Savannah in the American Revolution

 When discussing American Revolution, the battle of Savannah must come to mind due to its significance to the war. The Battle of Savannah is considered the start of the push by the British into the South. Savannah was considered a city with economic importance to the region, which was a conflict between the British, American, and French forces (Lumpkin, 2000). On 29th December 1778, Colonel Archibald Campbell, a British Lieutenant, led his power between 2,500 to 3,600 troops into Savannah. 

The British force made up of Hessian mercenaries, New York Loyalists, and the Highland regiment hurled a surprise attack on American militaries protecting Savannah, located in Georgia. Robert Howe, an American Major General, and his trifling troops of amid 650 to 900 people were brutally outstripped. In addition, Campbell outwitted the Continental troops by positioning a path that went through the wetland on the American position's right. Finally, Howe gave an order for everyone to evacuate the city and the militia to withdraw from the battle. On the course of the process, the Georgia Brigade served heavy losses the most it was separated from other forces of Howe (Lumpkin, 2000). In this battle, the British three men and the other ten were wounded while the Patriots lost eighty-three men and four hundred and eighty-three were captured. 

The British took control of Savannah and maintained it until the 11th of July 1782. Less than a year after the Redcoats captured Savannah, Colonial Forces along with French troops took Savanah into siege, but nevertheless failed to reclaim the the city. The Siege of Savannah, which happened from 23rd September to 18th October 1779, is described as the failed effort staged by French besides American armies to recapture control of the Savannah city from the British troops, who occupied it (Guss, 2002). Savannah's siege is considered part of the costly clashes during the revolutionary combat in terms of fatalities. 

The transnational armies on the rebels' side were composed of land and naval militaries under the command of Count Charles Henri d'Estaing from France. Irishmen of Dillon Regiment were under Colonel Arthur Dillon. On the other hand, a mixed force making a calvary termed as A Polish aristocrat commanded pulaski's Legion, by Casimir Pulaski's name. A force of militia and regulars under General Benjamin Lincoln made up a sum of around 7,000 men. Finally, British guards under the command of General Augustine Prevost, nearly one-half of the American-French power, were made of American Loyalists, Hessian mercenaries, Highland regulars, several Native Americans, and former African Americans slaves (Guss, 2002). The African American slaves were seeking freedom by the use of the enlistment approach. 

The French forces were made up of five hundred free Haitians who had an African descent and terming themselves the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Dominique (today a monument honors them in Franklin Square). Soldiers of African descent that were part of the Patriots were considered an anomaly during the events of the southern campaign as most of the American slaves made attempts of fleeing to join the British forces due to the lack of desire to protect their Patriot masters, who had the right to take them in as their slaves. Most of the Volontaires, in the end, went on to rebel against the French control in Haiti. Henri Christoph, a twelve-year-old drummer of Volontaires, had command of the Haitian revolutionary army and later became a Haitian king.

The Siege of Savannah ended with the allies losing two hundred and forty-four, five hundred and eighty-four being wounded, and a hundred and twenty being captured. In contrast, Provost's army lost forty-three wounded, and fifty-two of them went missing (Lumpkin, 2000). The defeat is considered a blow to the established alliance and gave the British motivation to continue their southern strategy.

References

Guss, J. W. (2002). Fortresses of Savannah: Georgia. Arcadia Publishing. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=XITzV-J6sCwC&lpg=PA6&ots=r2Au3L8X0E&dq=Guss%2C%20J.%20W.%20(2002).%20Fortresses%20of%20Savannah%3A%20Georgia.%20Arcadia%20Publishing.%20&lr&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q&f=false 

Lumpkin, H. (2000). From Savannah to Yorktown: The American Revolution in the South. iUniverse. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=gfSpYU0PG5oC&lpg=PP8&ots=sNf3x4SpL3&dq=From%20Savannah%20to%20Yorktown%3A%20The%20American%20Revolution%20in%20the%20South.%20iUniverse.%20&lr&pg=PP8#v=onepage&q=From%20Savannah%20to%20Yorktown:%20The%20American%20Revolution%20in%20the%20South.%20iUniverse.&f=false