The Siege of Savannah, also known as the Second Battle of Savannah, was an important moment for the war effort in the southern colonies during the American Revolution. Despite possessing a numerical advantage and the assistance of French naval forces, the Franco-American Army was unable to capture the city. Today, much of the battlefield is gone; however, there remains various sites around Savannah related to the siege, to include a preserved section of the battlefield, a reconstructed redoubt, and a few monuments dedicated to some of the heroes who died there.
History
By late 1778, the war in the northern colonies amounted to nothing short of a stalemate, especially after France formally entered the conflict on the side of the patriots. In turn, the British war strategy shifted to the sea (to include operations in the West Indies) and to the southern colonies in hopes of capitalizing on an expected large loyalist population in the region. It was believed that if British military forces established a strong presence in Georgia and South Carolina, southern loyalists would “flock to the King’s Standard,” in the words of Lord Germain. Naturally, coastal cities such as Charleston and Savannah became prime targets.
On December 29, 1778, British Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell and ~3,500 troops captured Savannah, which provided the British military a launching point for future operations in the south. On January 17, 1779, British General Augustine Prevost arrived from East Florida and took command of all British forces in Savannah (Campbell was dispatched to capture the patriot city of Augusta, which fell into British hands on January 29th). By the summer of 1779, the British had gained a stronghold in Georgia and loyalists grew bold and violent in their retaliation against their patriot neighbors. Truly, the American cause was threatened throughout the southern colonies at this time.
By late summer 1779, General Benjamin Lincoln (pictured above on the left) was in command of the southern Continental Army in Charleston, South Carolina. He worked with South Carolina Governor, John Rutledge, and the French Consul in Charleston, Monsieur Plombard, to plead French Admiral Charles D’Estaing (pictured above on the right) to assist in recapturing Savannah. At the time, his fleet was stationed off of Cape Francois in Hispaniola, yet D’Estaing was eager to assist the patriots. By September 3rd, his ships began appearing off Tybee Island in Georgia. Shortly thereafter, D’Estaing’s fleet of 21 ships of the line, eight frigates, and five smaller vessels (with thousands of French soldiers) were stationed off the Savannah bar.
By mid-September, approximately 4,000 French troops were landed unopposed. Combined with the nearly 2,500 troops under command of General Lincoln, this made for an imposing force. British General Prevost had a garrison of about 1,700 soldiers in Savannah; however, he called for a nearby British force of 800 men under Colonel Maitland to proceed to Savannah immediately. General Prevost was able to delay the Franco-American attack by occupying D’Estaing in a lengthy back-and-forth letter writing campaign. This allowed Colonel Maitland crucial time to make it to Savannah (Maitland’s force was also shown a narrow, unknown passage by a local Gullah fisherman, which allowed them to sneak past the French and American troops). Once he realized he faced a larger force, D’Estaing chose to lay siege to the city.
When the siege of Savannah began on September 16th, the combined French and American force consisted of 6,583 troops. They faced ~2,500 British and loyalists troops, who manned the defensive works in and around Savannah. These defenses included a system of redoubts, batteries, and other earthworks (this included the well-known Spring Hill Redoubt). By September 23rd, Savannah was surrounded and at midnight on October 3rd, D’Estaing ordered the bombardment of the city. After five days of heavy bombardment, there was little sign that the British garrison was worn down. This frustrating lack of progress, combined with the threat of potential hurricanes, led to D’Estaing decision to carry out an assault against Savannah. General Lincoln concurred with the decision and on the evening of October 8th, orders were issued to the French and American troops that the attack would commence at 4AM on October 9th. Unfortunately for the allies, Sergeant Major James Curry defected that night to the enemy and divulged the attack plans to British General Prevost.
In the early hours of October 9th, French and American forces launched a massive assault against the British defensive works, with particular attention paid towards the Spring Hill Redoubt (it was mistakenly believed to be lighted defended by only loyalist troops). French soldiers, led by D’Estaing himself, pressed forth in the face of heavy musket and cannon fire. Although some progress was made and a portion of the French troops reached the British redoubts, they were repulsed. In total, the French carried out three assaults; however, grape shot fired from the British batteries and a raking fire from nearby British galleys ensured the French suffered mightily. In fact, D’Estaing was twice wounded during the assaults, in the arm and the right leg.
Unfortunately, the American troops met a similar fate. Two columns of soldiers, one led by Colonel John Laurens and the other by General Lachlan McIntosh, attacked Spring Hill Redoubt, led by General Casimir Pulaski’s cavalry. Amidst the chaos and incessant cannon fire, these men bravely pressed forth towards the earthworks; however, a heavy concentration of British grapeshot cut through the ranks. During this attack, General Pulaski led 200 troopers into the fray in an attempt to get between the enemy earthworks and enter the town, in hopes of creating mass confusion for the British. Despite the aggressive maneuvers of his cavalry, Pulaski and his men became caught up in the abatis placed around the British earthworks and were met with a severe crossfire. Pulaski was mortally wounded by canister shot, which struck him in the groin and right thigh.
One of the most famous individuals who partook in the assault on Savannah was Sergeant William Jasper. Sergeant Jasper gained fame during his actions in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in June 1778, when he bravely mounted a parapet to replace a flag (the iconic blue flag with a half moon and the word “liberty”) that was shot away by British naval gunfire. During the assault against Spring Hill Redoubt, Sergeant Jasper carried the colors of the Second South Carolina Regiment, when he was mortally wounded.
In the end, although two American standards had been planted on the British-held Spring Hill Redoubt, the galling fire was too much for the allied troops. As the French and American troops retreated, hundreds of dead soldiers were strewn about the field of battle, to include many who were mangled amidst the abatis. After the battle, D’Estaing reported the allied casualties at 760 French soldiers, 61 French officers, and 312 Americans (General Moultrie’s count was 637 French casualties and 457 American). On the British side, General Prevost reported 40 killed, 63 wounded, 4 missing, and 48 desertions.
The mortally wounded Pulaski was brought aboard the American brig Wasp and cared for by French surgeons; however, they were unable to save him and he died on October 11th on the ship while it was still in the Savannah River. Though the exact location of his burial is unknown (some say he was buried at sea), a skeleton was many years later dug up on the grounds of the Greenwich House, which was once occupied by French troops during the war. These remains were eventually re-interred underneath a monument dedicated to General Casimir Pulaski, which stands in Monterey Square in downtown Savannah (seen below).
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Our Visit & Recommendations
Today, all that remains from the Siege of Savannah is preserved as Battlefield Memorial Park (303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd). Although only a small portion of the original earthworks remain, a reconstruction of the Spring Hill Redoubt allows visitors to experience what it would have been like. Remarkably, this park is quite new- in 2003, the city purchased this portion of the battlefield and it wasn’t until 2005 when evidence of the location of the Spring Hill Redoubt was uncovered (the reconstructed redoubt was made in 2006).
When we visited, we were the only people walking around the area, which made for an enjoyable visit. There are quite a few things to see within the park. As mentioned, there is a large reconstructed redoubt, which provides a better understanding of how well-entrenched the British defenders were. An interpretive sign inside the redoubt provides some fascinating information about the British defenses in the fall of 1779, to include that fourteen such redoubts and additional batteries were constructed to defend Savannah.
If the intricate earthworks were not enough to deter attackers, the British also placed a barrier of wooden abatis (sharpened wooden poles placed in the ground) around the redoubts to slow soldiers and cavalry. Today, there is a portion of abatis placed near the redoubt to give visitors an idea of what the French and American troops faced. Interestingly, Pierre Charles L’Enfant (future designer of Washington D.C.) attempted to destroy and set fire to some of the abatis on the night before the battle (he was unsuccessful).
Interestingly, this reconstructed redoubt was not built on the exact site of the original Spring Hill Redoubt (though archeological research shows that the original redoubt was nearby). The original site is marked by an older stone monument, which stands atop a small berm. The tablet on this monument reads: “Upon this spot stood the Spring Hill Redoubt. Here on October 9, 1779, one of the bloodiest engagements of the Revolution was fought when repeated assaults were made by the allied troops of Georgia, South Carolina, and France, in an effort to retake Savannah from the British.”
To me, the most moving aspect of Battlefield Memorial Park were the 800 Georgia granite stones, which stretch out across a portion of the battlefield. These 800 stones are meant to represent the dead and wounded from the battle and are laid out in ranks of 10 across, mean to represent a column of soldiers (during the assault, there were five columns such as this which attacked the British defenses).
As you walk about these stones, you will notice that many of them are engraved with the names and details of those who fought (and some who died) in the battle. Additionally, some stones highlight revolutionary leaders who were instrumental in the southern theater of the war. Some names listed include General Pulaski, Sergeant Jasper, Francis Marion, Spanish General Bernardo de Gálvez (this monument also highlights the fact that people from multiple different countries participated in the battle).
Legacy
For some reason, the Siege of Savannah is unknown to most Americans and is woefully understudied. This seems surprising, especially when you consider that it was one of the first times French and American troops fought in battle together and because it was one of the bloodiest engagements of the entire war. Thankfully, many worked to preserve, remember, and share the fascinating history of the Siege of Savannah with visitors by creating Battlefield Memorial Park. If you’re ever in Savannah, take a moment to leave the beautiful squares and inviting waterfront to explore this incredible historic site and remember those who were lost.