USA > Georgia > The history of Georgia from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 10
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
after his departure, General Moultrie received intelligence that the enemy were in motion, and that some parties of them had passed over into South Carolina below the town of Savannah.
Moultrie filed off toward Charleston for the purpose of keeping in the enemy's front, and sent an express to General Lincoln to apprize him of their movements, and his intention to harass and retard their progress, until he received reinforcements. General Provost's army consisted of two thousand chosen troops, and seven hundred loyalists and Indians. Moultrie, to oppose him, had but one thousand militia ; and, instead of his numbers increasing, his troops wasted away by desertion. When he had retreated to Ashley River Ferry, he had only six hundred men.
Lincoln, imagining that Provost only intended a feint on Charleston, to divert him from his pur- pose toward Savannah, continued his march on the south side of the Savannah River, and sent three hundred light troops and the legion of Pu- laski, which had been stationed at the ridge forty- five miles north-east from Augusta, to reinforce Moultrie.
Every advantageous pass was disputed with the enemy by the latter officer, and he so effectually retarded their progress, by frequent skirmishes, that they did not reach Charleston until the 11th of May.
When Provost appeared before Charleston, he
169
MILITARY MOVEMENTS.
made the apparent dispositions for a siege, and demanded a surrender. . Calculating that Lincoln was in pursuit of the enemy, it was deemed im- tant to gain time. The reinforcement sent by General Lincoln and the legion of Pulaski had arrived; and the greatest exertions were used to place the town in a state of defence. Twenty-four hours were spent in negotiations, which terminated in bidding. the enemy defiance. Having failed in his expectations, and fearing that Lincoln would fall upon his rear, Provost retreated precipitately over Ashley Ferry, and formed a fortified encampment on Stone River, within reach of some small armed vessels and transports, by which he could secure a retreat toward Savannah, if he should be pressed by a force with which he was unable to contend. He collected all the boats which fell in his way, to facilitate the transportation of his troops from one island to another, or through the inland navi- gation, as might be advisable.
When Lincoln arrived at Ashley River, he was doubtful of the issue of a general engagement with the enemy ; for, although he was superior to his antagonist in numbers, he was far inferior in the quality of his troops and equipments, and was aware of the certain consequences of a defeat. It was, therefore, necessary for him to proceed with caution, and not risk a battle, if the result appeared in the least doubtful. He was appre-
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
hensive of the consequences of drawing his forces to one point, for a general attack, and leaving Charleston unprotected ; and to prevent the enemy from retreating by land to Savannah, he was obliged to guard the passes by strong de- tachments. Thus situated, the two armies lay within thirty miles distance, for forty days, watching the motions of each other.
The British army was encamped on John's Island, near Stono Ferry. To preserve a com- munication with the main land, they had con- structed some rédoubts and lines of communica- tion, on which some field artillery was advanta- geously placed, with an abatis in front, on the main land at the ferry, and a garrison of eight hundred men to defend it, under Lieutenant- colonel Maitland. In the event of its being attacked, the main encampment was sufficiently near to afford reinforcements.
At length, on the 20th of June, an attack was made on the redoubts at the ferry. General - Moultrie, with a body of the Charleston militia, was to have made a feint on the British encamp- ment, from James's Island; but from the diffi- · culty of procuring boats, he was unable to reach the place of destination in time to make the di- version required. When the Americans advanced to the attack, two companies of the seventy-first re- giment of Scots sallied out to support the pickets ; Lieutenant-colonel Henderson, with the light in-
171
THE BRITISH RETREAT.
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fantry, charged them, and only nine of their number returned within their intrenchments. All the men at the field-pieces between their redoubts were killed or wounded. Major Handley, who commanded the remnant of thé Georgia conti- nental troops, was attached to Colonel Malmady's command, and carried that part of the British works against which they acted. The failure of General Moultrie in the diversion assigned to him enabled General Provost to reinforce the redoubts, and made it necessary for General Lincoln to withdraw his troops; a general sortie was made on the retiring Americans ; but the light infantry, commanded by Malmady and Henderson, held the enemy in check, and enabled the Americans to remove their wounded, and retire in good order.
Soon after the action at Stono, the British commenced their retreat, and passed from island to island, until they arrived at Port Royal, where Provost established a post with eight hundred men, under the orders of Lieutenant-colonel Mait- land, and thence returned to Savannah.
While Lincoln was employed in South Carolina against Provost, Colonels Dooley and Clarke were actively engaged in defending the frontiers of Georgia ; and Colonels Twiggs, Few, and Jones were watching the British outposts, to cut off supplies of provisions from the country. Private armed vessels were also employed along the sea- coast.
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
On the 24th of June, Captain Spencer, who commanded an American privateer, surprised Colonel Cruger and a party of British officers at a house on the river Medway, and took them prisoners of war.
On the 28th, Colonel Twiggs, being informed that a detachment of forty mounted grenadiers under Captain Muller was advancing to attack him, sent forward Major Cooper with thirty men to meet the enemy. Cooper formed his command across a rice-dam upon which Muller was advanc- ing, and after a short, but fierce conflict, during which Muller was mortally wounded, the whole of the enemy were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The American loss was only two officers wounded.
The situation of the wounded required the as- sistance of a surgeon, and Savannah being the nearest place where one could be obtained, Wil- liam Myddleton offered his services to carry a flag for that purpose. Captain Muller died be- fore the surgeon's arrival. While Myddleton was in Provost's quarters, a British officer requested him to narrate the circumstances attending the skirmish. After he had given the particulars, the officer observed, that " If an angel was to tell him that Captain Muller, who had served twenty- one years in the king's guards, had been defeated by an equal number of rebels, he would disbelieve it." Myddleton requested the officer's address,
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BRITISH VESSEL CAPTURED.
and observed that they were not then on equal terms, but hoped to have it in his power at a future time to call him to an account for his rudeness. Colonel Provost rebuked the officer for using such improper language to the bearer of a flag.
On the 3d of August, Captain Samuel Spen- cer sailed into Sapelo Sound, when one of the enemy's vessels, of six guns, ran down and at- tacked him. The engagement was well supported for fifteen minutes, when the enemy was boarded and surrendered. Spencer had one man wounded : the British, one killed, five wounded, and twelve made prisoners. Spencer divided his crew, and collected a number of negroes and other pro- perty, which he carried in safety to the owners, who had fled to Carolina. The prisoners were paroled and landed on Sapelo Island.
Ten days previous to the above gallant little affair, Sir James Wright returned from England and resumed the government of Georgia ; but he was not suffered to remain long in the quiet per- formance of his official duties.
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
CHAPTER XVI.
France acknowledges the independence of the United States -D'Estaing agrees to co-operate with Lincoln-British pre- parations for defence-French forces disembarked-D'Es- taing demands the surrender of Savannah-Truce granted -Provost reinforced-Siege of Savannah-Assault-Re- pulse of the combined armies-Jasper wounded-Count Pulaski wounded-Force of the allied army-Force of the British-Siege raised-Lincoln retreats to Ebenezer.
WHILE Georgia was thus ineffectually strug- gling in the grasp of her conquerors, an event occurred which, while it roused the timid and recalled the wavering, inspired all those who still clung fearlessly to the cause of freedom, with the liveliest hopes of eventual success.
France acknowledged the independence of the United States, and on the 6th of February, 1778, negotiated with the American commissioners at Paris a treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive. -
Having thus become a party to the war, pre- parations were made to render the colonies that assistance which, from the increased efforts of Great Britain to recover her lost authority, was now becoming imperatively necessary.
A fleet was fitted out, and an army sent to the West Indies, under the orders of the Count D'Estaing. They made the conquest of the
175
PROPOSED OPERATIONS.
islands of St. Vincent and Grenada, and retired to Cape Francois.
As the recovery of Georgia was of the utmost importance, the co-operation of the French forces in the West Indies was solicited for that purpose. Count D'Estaing immediately returned a favour- able response, and sailed from Cape Francois on the 20th of August, 1779, after despatching to Charleston two ships of the line and three frigates in advance, to concert a plan of operations with the American general.
General Lincoln made every exertion to collect an army, and was sanguine in his hopes of suc- cess in the execution of the concerted plan. The 11th of September was the time appointed for the rendezvous of the two armies at Savannah, and preparations were made to invest the place.
The militia took the field with alacrity, sup- - posing that nothing further would be necessary than to march to Savannah and demand a surren- der. Colonel Maitland, with eight hundred men, retained his position at Beaufort, and General Lincoln had fixed his quarters at Sheldon, to pre- vent them from spreading into the country to obtain provisions : thus occupied, General Lin- coln could not march to Savannah until the French troops were ready to land.
As soon as the probability of an attack in force became known at Savannah, Provost called in his outposts, and endeavoured to make his fortifi-
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
cations as strong as possible. Thirteen redoubts and fifteen batteries were completed, and mounted with seventy-six pieces of cannon. The guns and batteries were manned by the seamen from the ships of war, transports, and merchant ves- sels in the harbour. A number of field-pieces, protected by intrenchments, were placed in re- serve.
In the mean time, General McIntosh pressed forward from Augusta toward Savannah accom- panied by the infantry under his command, and a body of cavalry under Count Pulaski. Before the enemy were apprized of his approach, the latter cut off one of their pickets, killed, wounded, and captured eleven men, and opened a commu- nication to the sea-shore.
McIntosh advanced toward Ogechee Ferry, but so soon as a body of French troops had landed, he returned and halted three miles from Savannah, until Lincoln should arrive.
On the 6th of September, the French fleet ap- peared off Savannah bar ; but it was not until the morning of the 16th, that Count D'Estaing was able to approach within three miles of the town, and demand a surrender.
In answer to the summons, Provost proposed a suspension of hostilities for twenty-four hours, to which D'Estaing agreed. The latter had not then formed a junction with the American forces under Lincoln, and was entirely ignorant of the
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BRITISH GARRISON REINFORCED.
advantages which would have accrued from an immediate attack.
Lincoln reached Millen's plantation on the Ogechee the same day, and proceeded directly to pay his respects to the Count D'Estaing, and fix on the plan of future operations. The latter suggested that no time should be lost, as it was necessary for the fleet to leave the coast as early as possible, from the dangerous character of the hurricanes which usually visited it at that season of the year. Measures were thus precipitated, which, under other and more fortunate circum- stances, would have been arranged with greater coolness and system.
General Provost exercised great military judg- ment in soliciting twenty-four hours for conside- ration, because he calculated with great certainty that within that time Colonel Maitland would arrive with eight hundred troops from Beaufort. There is but little doubt that on this event rested all his hopes of saving the garrison. When the fleet first appeared off the coast, the enemy had but twenty-three pieces of cannon mounted upon the redoubts and batteries, to defend an extent by land and water of near three miles.
On the evening of the 16th, Maitland arrived at Dawfuskie ; guided by some negro fisherman, he was enabled to avoid the Savannah River, and by passing through various creeks in small boats, gained the town-in safety.
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
The acquisition of this formidable reinforce- ment effected a complete change in the condition of the desponding garrison. A signal was made, and three cheers given, which rang from one end of the town to the other. In the afternoon of the 17th, Provost notified D'Estaing of his deter- mination to defend the place.
Mortified at receiving a defiance when he was confidently anticipating a surrender, and the fa- vourable moment for reducing the fortress by assault having been suffered to pass away, no prospect of success now offered but the tedious operations of a siege. This was what the enemy wished. The principal engineer had declared that if the allied army would once resort to the spade, he would pledge himself for the success of the defence.
To prevent the French frigates from coming so near the town as to aid the operations by land, two ships and four transports were sunk in a narrow part of the channel below, while similar obstructions were placed above the town, to pre- vent the galleys which passed up the North river from assailing them in that direction. One of the Frigates and two galleys anchored near the wrecks; but the enemy's guns, mounted upon batteries forty feet above the surface of the water, soon compelled them to retire.
From this time until the evening of the 7th of October, the siege was vigorously pressed by the
179 1
SIEGE OF SAVANNAH.
allied forces, and as vigorously resisted on the part of the enemy.
Count D'Estaing having been a month on the American coast, and the fleet close in shore, his naval officers remonstrated with him on the dan- gerous situation 'it was in, and the hazard of being attacked by the British fleet while theirs was in bad condition, and while many of their officers and men were on shore. To these remonstrances were added the commencement of an extraordina- ry disease in the French camp, and the approach of the hurricane season, usually so destructive on the southern sea-coast of the United States. These considerations determined Count D'Estaing to call a council of war, in which it was the opi- nion of the engineers that it would require ten days more to work into the enemy's lines ; upon which it was determined to try to carry them by an assault.
Accordingly, on the 8th of October, General Lincoln issued his orders for the attack, which was to be made at four o'clock the following morning.
He divided the infantry into two bodies; the first, consisting of the light troops under Colonel Laurens, to which the grenadiers were attached. The second, composed of the continental bat- talions and the Charleston militia.
Pulaski, who commanded the cavalry, had orders to penetrate the enemy's lines between
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
the battery on the left of the Spring Hill redoubt, and the next toward the river. He was to be supported by the light troops and grenadiers, and reinforced, if necessary, by the first South Caro- lina regiment.
The militia of the first and second brigades, together with General Williamson's and the two battalions of Charleston militia, were ordered to the trenches, and to subject themselves to the commanding officer there. Previous to this, how- ever, five hundred of the militia were to be drafted and placed under the command of Gene- ral Huger, who was directed to march to the left of the enemy's lines, and make his attack as near to the river as possible. This was intended only as a feint, but Huger was authorized, if an opportunity offered, to convert it into a positive attack and push into the town.
On the night of the 8th, a sergeant of the Charleston grenadiers deserted, and communi- cated to the British general the plan of attack and the time when it was to be made. Being ap- prized that the Spring Hill redoubt and batteries was the point where the principal effort was to be sustained, and that the menace on the left of the works by Huger was but a feint, he made his dispositions accordingly. He removed the principal part of his force from the left of his works to the right, near to the Spring Hill, and
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ASSAULT ON SAVANNAH.
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placed that part of the defences under the orders of Lieutenant-colonel Maitland.
By one of those strange fatalities which seemed to accompany every attempt made by the Americans to release Georgia from the grasp of the British, the attack, which was ordered to take place at four o'clock on the morning of the 9th, was delayed until clear daylight. An op- portunity was thus afforded the garrison of di- recting their fire upon the assailants with terrible effect, while the latter were in the act of advanc- ing toward the works. The French columns passed the abatis, crowded into the moat, and ascended to the town under a galling fire in front and flank. The carnage was awful, but no useful impression made.
Lieutenant-colonel Laurens, with the light troops, advanced by the left of the French column, attacked Maitland's redoubt, and succeeded in gaining the parapet, where Lieutenants Bush and Hume set the colours of the second regiment of South Carolina : both those gallant officers were immediately shot down. Lieutenant Gray sup- ported the colours, and was mortally wounded. Sergeant Jasper, seeing Gray fall, seized the colours and supported them, until he also received a wound, which proved mortal. At this point, the assault and resistance were of the most daring character.
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McIntosh, at the head of the left column of
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
the American troops, forced his way into the ditch of the works north of the Maitland redoubt.
Count D'Estaing, early in the assault, received a wound in the arm, but remained at his post until a wound in his thigh made it necessary to bear him off the field.
Count Pulaski, while attempting to pass the works into the town, received a cannon-shot in the groin, of which he fell near the abatis. Huger made his attack as directed, and having accomplished the object of his orders, retired with the loss of twenty-eight men.
Finding it impossible to make any impression upon the works of the enemy, the commanding generals ordered a retreat. On the retreat, it was recollected by his corps that Count Pulaski had been left near the abatis ; some of his men immediately forced their way through the firing and bore him off, though the heroic Pole was wounded mortally.
The loss of the allied army in this most rash but spirited assault was nearly eleven hundred men killed and wounded. Among the latter were the Count D'Estaing, Major-general De Fontange, the Chevalier D'Ernonville, and Count Pulaski. D'Ernonville was taken prisoner, his arm being broken by a ball. If he had consented to an amputation, he would probably have sur- vived. When urged to the measure by General Provost, he refused; saying, that with but one
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THE SIEGE RAISED.
hand, he could not serve his prince in the field, and if so disabled, life was not worth preserving. He died on the 25th of December, and was buried with all the honours of war.
The loss of the British during the assault was only fifty-five killed and wounded. How many they lost during the siege is not known.
The combined force employed against Savan- nah was four thousand nine hundred and fifty men. That of the enemy, twenty-eight hun- dred and fifty, including Indians and armed slaves.
General Lincoln urged that Count D'Estaing would agree to continue the siege of Savannah ; but the reasons which the count gave for propos- ing the assault still obtained : it was further urged, that the troops of France were reduced by the consequences of the siege, in killed and wounded, and by disease, which was increasing, to less than fifteen hundred men fit for duty, on the 18th of October ; and that the American troops under General Lincoln did not exceed twelve hundred effectives. In addition, there were good reasons for a belief that the British fleet at New York, with an army on board, was preparing for a southern expedition ; and in the present sickly condition of the crews of the fleet, and the re- duced force of the combined troops, who were not more than equal to the besieged, it would be highly imprudent to remain and risk the conse-
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
quences. The count notified General Lincoln of his determination to raise the siege.
General Lincoln retreated to Ebenezer, and on the 19th of October he left the army for Charles- ton, with orders to march to that place.
There was great dissatisfaction expressed by the citizens of Georgia at the determination of D'Estaing to raise the siege. Many of them had been under British protection, and having re- sumed their arms in opposition to the royal go- vernment, they were apprehensive of the con- sequences if they again fell into the enemy's hands. Notwithstanding these murmurs, General Lincoln by prudent management silenced the expressions of discontent, and the allied forces separated with mutual assurances of esteem and affection.
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HEROIC DEVOTION.
CHAPTER XVII.
Heroic instances of devotion to freedom-The grenadiers of Count Dillon-Anecdote of Lieutenant Lloyd-Sergeant Jasper-His daring bravery at Fort Moultrie-His roving commission-Captures ten men near Savannah-Presented with a sword by Governor Rutledge-Plants the colours on Spring Hill redoubt-Is mortally wounded-Count Pulaski -His early life-Confederates with others for the redemp- tion of Poland-Captures Stanislaus-Seeks refuge in France Appointed a brigadier-general in the American service-His death.
IF the siege of Savannah was unfortunate in many respects, it yet afforded many cheering instances of heroic devotion to the cause of free- dom.
Count Dillon, commander of the Irish brigade in the service of France, and who led on the third column of the allied armies in their assault of the British garrison, anxious that his regiment should signalize itself, offered one hundred guineas as a reward to the first of his grenadiers that should plant a fascine in the fosse, which was exposed to the whole fire of the garrison. Not one offered to advance. The count, mortified and disappointed beyond measure, began upbraid- ing them with cowardice, when the sergeant-major made the following noble reply :- " Had you not, sir, held out a sum of money as a temptation, your grenadiers would, one and all, have presented
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HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
themselves." They did so instantly, and out of one hundred and ninety-four, of which the com- pany consisted, only ninety returned alive.
Previous to the assault, some Georgia officers who had no commands, and other private gentle- men to the number of thirty, formed themselves into a volunteer corps, under Colonel Marbury. Of this little party eleven were either killed or wounded. Among the latter was Lieutenant Edward Lloyd, whose arm had been carried away by a cannon-ball. While a surgeon was employed in dressing the remaining stump of this young officer's arm, Major James Jackson observed to him, that his prospect was unpromising, from the heavy burden which hard fate had imposed upon him, as a young man who was just entering into life. Lloyd answered that, unpromising as it was, he would not willingly exchange it for the feel- ings of Lieutenant Stedman, who had fled at the commencement of the assault.
The conduct of Sergeant Jasper merits still more particular notice. At the commencement of the Revolutionary war, Sergeant Jasper enlisted in the second South Carolina regiment of infan- try, commanded. by Colonel Moultrie. He dis- tinguished himself in a particular manner at the attack which was made upon Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island, on the 25th of June, 1776.
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