have succeeded eventually, it would have taken longer than d'Estaing was prepared to stay.
. The militia included riflemen, who easily picked off the white-clad French troops when the assault finally got underway. Admiral d'Estaing was twice wounded, and Polish cavalry
officer Kazimierz Pułaski, fighting with the Americans, was mortally wounded. By the time the second wave arrived near the redoubt, the first wave was in complete disarray, and the trenches below the redoubt were filled with bodies. Attacks intended as feint
s against other parts of the British position were easily repulsed.
The second assault column was commanded by the Swedish Count Curt von Stedingk, who managed to capture the last trench. He later wrote in his journal I had the plasure of planting the American flag on the last trench, but the enemy renewed its attack and our people where annihilated by cross-fire. He was however forced back by overwhelming numbers of British troops and was pushed back with only some 20 men left, all, including himself, wounded. He later wrote; The moment of retreat with the cries of our dying comrades piercing my heart was the bitterest of my life.
After an hour of carnage, d'Estaing ordered the retreat. On October 17, Lincoln and d'Estaing abandoned the siege.
An archaeology presentation and public meeting took place in February 2011 to find out and to offer suggestions for managing Savannah's Revolutionary War battlefield resources. Archaeologist Rita Elliott from the Coastal Heritage Society revealed Revolutionary War discoveries in Savannah stemming from the two "Savannah Under Fire" projects conducted from 2007–2011. The projects uncovered startling discoveries, including trenches, fortifications, and battle debris. The research also showed that residents and tourists are interested in these sites. Archaeologists described the findings and explored ways to generate economic income and increase the quality of life of area residents.
This event is commemorated each year by presidential proclamation on General Pulaski Memorial Day
.
an history; the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue, consisting of over 500 gens de couleur
- free men of color
from Saint-Domingue
—fought on the French side. Henri Christophe
, who later became king of independent Haiti, is thought to have been among these troops. Many other less notable Haitians served in this unit and formed the officer class of the rebel armies in the Haitian Revolution
, especially in the North Province around today's Cap-Haïtien
where the unit was recruited.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
in 1779. The year before, the city of 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...
, had been captured
Capture of Savannah
The Battle of Savannah, or sometimes the First Battle of Savannah due to a siege later in the campaign, was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on December 29, 1778 between local American Patriot militia and Continental Army units holding the city and a British invasion force under the...
by a 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...
expeditionary corps under Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell. The siege itself consisted of a joint Franco-American
Franco-American alliance
The Franco-American alliance refers to the 1778 alliance between Louis XVI's France and the United States, during the American Revolutionary War. Formalized in the 1778 Treaty of Alliance, it was a military pact in which France provided arms and money, and engaged in full-scale war with Britain. ...
attempt to retake Savannah from September 16 to October 18, 1779. On October 9 a major assault against the British siege works failed. During the attack, Polish nobleman Kazimierz Pułaski, fighting on the American side, was mortally wounded. With the failure of the joint American-French attack, the siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
failed, and the British remained in control of Savannah until July 1782, near the end of the war.
Background
Following the failures of military campaigns in the northern United States earlier in the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, British military planners decided to embark on a southern strategy to conquer the rebellious colonies with the support of Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
s in the southern states. Their first step was to gain control of the southern ports of 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...
and Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. An expedition in December 1778 took Savannah with modest resistance from ineffective militia and Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
defenses. The Continental Army regrouped, and by June 1779 the combined army and militia forces guarding Charleston numbered between 5,000 and 7,000 men. General Benjamin Lincoln
Benjamin Lincoln
Benjamin Lincoln was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
, commanding those forces, knew that he could not recapture Savannah without naval assistance; for this he turned to the French, who had entered the war as an American ally
Franco-American alliance
The Franco-American alliance refers to the 1778 alliance between Louis XVI's France and the United States, during the American Revolutionary War. Formalized in the 1778 Treaty of Alliance, it was a military pact in which France provided arms and money, and engaged in full-scale war with Britain. ...
in 1778.
French Admiral the Comte d'Estaing spent the first part of 1779 in the Caribbean, where his fleet and a British fleet monitored each others movements. He took advantage of conditions to capture
Battle of Grenada
The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American War of Independence in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy.-Origins:...
Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
in July before acceding to American requests for support in operations against Savannah. On September 3, an uncharacteristically early arrival as there was still substantial risk of hurricanes, a few French ships arrived at Charleston with news that d'Estaing was sailing for Georgia with twenty-five ships of the line and 4,000 French troops. Lincoln and the French emissaries agreed on a plan of attack on Savannah, and Lincoln left Charleston with over 2,000 men on September 11.
British defenses
British troop strength in the area consisted of about 2,500 regularsRegular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
at Savannah, another 900 at Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
under Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John Maitland
John Maitland (colonel)
Lieutenant-Colonel John Maitland was a British military officer who was the tenth son of Charles Maitland, 6th Earl of Lauderdale and Lady Elizabeth Ogilvie. He was a member of the Royal Marines prior to joining the 71st Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders in 1777...
, and about 100 Loyalists at Sunbury, Georgia. General Augustine Prevost
Augustine Prevost
Major General Augustine Prévost was a Swiss-born British soldier who served in the Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence.-Seven Years War:...
, in command of these troops from his base in Savannah, was caught completely off guard when the French fleet began to arrive off Savannah and recalled the troops stationed at Beaufort and Sunbury to aid in the defense of Savannah.
Captain James Moncrief of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
was tasked with constructing fortifications to repulse the invaders. Using 200-300 African American slaves working up to twenty hours per day, Moncrief constructed an entrenched defensive line which included redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
s, nearly 1200 feet (365.8 m) long, on the plains outside the city.
Siege
D'Estaing began landing troops below the city on September 12. By September 16 he was moving in on the city. Confident of victory, and believing that Maitland would be prevented from reaching Savannah by Lincoln, he offered Prevost the opportunity to surrender. Prevost temporized and asked for 24 hours of truce. Owing to miscommunication about who was responsible for preventing Maitland's movements, the waterways separating Hilton Head Island from the mainland were unguarded, and Maitland was able to reach Savannah hours before the truce ended. Prevost's response to d'Estaing's offer was a polite rejection, even though Lincoln had also arrived outside the city.The French commander, rejecting the idea of assaulting the British defenses, unloaded cannons from his ships and began a bombardment of the city. The city, rather than the entrenched defenses, bore the brunt of this bombardment, which lasted from October 3 to 8. "The appearance of the town afforded a melancholy prospect, for there was hardely a house that had not been shot through", wrote one British observer.
When the bombardment failed to have the desired effect, d'Estaing changed his mind, and decided it was time to try an assault. He was motivated in part by the desire to finish the operation quickly, as scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
and dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
were becoming problems on his ships, and some of his supplies were running low. While a traditional siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
operation would likely have succeeded eventually, it would have taken longer than d'Estaing was prepared to stay.
Attack
Against the advice of many of his subordinates, d'Estaing launched the assault against the British position on the morning of October 9. The attack depended in part on the secrecy of some its aspects, which were betrayed to Prevost well before the operations were supposed to begin around 4:00 am. Fog caused troops attacking the Spring Hill redoubt to get lost in the swamps, and it was nearly daylight when the attack finally got underway. The redoubt on the right side of the British works, had been chosen by the French admiral in part because he believed it to be defended only by militia. In fact, it was defended by a combination of militia and Scotsmen from Maitland's company, who had distinguished themselves at Stono FerryBattle of Stono Ferry
The Battle of Stono Ferry was an American Revolutionary War battle, fought on June 20, 1779, near Charleston, South Carolina. The rear guard from a British expedition retreating from an aborted attempt to take Charleston held off an assault by poorly-trained militia forces under American General...
. The militia included riflemen, who easily picked off the white-clad French troops when the assault finally got underway. Admiral d'Estaing was twice wounded, and Polish cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
officer Kazimierz Pułaski, fighting with the Americans, was mortally wounded. By the time the second wave arrived near the redoubt, the first wave was in complete disarray, and the trenches below the redoubt were filled with bodies. Attacks intended as feint
Feint
Feint is a French term that entered English from the discipline of fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will...
s against other parts of the British position were easily repulsed.
The second assault column was commanded by the Swedish Count Curt von Stedingk, who managed to capture the last trench. He later wrote in his journal I had the plasure of planting the American flag on the last trench, but the enemy renewed its attack and our people where annihilated by cross-fire. He was however forced back by overwhelming numbers of British troops and was pushed back with only some 20 men left, all, including himself, wounded. He later wrote; The moment of retreat with the cries of our dying comrades piercing my heart was the bitterest of my life.
After an hour of carnage, d'Estaing ordered the retreat. On October 17, Lincoln and d'Estaing abandoned the siege.
Aftermath
The battle was one of the bloodiest of the war. While Prevost claimed Franco-American losses at 1,000 to 1,200, the actual tally of 244 killed, nearly 600 wounded and 120 taken prisoner, was severe enough. British casualties were comparatively light: 40 killed, 63 wounded, and 52 missing. Sir Henry Clinton wrote, "I think that this is the greatest event that has happened the whole war", and celebratory cannons were fired when the news reached London.Battlefield archaeology
In 2005 archaeologists with the Coastal Heritage Society and the LAMAR Institute discovered portions of the British fortifications at Spring Hill, the site of the brunt of the combined French and American attack on October 9. The find represents the first tangible remains of the battlefield. In 2008 the CHS/LAMAR Institute archaeology team discovered another segment of the British fortifications in Madison Square. A detailed report of that project is available online in .pdf format from the Coastal Heritage Society website. Coastal Heritage Society archaeologists are currently finalizing a follow-up grant project in Savannah, which examined several outlying portions of the battlefield. These included the position of the Haitian reserves at the Jewish Burying Ground west of Savannah.An archaeology presentation and public meeting took place in February 2011 to find out and to offer suggestions for managing Savannah's Revolutionary War battlefield resources. Archaeologist Rita Elliott from the Coastal Heritage Society revealed Revolutionary War discoveries in Savannah stemming from the two "Savannah Under Fire" projects conducted from 2007–2011. The projects uncovered startling discoveries, including trenches, fortifications, and battle debris. The research also showed that residents and tourists are interested in these sites. Archaeologists described the findings and explored ways to generate economic income and increase the quality of life of area residents.
This event is commemorated each year by presidential proclamation on General Pulaski Memorial Day
General Pulaski Memorial Day
General Pulaski Memorial Day is a United States holiday in honor of General Kazimierz Pułaski , a Polish hero of the American Revolution. This holiday is held every year on October 11 by Presidential Proclamation, to commemorate his death from wounds suffered at the Siege of Savannah on October 9,...
.
Influence on Haitian revolutionaries
The battle is much remembered in HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an history; the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue, consisting of over 500 gens de couleur
Gens de couleur
Gens de couleur is a French term meaning "people of color." The term was commonly used in France's West Indian colonies prior to the abolition of slavery, where it was a short form of gens de couleur libres ....
- free men of color
Free people of color
A free person of color in the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, is a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved...
from Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
—fought on the French side. Henri Christophe
Henri Christophe
Henri Christophe was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution, winning independence from France in 1804. On 17 February 1807, after the creation of a separate nation in the north, Christophe was elected President of the State of Haiti...
, who later became king of independent Haiti, is thought to have been among these troops. Many other less notable Haitians served in this unit and formed the officer class of the rebel armies in the Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
, especially in the North Province around today's Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
where the unit was recruited.
External links
- French free colored participation in the Siege of Savannah
- Summary of Archaeological Finds at Springhill Redoubt
- Savannah Battlefield Park at Springhill Redoubt
- Pictures of the "Chasseurs Volontaires" monument, by James Mastin, located in Franklin Square, Savannah, Georgia