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Nov.

pointed to act under him, consisted of the 71ft regiment 1778 of foot, two battalions of Heffians, four of provincials, and a detachment of the royal artillery. The tranfports with the troops, amounting to full 2500, failed from Sandy Hook, being escorted by a fmall fquadron under 27. commodore Hyde Parker. The fleet arrived at the ifle of Tybee near the mouth of the Savannah; and fix days Dec. after, the troops effected a landing. From the landing 29. place a narrow caufeway of fix hundred yards in length, with a ditch on each fide, led through a rice fwamp. This causeway, had it been in a proper state of defence, might have effectually refifted a vaft fuperiority of force; but the small party under capt. Smith, which was posted at it to impede the paffage of the British, was too inconfiderable to check their progrefs. They pufhed on with fuch vigor, that the Americans were almoft instantly difperfed. The continental army, on which the defence of Georgia chiefly refted, had lately returned from a fruitlefs fummer's expedition against Eaft Florida, in which they had fuffered fo great a dimunition, that joined with those present of the state militia, the whole made but about 820 men. Gen. Robert Howe, who commanded the Americans, had taken his ftation on the main road between the landing-place and Savannah, with the river on his left, and a fwamp in front, extending beyond his right flank. The British advanced till within a few hundred yards of the American army, when Campbell manoeuvred fo as to cherish an opinion, that he meant to attack their left. For that purpose he ordered the firft battalion of the

71ft to form on the

right of the road, thereby to impress a full idea of his defigning to extend his front in that quarter. At the

1778. fame time a confiderable part of the royal army was detached to crofs the fwamp fo high up as to get in the rear of the Americans. Chance had thrown into the hands of Campbell a negro, who knew a private path through the fwamp, by which he promised to lead the troops without obfervation or difficulty. At length the British commander, prefuming that the detachment had got effectually round upon the rear of the Americans, fuddenly advanced, and Howe ordered an immediate retreat. A few minutes delay would have made it impoffible, and it was then only practicable in the face, and under the fire of that part of the British army which had effected its paffage through the fwamp. A small body of about a hundred Georgia militia had been previously posted in the rear of the barracks near Savannah, which made fome oppofition to the British as they were iffuing from the swamp, but was foon compelled

retreat, and its commander col. Walton was wounded and taken prifoner. The Americans retreated with precipitation and in diforder. The British purfued with fpirit and rapidity. No victory was ever more complete. Thirty-eight officers, and 415 non-commiffioned and privates, 48 pieces of cannon, 23 mortars, the fort with its ammunition and ftores, the fhipping in the river, a large quantity of provifions, with the capital of Georgia, were all in the space of a few hours in the poffeffion of the conquerors. The British pursued the Americans through the town of Savannah. In the impetuofity of the purfuit, fome of the inhabitants who had not been in the action, were bayonetted in the streets, feveral were killed or wounded in their flight; and a large number, finding their escape

impracticable without fwimming a deep watery fwamp, 1778. were obliged to fue for quarters. The Americans faved three field pieces out of four; but many loft their arms. That part of the army which efcaped retreated up the river Savannah to Zubly's ferry, and croffed over into South Carolina *.

No place in fimilar circumftances fuffered lefs by depredation, than Savannah did upon this occafion. A ftrong circumftantial teftimony, that those enormities fo frequently attributed to the licentiousness of the foldiers, fhould with much more juftice be charged to the indefenfible conduct of their fuperiors; whether by a previous relaxation of difcipline, an immediate participation in the guilt, or a no lefs culpable fufferance of the enormity. About the time that the embarkation took place at New York, gen. Prevoft marched from East Florida into the fouthern parts of Georgia. The royal troops, in traversing the defert that feparates the one from the other, were obliged to live for feveral days on oysters. encountering many difficulties, they heard of col. Campbell's arrival and fuccefs. They at length appeared before and furrounded the town and fort of Sunbury. The garrifon confifting of about 200 men, made a show of defence, and gave the general the trouble of opening trenches; but all hope of relief being cut off by the fall of the capital, they furrendered at difcretion. The general marched to Savannah, and took the command of the combined forces from New York and St. Auguftine, and confequently of Georgia. Previous to his arrival, a proclamation had been iffued to encourage the

After

Dr. Ramfay's Hiftory of the Revolution in South Carolina, vol. i, p. 1-6,

1778. inhabitants to come in, and fubmit to the conquerors,

with promises of protection on condition, that " with their arms they would fupport royal government." Numbers fubmitted, but the determined republicans fled up into the western parts of the country, or into South Carolina.

The attention of congrefs and the public has been much engaged about Mr. Silas Deane fince his return from France. You will recollect what has been written relative to his recall-p. 38. Congrefs in Auguft defired him, to give from his memory, a general account of his whole tranfactions in France, from the time of his first arrival, as well as a particular state of the funds of congress, and the commercial tranfactions in Europe, especially with Mr. Beaumarchais. They appear not to have been thoroughly fatisfied; and to have had apprehensions lest there had been a mifapplication of the public money. Mr. Deane seems not to have relifhed his fituation; but to have been defirous of changing it by returning to France, or exciting a general refentment against congrefs. He had not yet accounted for his expenditure of public money; and had carefully left his papers and vouchers behind him, though he had the opportunity of d'Estaing's fleet to procure them a fafe tranfportation to America. On the 30th of November he addreffed a letter to congrefs, fignifying his intentions of returning to France, and preffing to have his affairs brought to fome conclufion. December the ift congrefs refolved, "that after to-morrow they will meet two hours at least each evening, Saturdays excepted, beginning at fix o'clock, until the present state of their foreign affairs be fully confidered." On the fourth Mr. Deane wrote again to them

Dece

acquainting them of his having received their notifica- 1778, tion of the refolve, and expreffed his thanks; and yet on the day following he published in the news papers, 5. An address to the free and virtuous citizens of America, dated November, but without any day of the month. The addrefs threw the public into a convulfion, and made them jealously uneafy: for it expreffed a neceffity of appealing to them, and communicating that information against which their reprefentatives had fhut their ears;-declared or infinuated that their public fervants, Meffrs. Arthur and William Lee, were deficient in abilities, application and fidelity, and were univerfally dif guftful to the French nation;-intimated a design to lead them into a breach of their national faith and honor, folemnly pledged to their ally;-reflected upon the integrity of fome leading members in congrefs;-and strongly hinted at further important information to be brought forward if there fhould be occafion. Mr. Deane by publishing his addrefs on the Saturday, fecured the advantage of the Sunday for its being more universally read in the city and neighbourhood, while fresh from the press, than it would otherwise have been. In the morning of the day when it appeared, and before congress (as must be fuppofed) were acquainted with its contents, they affigned Monday evening for hearing him, and ordered his being notified to attend. The intervening fpace gave the members an opportunity of perufing it, 1o that when they met on Monday evening at fix o'clock, they refolved, "That Silas Deane efq; report to congrefs in writing, as foon as may be, his agency of their affairs in Europe, together with any intelligence refpecting their foreign affairs which he may judge proper :--

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