The British rule was most stringent and exacting, subjecting the inhabitants to every manner of annoyance. A reward of two guineas was offered for every citizen that adhered to the American cause and ten guineas for every committeeman or assemblyman that should be delivered up to the king's officers. All articles of merchandise, country produce, and market vegetables had to be sold at fixed prices, and only by those who had taken the oath of allegiance; if these rules were violated the articles were confiscated, and if the trader sold to any other than loyal persons he was fined two hundred pounds. Those who remained true to the cause of liberty were, consequently, dependent upon the charity of those who had taken the oath. Their sufferings were almost beyond endurance, but had to be borne uncomplainingly, for the least murmur of complaint was reported to headquarters by spies, and the complainant arrested, subjected to insult, and in most instances deprived of his property by confiscation.¹ These persecutions were borne without a hope of relief until the fall of 1779, when the people were overjoyed by the appearance of a French fleet and army and the American army near the town, which they thought would recapture the town and relieve them from the oppressors.

    General Howe, shortly after his defeat here, was relieved by General Benjamin Lincoln. Early in 1778 a treaty was effected between France and the United States, and common cause was made against the British. The French government sent a large fleet and a small army over, under Count d'Estaing, to cooperate with the Americans. A plan for the capture of the British army in Philadelphia by the combined armies failed, owing to a storm which prevented the fleet from arriving in time. Count d'Estaing then sailed to the West Indies and captured two towns, Grenada and St. Vincent. While there General Lincoln, through the French Consul, solicited his cooperation in a proposed attempt to recapture Savannah. Count d'Estaing agreed to the plan, and it was arranged for the combined forces to appear in front of the town on the 17th of September, 1779.

    On the 3d of September Count d'Estaing's fleet arrived off Tybee, the fleet consisting of twenty line-of-battle and two fifty-gun ships, eleven frigates, and five small armed vessels, with five thousand soldiers. The arrival was utterly unexpected by the British, and a portion of their fleet, under Sir James Wallace (son-in-law of Governor Wright), was captured. Colonel Joseph Habersham, who had been instructed by General Lincoln to meet Count d'Estaing at Tybee and make arrangements for the disembarkation of the French, effected an interview on the 11th, when it was decided to land the following night. Accordingly, shortly after dark the troops were placed in small vessels and conveyed to Beaulieu (the old seat of President William Stephens), about twelve miles from Savannah, and by the 15th all of the troops were landed at this place and intrenching tools sent ashore at Thunderbolt. General Lachlan McIntosh and Count Casimir Pulaski marched from Augusta and swept the enemy's advanced guards out of the way, capturing and killing some and driving the others into town. General McIntosh then fell back about three miles from town and County Pulaski marched to Beaulieu, effecting a junction with County d'Estaing on the 15th. The following day the line of march was taken up for Savannah, in front of which they arrived at noon.

    Meanwhile the British had not been idle. The arrival of the French fleet was communicated to General Prevost on the 4th of September. Anticipating that an attack upon the town was shortly intended, he ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Cruger, at Sunbury, and Lieutenant-Colonel Maitland, at Beaufort, to report with their commands. Some old redoubts thrown up as a protection against the Indians, but which were considered so worthless and disadvantageously placed that the Americans fought outside of them when attacked by the British in 1778, had been repaired by the British and twenty-three guns placed in position previous to the arrival of the French fleet. A force of twelve hundred men, three hundred of whom were Negroes, were set to work under the direction of Major Moncrief, constructing new works, mounting guns, and making other preparations to resist the apprehended attack. By the sixteenth, a chain of redoubts thirteen in number, mounting seventy-six guns and mortars, a number of which had been taken from the vessels, were thrown up. These redoubts extended from the river at a point a little east of what is now East Broad street to the New barracks,² thence diverged to what is now South Broad street, thence to where the Central Railroad depot and workshops now stand. This point was then known as Spring Hill, and was the best fortified position on the lines, and commanded the road to Ebenezer and Augusta. The Musgrove creek and swamp on the west side of the city were almost impassable, and therefore only two small redoubts were thrown up on that side of the town. As a precautionary measure, the Germain was anchored off the mouth of the creek to rake the rice fields along that stream. Prevost, fearing that the French frigates would sail close up to town and fire into the rear of his lines, sunk six vessels, the Fowey, Savannah, and four transports, across the channel below the town. Several small vessels were sunk above the town and a boom laid across the river to prevent fire rafts from floating down the river among the shipping. On the 10th Colonel Cruger arrived, and with his forces aided in constructing the defences. In addition to the regular soldiers, Prevost had all of the sailors of the armed and merchant vessels posted at the guns; the three hundred Negroes were also armed. All of these preparations were completed when d'Estaing arrived; yet Prevost was not satisfied that he could make a successful resistance without Maitland's troops, eight hundred in number, who were hourly expected, and desired to gain time.

    We left d'Estaing a short distance from town on the 16th. His troops had hardly halted before he sent a pompous demand for the immediate surrender of the town, as follows:

    Count d'Estaing summons his Excellency General Prevost to surrender to the arms of the King of France. He apprises him that he will be personally responsible for all the events and misfortunes that may arise from a defence, which by the superiority of the force that attacks him, both by sea and land, is rendered manifestly vain and of no effect.

    He gives notice to him also, that any resolution he may venture to come to, either before the attack, in the course of it, or at the moment of the assault, of setting fire to the shipping, or small craft belonging to the army, or to the merchants in the river of Savannah, as well as to all the magazines in the town, will be imputable to him only.

    The situation of Hospital bill in the Grenadas, the strength of the three intrenchments and stone redoubts which defended it, and the comparative disposition of the troops before the town of Savannah, with a single detachment which carried the Grenadas by assault, should be a lesson to futurity. Humanity obliges the County d'Estaing to recall this event to his memory; having so done, he has nothing to reproach himself with.

    Lord Macartney had the good fortune to escape from the first transport of troops who entered a town sword in hand, but notwithstanding the most valuable effects were deposited in a place supposed by all the officers and engineers to be impregnable, Count d'Estaing could not have the happiness of preventing their being pillaged.

ESTAING.

    To this pompous demand General Prevost sent the following reply:

CAMP NEAR SAVANNAH, September 16, 1779

    SIR: I am just now honored with your Excellency's letter of this date, containing a summons for me to surrender this town to the arms of his Majesty the King of France; which I had just delayed to answer till I had shown it to the King's civil governor.

    I hope your Excellency will have a better opinion of me, and of British troops, than to think either will surrender on general summons, without any specific terms.

    If you, Sir, have any to propose, that may with honor be accepted of by me, you can mention them, both with regard to civil and military; and I will then give my answer. In the meantime I will promise, upon my honor, that nothing with my consent or knowledge shall be destroyed in either this town or river.

    To this Count d"Estaing replied:

CAMP BEFORE SAVANNAH, September 16th, 1779

    The junction will probably be effected this day. If I have not an answer, therefore, immediately, you must confer in future with General Lincoln and me.

    General Prevost replied:

CAMP NEAR SAVANNAH, September 16th, 1779

    Count d'Estaing replied as follows, granting the request, yet intimating that he knew the cause of it:

CAMP BEFORE SAVANNAH, September 16th, 1779

    The whole day was spent in the interchange of these notes, which resulted in Prevost's obtaining the time he so much desired. The following day General Lincoln arrived and held a council of war with d'Estaing, who informed him of what had transpired. General Lincoln was much displeased at the unseemly haste and lack of courtesy of d'Estaing, and so expressed himself.

    During the interchange of notes between Prevost and d'Estaing Colonel Maitland was making all speed to join Prevost. His command, in small vessels, arrived in the river, during a dense fog, early on the 17th. The French squadron lay a little way up the river. An attempt to pass them would only have caused the destruction or capture of his command, and Maitland knew not what to do. Fortune and the ignorance of the commander of the French fleet favored him. A negro oystering near by was captured, and in response to interrogations concerning the channel informed Maitland that he knew of a way of reaching Savannah without passing in range of the guns of the fleet. The Negro was pressed into service and piloted the vessels through Wall's cut³ into the river above the hostile squadron. A few more moments and the troops were landed upon the bluff amid the cheers of the garrison, which now numbered twenty-eight hundred men. There were now one hundred and eighteen guns, including field pieces, in position, the redoubts were in order, the approaches to them protected by abattis, and a sufficient number of men to cope with the enemy. Prevost and his troops, before the arrival of Maitland, were depressed, believing the town would have to be surrendered; in fact, the incipient measures to that end had been taken. Now all were hopeful and the commander confident that he could make a successful resistance; and an hour after receiving the reinforcement addressed the following note to Count d'Estaing:

SAVANNAH, September 17, 1779

    I have the honor to be                                              A. PREVOST.

    The turn affairs had taken was entirely unanticipated, and the elation it occasioned among the British had a corresponding depressing influence among the allied forces. The opportunity for taking the town by assault, which could have been easily done on the 16th or early on the 17th, had passed. A siege was determined upon. As it was not anticipated that this would have to be done no preparations had been made for it; consequently, considerable delay ensued in procuring the requisite cannon, mortars, and ammunition from the French fleet.

    A new work was begun by the British, on the night of the 21st, in front of the New barracks for six and nine-pounders. The walls of the barracks were also pulled down to within a few feet of the ground and the bricks thrown in front and on either side. These were covered with sand and dirt and a most formidable work made. This was done during the night. The besiegers, who had observed the building up to the night before and pointed it out as a good mark for their gunners, were much surprised the next morning not to see any trace of the building and to receive a severe fire of artillery from the spot where it stood only twelve hours before.

    On the night of the 23d both the American and French armies broke ground together, about a mile from the enemy's works, the Americans on the left. On the night of the 24th a sap was pushed forward to within three hundred yards of the Spring Hill redoubt. At nine o'clock A.M., on the 25th, Major Graham, of the 16th regiment, made a sortie for the purpose of reconnoitering the position of the allies. They dashed up to the sap and momentarily had possession of it. The French immediately dislodged the British and pursued them so ardently that they unexpectedly rushed under the guns of the British redoubts. The artillery was brought into play and the French fell back to the main line, with a loss of fifteen killed and thirty-five or forty wounded. The British lost seven killed and fifteen wounded.

    The 25th and 26th were spent in harmless cannonading and picket firing. At night on the 27th Major McArthur, of the 71st, sallied out to a small advanced work of the French, hoping to spike some cannon. He was discovered, and after firing a few rounds retreated unperceived. The French attempted to gain his left and the Americans his right flank. The advance of each party met, and each thinking the other the British, commenced a brisk fire. About fifty lives were lost before the mistake was discovered.

    On the 28th the French frigate La Trinitie sailed up the Back river and anchored opposite the town. Two galleys at the same time moved up to the sunken vessels and fired upon the town, being joined by the frigate. The frigate was too far off, and her shots did no execution. The fire from the galleys injured several of the houses.

    General Lachlan McIntosh on the 29th solicited and obtained permission from General Lincoln to send a flag-of-truce to General Prevost, requesting him to permit Mrs. McIntosh and children, and such other women and children as desired, to leave town during the siege. Major Jones bore the flag and found Mrs. McIntosh and children in a cellar, where they had been for six days. All of the cellars were crowded with the women and children. General Prevost, imagining that by retaining the women and children in town the besiegers would be restrained from throwing bombs and carcasses into it, refused to allow anyone to leave.

    During the night of the first of October, Colonel John White, with Captains George Melvin and A. G. Elholm and three soldiers, reconnoitred the position of Captain French, who, with five vessels, four of them fully armed, had attempted to sail up the Savannah river and reinforce Prevost, but the presence of the French fleet prevented and he sailed up the Ogeechee, intending to march his force of one hundred and thirty men over land. Arriving at a point about twenty miles from Savannah he ascertained that the Americans and French were between him and town. He concluded to await events and made a descent on shore, posting his men in an advantageous position, which was further protected by the vessels which were stationed so that they could aid in repelling an attack. Colonel White fully reconnoitred the position and formed the bold plan of capturing the men and vessels with his small force of five men. White gives an account of the affair in his "Historical Collections of Georgia", from which we extract it:

    The party then built a large number of watch fires around the camp, placing them in such a position and at such intervals as to induce Captain French and his soldiers to believe that they were absolutely surrounded by a large force. The deception was kept up through the night by White and his companions, marching from fire to fire with the measured tread and the loud challenge of sentinels, now hailing from the east of the British camp, and then shifting rapidly their position and challenging from the extreme west. Nor was this the only stratagem; each mounted a horse and rode with haste in divers directions, imitating the manner of the staff, and giving orders with a loud voice. The delusion was complete. Captain French suffered himself to be completely trapped. White carried his daring plan forward by dashing boldly and alone to the camp of the British and demanding a conference with French. "I am commander, Sir," he said, "of the American soldiers in your vicinity. If you will surrender at once to my force, I will see to it that no injury is done to you or your command. If you decline to do this, I must candidly inform you that the feelings of my troops are highly incensed against you, and I can by no means be responsible for any consequences that may ensue." French thanked him for his humanity, and said, despondingly, that it was useless to contend with fate or with the large force that he saw was around him, and announced his willingness to surrender his vessels, his arms, his men, and himself to Colonel White. At this instant Captain Elholm came suddenly dashing up at full speed, and saluting White, inquired of him were he should place the artillery. "Keep them back, keep them back, Sir," answered White, "the British have surrendered. Move your men off, and send me three guides to conduct them to the American post at Sunbury." The three guides arrived. The five vessels were burned, and the British, urged by White to keep clear of his men, and to hasten their departure from the enraged and formidable Americans, pushed on with great celebrity, whilst White retired with one or two of his associates, stating that he would go to his troops in the rear and restrain them. He now employed himself in collecting the neighborhood militia, with which he overtook his guides and conducted the prisoners in safety to the Sunbury post.

    "The extraordinary address of White," says General Lee in his account of the affair, "was contrasted by the extraordinary folly of Captain French, and both were necessary to produce this wonderful issue. The affair approaches too near the marvelous to have been admitted into these memoirs, had it not been uniformly asserted as uniformly accredited and never contradicted."

    The French frigate and galleys cannonaded the left of the enemy's line on the third, which, says a British account, "had no other effect than to point out where to make traverses." At midnight of the same day the batteries of the allies opened fire on the town, continuing it until two o'clock, then ceasing, only to resume at daybreak, with thirty-seven guns and a number of mortars from the land side and sixteen guns from the frigate. The British batteries responded, and the cannonading was kept up at intervals throughout the day, without much damage to the soldiers or works of either army, but missiles from the besiegers killed several women and children and three or four Negroes. A young mother with an infant in her arms was lying on the bed in a house in the central part of the town, when a shell passed through, in its course killing both mother and child.

    The fifth was passed in comparative quiet; but on the sixth the besiegers resumed the bombardment, which demolished several houses and burnt one. At eleven o'clock General Prevost sent the following request to Count d'Estaing:

CAMP SAVANNAH, October 6th 1779

    As General Prevost had refused to grant a similar request made by the allies on the 29th, they refused to accede to this request, assigning their reasons therefore in the reply, which is as follows:

CAMP BEFORE SAVANNAH, October 6th, 1779

    There was no cessation of hostilities during this correspondence; the bombardment was continued throughout the day, also on the seventh and eighth, neither besiegers nor besieged suffering materially from it. Early on the morning of the eighth, Captain l'Enfant with five men rushed up under a heavy fire to the abattis in front of the British works and attempted to burn it, but failed, owing to the greenness of the wood and the damp air. This was done to remove, if possible, these obstructions preparatory to an assault which had been determined upon. The Spring Hill redoubt was selected as the point to be attacked, and before dawn on the ninth as the time for the assault. On the 8th General Lincoln issued orders for the troops to be supplied with forty round of ammunition and to parade after midnight. Count d'Estaing was to lead the attack with the French, followed by Pulaski with his legion, which was ordered to penetrate the enemy's line between the Spring Hill redoubt and the next toward the river, then pass to the left into Yamacraw and secure all parties of the enemy in that quarter. The Americans under command of Colonel Laurens were to follow Pulaski. Count Dillon, with a small body of French, was to attack on the left of the Augusta road. Colonel Huger was to proceed around to the enemy's left with five hundred men and make an attack at four o'clock. This attack was only intended as a feint. Each soldier was forbidden to fire his weapon before the redoubt was carried; and to distinguish them from the enemy, each was ordered to wear a piece of white paper in his hat. It was also ordered that if the troops were repulsed after taking the Spring Hill redoubt they were to rally in rear of that redoubt; and if repulsed before taking it, to rally at the Jews' burying-ground.⁴ The allies were confident of success and impatiently awaited the order for attack. During the night a sergeant major of the American grenadiers deserted to the enemy, carrying a copy of the order for the attack. General Prevost had expected an attack, but thought it would be made upon his left, which was more easily approached than any other portion of his line. Acting upon this information he reinforced the right of his line and assigned Colonel Graham to command there.

    Unaware that their plan of attack was known to the enemy the allies moved forward to the assault, but owning to the darkness failed to reach the positions assigned them until daylight. The British were on the alert, and as soon as they were seen opened a heavy fire upon them. This was not anticipated, but, nothing daunted, the French pushed forward, followed by the Americans on the left. Both parties reached the redoubt and planted their flags upon it, but in a few moments were driven away, only to press forward again. The 2d South Carolina was foremost in the attack, and its standard was planted upon the work by Lieutenants Bush and Hume. They were almost instantly killed, and the colors fell with them into the ditch. Lieutenant Gray then seized them and once more they floated from the works, but he, too, was shot down. At his fall Sergeant Jasper rushed forward and bore them aloft, but human endurance could not withstand the terrific fire of the British and the Americans retreated, Sergeant Jasper carrying off the colors.⁵ Count Dillon lost his way in Musgrove swamp, and early in the morning found himself exposed to the fire of the vessels off Musgrove creek and the redoubts in front. He endeavored to advance, but was speedily driven back. Count d'Estaing succeeded in effecting a lodgment on the left of the Spring Hill redoubt, but being wounded twice had to be carried off the field and his troops were thrown into disorder. Count Pulaski broke through the lines, as ordered, and was pushing forward, when he heard that d'Estaing was wounded and both the Americans and French retreating. He left his command with Colonel Horry and galloped to the front of the retreating troops and bade them follow him. Animated by his brave example and cheering words, a large number turned and again advanced to the Spring Hill redoubt. A small cannon-shot struck Pulaski in the groin as he was entering the redoubt, and he fell from his horse. This discouraged the troops and they retreated, leaving Pulaski on the field. Hearing of this a large number of his legion advanced through the terrible fire and bore him to the rear. The British under Major Glasier followed the allies, but their retreat was so well covered by General Lincoln that the enemy took no prisoners and suffered considerably for their boldness. Colonel Huger made the feint on the left as ordered. The enemy were prepared, and received him with music and musket and cannon balls. He lost twenty-eight men and retreated.

    The allies having lost a large number in killed and wounded were dispirited, and were glad to seek shelter behind their works, leaving the enemy complete masters of the situation. The conflict begun at daybreak and was over by nine o'clock, and at ten Prevost was requested to grant a truce to bury the dead and carry off the wounded, who were strewn in and on the works, in the ditch, and in front. Prevost granted a truce of four hours, stipulating that only those some distance from the works should be buried or cared for by their friends. Those of the dead near were buried by the British, and the wounded, one hundred and eighteen in number, sent over. The British lost over one hundred men during the siege, fifty-seven of whom were killed during the assault.⁶ The combined army numbered four thousand nine hundred and fifty men, and lost in the assault eleven hundred men killed and wounded - six hundred and forty French and four hundred and sixty Americans.

    This bloody repulse disheartened the besiegers, but General Lincoln still desired to continue the siege. In this he was opposed by Count d'Estaing, who feared to remain longer with his fleet, lest it should suffer from the autumnal gales. It was therefore determined to retreat. A bold front was shown the enemy while the ordnance and stores were being placed on the ships; and a few days after the assault the besiegers disappeared, the Americans retreated to Zubly's ferry, and the French re-embarked at Causton's bluff. The fleet sailed from Tybee on the 2nd of November, encountering a heavy gale, which dispersed the ships.

    Among the more noted personages killed and wounded during the assault were Counts d'Estaing and Pulaski, Major General d'Fontagnes, Chevalier d'Ernonville, Colonel John White, Majors Pierce Butler and John Jones,⁷ and Sergeant Jasper.

    Count Pulaski fell about the spot now occupied by the Central Railroad depot. He was born in the province of Lithuania, Poland in the year 1746. He was elected leader of a band of patriots confederated together to relieve their native land from the oppressive rule of Russia. Austrian and Prussian troops were sent to assist the Russian forces stationed in Poland. Against these overwhelming odds the little band bravely contended, but was overpowered and the most severe punishments inflicted on those captured. Pulaski and other noblemen fled to France. Here he learned of the struggle of the Americans for independence, and tendered his services, which were accepted by Congress and the rank of Brigadier General conferred upon him. Owing to the dissatisfaction of the officers under him he resigned, after having distinguished himself in several engagements. He was then empowered to raise a legion, which was soon after organized.

    The Count, after his removal to the rear and the extraction of the ball from his groin, was placed on a vessel to be sent to Charleston. He vessel had hardly sailed out of the harbor before he died. The body immediately became so offensive that the captain was compelled to consign it to the depths of the sea.⁸ The funeral services were performed in Charleston, where the announcement of the death of the brave Pole caused, as it did throughout the American colonies, the most intense grief.

    Of Sergeant Jasper there is much of interest to relate. No braver and truer soldier died for the cause of American liberty. During the assault upon the Spring Hill redoubt he was conspicuous for his bravery and coolness. Though mortally wounded, he bore off the flag after vainly attempting to plant it inside of the redoubt. After the engagement Colonel Horry called to see him and found his life-blood ebbing fast. He was aware of his condition, and in a faint voice requested the Colonel to give the sword presented by Governor Rutledge to his father, and "tell him that I have worn it with honor, and if he should weep, tell him I died in the hope of a better life. Tell Mrs. Elliott I lost my life supporting the colors which she presented to our regiment. If you should ever see Jones, his wife, and son, tell them Jasper is gone, but that the remembrance of the battle⁹ he fought for them brought a secret joy to his heart when it was about to stop its motion forever." He died a few moments later.