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3779.

Sept.

crable deed. Determine to finish the contest as you began it, honestly and gloriously. Let it never be faid; that America had no fooner become independent than fhe became infolvent; or that her infant glories and growing fame were obfcured and tarnished by broken contracts and violated faith, in the very hour when all the nations of the earth were admiring, and almost adoring the fplendor of her rifing." This letter and the refolve preceding it, were probably occafioned by the prevailing fubjects of conversation in Philadelphia, and the movements of the leading people. A town meeting was called, and a fpecial committee appointed to draw up a memorial, which was figned by the prefident and council in their private characters, the speaker and feveral members of affembly, the general committee of the city, and a refpectable number of citizens. It was prefented to congrefs, on or near the day, when they addreffed their conftituents, and was meant to stop the further emiffions of continental bills. The memorialists fay" Neither can we help expreffing our apprehenfions, that the eafe with which money was thus procured, has induced a remiffness of inquiries into the reality of its application: all which we hope will, in future, be remedied by a fyftematical plan of œconomy, and a regular information of expences."

Congrefs" refolved, That in confideration of the 17. diftinguished merit of lieut. col. Talbot (fee p. 201) a

commiffion of captain in the navy of the United States 24. be given him." They " refolved, That a medal of gold, emblematical of the attack of the fort and works at Powle's-hook, be ftruck and prefented to major Lee. Four days after, upón Mr. Jay's fignifying to them his

Oct.

18.

acceptance of the office to which he had been appointed 1779. on the 26th, and thereupon refigning the chair, they elected Samuel Huntington efq. prefident. Such was the deficiency of flour in Virginia, that congrefs refolved, that the governor should be informed of its being their opinion, that the convention troops fhould be fupplied with meal made of Indian corn. But he was requefted to inform the commanding officer of thofe troops, that if the commander in chief of the British forces will order fupplies of flour to be sent to Virginia, paffports would be ordered for the purpose when applied for. The chevalier de la Luzerne had his audience of congrefs, delivered a letter from his most christian ma- Nov. jefty, was announced to the house, and upon that rose, 17. and addreffed the congrefs in a fpeech, to which the prefident returned an answer,

Let us change the scene.

While count d'Eftaing lay with his fleet at Cape Francois, after the conqueft of Grenada, he received letters from gav. Rutledge, gen. Lincoln, the French conful at Charlestown and others, urging him to visit the American coaft, and propofing an attack upón Savannah. The general engaged to join him with 1000 men certain; and promifed, that every exertion would be made to augment the number. The application coinciding with the king's inftructions, to act in concert with the forces of the United States, whenever an occafion prefented itself, he failed for the American continent within a few days after it was received. When through the windward paffage, he dispatched two fhips of the line and three frigates to Charlestown to announce his coming. On the 1ft of September, he arrived with Sept.

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1779.a fleet of 20 fail of the line, two of fifty guns, and eleven frigates. The appearance of the French fleet on the coafts of South Carolina and Georgia was fo unexpected by the British, that the Experiment man of war, of 50 guns, Sir James Wallace commander, and three frigates were captured. No fooner was it known at Charlestown that the count was on the coaft, than Lincoln marched with all expedition for Savannah with the troops under his command: orders were alfo given for the South Carolina and Georgia militia to rendezvous immediately near the fame place. The British were equally diligent in preparing for their defence. Lieut. col. Cruger, who had a small command at Sunbury, and lieut. col. Maitland, who was in force at Beaufort, were ordered to Savannah. As the French frigates approached the bar, the Fowey and Rofe, of 20 guns each, the Keppel and Germain armed veffels, retired toward the The battery on Tybee was deftroyed. To prevent the French frigates getting too near, the Rofe and Savannah armed fhips, with four tranfports, were funk in the channel. A boom was laid acrofs it, and several fmall veffels were alfo funk above the town. The feamen were appointed to different batteries. The marines were incorporated with the grenadiers of the 16th regiment; and great numbers were employed, both by day and night, in ftrengthening and extending the lines of defence. Count d'Estaing made repeated declarations, that he could not remain more than ten or fifteen days on fhore: nevertheless, the fall of Savannah was confidered as infallibly certain. Every aid was given from Charlestown, by fending small veffels to affift the French in their landing; but as the large fhips of the fleet

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could not come near the fhore, it was not effected till 1779€ the 12th. Gen. Lincoln's troops were not far diftant; but Sept. before they could join the French, the count fummoned 16. gen. Prevost to furrender to the arms of the king of France. Lincoln remonftrated to d'Estaing on his fummoning Prevost to surrender to the arms of France only, while the Americans were acting in conjunction with him; the matter was foon fettled, and the mode of all future negotiations amicably adjusted. Prevost returned a polite letter to the count, but declined furrendering on a general fummons, without any specific terms; and mentioned, that if such were propofed, as he could with honor accept, he would then give his anfwer. The count in a fecond letter obferved to him, that it was the part of the befieged to propofe fuch terms as they might defire. Prevoft upon that propofed a fufpenfion of hoftilities for 24 hours, as a just time absolutely neceffary for deliberation and the difcuffion of various interefts. The count's third letter, granting the said truce, was written toward evening. Thus time was gained for the arrival of the whole detachment from Beaufort An enterprise was undertaken to prevent its joining the royal army in Savannah, which proved unsuccessful, from the pilots not undertaking to conduct to a proper station the frigates destined to intercept the communication. Maitland availed himself of this circumstance, and by his exertions joined Prevoft with about 400 men before the count's fecond letter was received: at night and by noon the next day, all the remainder fit for duty arrived. The fafe arrival of this detachment deter mined the garrison to rifk an affault. The French and Americans were hereby reduced to the neceffity of

1779. ftorming or befieging the garrifon. The refolution of proceeding by fiege being adopted, the attention of the combined armies was immediately called to the landing of cannon, and the erecting of batteries. The diftance of the fleet from the landing-place, together with the proper carriages to transport the various warlike articles full five miles, confumed much time. The works of the town were, in the mean while, perfecting every day by the labor of feveral hundred negroes, diSept. rected by major Moncrieff the engineer. The French 23. and Americans broke ground in the evening: a fmall party of the befieged fallied out the next day, but was foon repulfed. The purfuit was continued fo near to the British intrenchments, that the French were exposed to a heavy fire, by which many of them fell. On the night of the 27th, major M'Arthur, with a party of the British picquets, advanced and fired among the befiegers fo artfully, as to occafion a firing between the oa. French and American camps. The befiegers opened 4. with 9 mortars, 37 cannon from the land fide, and 16 from the water; which continued to play for four or five days with fhort intervals, but without any confiderable effect. Major l'Enfant in the morning, with five men, marched through a brisk fire from the British lines, and kindled the abbatis; but the dampnefs of the air, and the moisture of the green wood, prevented the fuccefs of this bold undertaking.

8.

Soon after the commencement of the cannonade, gen. Prevoft folicited for leave to fend the women and children out of town. This humane request was refused from motives of policy. The combined army was fo confident of fuccefs, that it was fufpected a defire of

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