Okla-homey
9/15/2006, 07:02 AM
Sept 15, 1779 : French capture British ships on the Savannah River
227 years ago on this day in 1779, French naval Commander Charles Comte d’Estaing captures two British frigates and two British supply ships in the Savannah River which flows between Georgia and SC.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1374/ddddddddddcharlescomtedestaingwu3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Count D'Estaing
After completing a total blockade of Savannah GA, Commander d’Estaing’s 5,000 French troops, along with General Benjamin Lincoln’s 5,000 American troops, surrounded the British-held city of Savannah.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1047/dddddddddddddddlincolnexbhn9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln
While awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from follow-on forces of the Continental Army, Commander d’Estaing ordered the surrender of British General Augustine Prevost and the British forces garrisoning and occupying the city.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9532/ddddddddddprevostqz8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
British General Augustine Prevost
General Prevost delayed answering the call for surrender long enough to strengthen his defenses in the city. The allies’ failure to immediately attack Savannah proved to be a serious mistake as the British used the extra time to sneak in reinforcements.
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/835/ddddddddddddd959e4e3eb5da43a289eb505df42a91d8nu8.j pg (http://imageshack.us)
When General Prevost finally answered d’Estaing, he proclaimed that the British "would defend Savannah to the last man." In a sense, Prevost's response was rather a historical precursor to the 101st Airborne Division (DIVARTY) General Anthony McAuliffe's legendary response to the Nazi request for the Screaming Eagle's surrender to Wehrmacht forces surrounding Bastogne during the "Battle of the Bulge" at Christmastime in 1944.
The whole affair surrounding Savannah had quite an international flavor. Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish soldier-patriot, had been forced to leave his native Poland after the Polish nobles failed to quash repeated Russian attacks.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7036/ddddddddm5649th5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Count Casimir Pulaski
American statesman Benjamin Franklin inquired whether Pulaski would help the colonists in their quest for independence from the British. The new recruit organized a cavalry unit composed of American, Polish, Irish, German, and French troops.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4348/ddddddddddddduntitledac6.png (http://imageshack.us)
Death of Pulaski
In October, 1779, the newly formed unit engaged the British in the Siege of Savannah. In that action, Pulaski was killed. He is memorialized by statuary in the city and the baby US named a fort defending Savannah built after the War of 1812 for him. Ft Pulaski played a role of some prominence during the Civil War Federal siege of Savannah.
The Revolutionary War Siege of Savannah would continue through the end of October 1779, when French and American forces finally withdrew their forces after losing 800 men; the British lost only 140. Savannah remained in British control until the Redcoats left of their own accord at the end of the war on July 11, 1782.
The French troops included 500 free Haitians of African descent, calling themselves the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Dominigue. Black soldiers fighting for the American patriot cause was an anomaly during the southern campaign--most American slaves attempted to flee and join British forces, as they had no desire to defend their Patriot masters’ right to enslave them.
Many of the Volontaires themselves later went on to rebel against French control of Haiti. In fact, the Volontaires’ 12-year-old drummer, Henri Christophe, commanded Haiti’s revolutionary army and later became that country’s king.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/2997/ddddddddddddddddhaitihenrychristopheeq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
His Majesty Henri Christophe, first King of Haiti
In 1780 Count d'Estaing returned to France. Estaing commanded the National Guard at Versailles during the invasion (Oct. 5–6, 1789) of the palace by a Parisian mob, but he took no action. Sympathetic to some of the aims of the French Revolution, yet personally close to the royal family, d'Estaing testified on behalf of Queen Marie Antoinette during her trial. He was later guillotined as a royalist.
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/515/insane7zozw3.jpg
227 years ago on this day in 1779, French naval Commander Charles Comte d’Estaing captures two British frigates and two British supply ships in the Savannah River which flows between Georgia and SC.
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/1374/ddddddddddcharlescomtedestaingwu3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Count D'Estaing
After completing a total blockade of Savannah GA, Commander d’Estaing’s 5,000 French troops, along with General Benjamin Lincoln’s 5,000 American troops, surrounded the British-held city of Savannah.
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/1047/dddddddddddddddlincolnexbhn9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln
While awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from follow-on forces of the Continental Army, Commander d’Estaing ordered the surrender of British General Augustine Prevost and the British forces garrisoning and occupying the city.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/9532/ddddddddddprevostqz8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
British General Augustine Prevost
General Prevost delayed answering the call for surrender long enough to strengthen his defenses in the city. The allies’ failure to immediately attack Savannah proved to be a serious mistake as the British used the extra time to sneak in reinforcements.
http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/835/ddddddddddddd959e4e3eb5da43a289eb505df42a91d8nu8.j pg (http://imageshack.us)
When General Prevost finally answered d’Estaing, he proclaimed that the British "would defend Savannah to the last man." In a sense, Prevost's response was rather a historical precursor to the 101st Airborne Division (DIVARTY) General Anthony McAuliffe's legendary response to the Nazi request for the Screaming Eagle's surrender to Wehrmacht forces surrounding Bastogne during the "Battle of the Bulge" at Christmastime in 1944.
The whole affair surrounding Savannah had quite an international flavor. Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish soldier-patriot, had been forced to leave his native Poland after the Polish nobles failed to quash repeated Russian attacks.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7036/ddddddddm5649th5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Count Casimir Pulaski
American statesman Benjamin Franklin inquired whether Pulaski would help the colonists in their quest for independence from the British. The new recruit organized a cavalry unit composed of American, Polish, Irish, German, and French troops.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4348/ddddddddddddduntitledac6.png (http://imageshack.us)
Death of Pulaski
In October, 1779, the newly formed unit engaged the British in the Siege of Savannah. In that action, Pulaski was killed. He is memorialized by statuary in the city and the baby US named a fort defending Savannah built after the War of 1812 for him. Ft Pulaski played a role of some prominence during the Civil War Federal siege of Savannah.
The Revolutionary War Siege of Savannah would continue through the end of October 1779, when French and American forces finally withdrew their forces after losing 800 men; the British lost only 140. Savannah remained in British control until the Redcoats left of their own accord at the end of the war on July 11, 1782.
The French troops included 500 free Haitians of African descent, calling themselves the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Dominigue. Black soldiers fighting for the American patriot cause was an anomaly during the southern campaign--most American slaves attempted to flee and join British forces, as they had no desire to defend their Patriot masters’ right to enslave them.
Many of the Volontaires themselves later went on to rebel against French control of Haiti. In fact, the Volontaires’ 12-year-old drummer, Henri Christophe, commanded Haiti’s revolutionary army and later became that country’s king.
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/2997/ddddddddddddddddhaitihenrychristopheeq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
His Majesty Henri Christophe, first King of Haiti
In 1780 Count d'Estaing returned to France. Estaing commanded the National Guard at Versailles during the invasion (Oct. 5–6, 1789) of the palace by a Parisian mob, but he took no action. Sympathetic to some of the aims of the French Revolution, yet personally close to the royal family, d'Estaing testified on behalf of Queen Marie Antoinette during her trial. He was later guillotined as a royalist.
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/515/insane7zozw3.jpg