The Morning Chronicle, and London Advertiser. Monday, December 27, 1779. Siege of Savannah news.
London: Printed by W. Woodfall, 1779.
First Edition. Newspaper. Newspaper. Single issue removed from a larger gathering. Approximately 18" x 11.5". 4 pages. Three columns. Paper is closely trimmed on the top and side margins with minor loss of print. Print is faded in areas with a few spots to the paper. This issue devotes 3 pages to the Battles and Siege of Savannah in the fall of 1779.
The first page has two columns regarding the Siege. An article titled, "Extract of a Letter from Major-General Prevost, commanding his Majesty's forces in the Province of Georgia, to the Right Honourable Lord George Germain, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, dated Savannah, November 1, 1779: received by Captain Shaw, Aid de Camp to Major General Prevost. Prevost states, "...the very unexpected visit of the Count d' Estaing to this coast, with powerful a squadron, and considerable body of land troops, when known, would have excited some uneasiness for our safety; it is with very sincere pleasure I do my self the honour to inform you, that we have seen the last of the French fleet this day depart, we hope off the coast, - got them and their American allies off our hands..."
A daily account of the events is printed on the first page from September 4 to the 24th. The second page is completely covered with the Battle and has entries from September 25 to October 11. Between October 11 and the 18th Prevost writes about removing the women and children to safety; about the fog; Battle lines; cannon fire; the number of forces lost on the enemy side; a truce to bury the dead and care for the wounded including d' Estaing and General Pulaski (who later died from his wounds on the 18th), etc. The paper also includes 10 translated letters from Prevost, Estaing, and one letter signed by General Lincoln and d' Estaing. On page 3 is a list of the causalities of the battle.
The American-French Allied forces were badly beaten at the Siege of Savannah and the British continued occupied Savannah until the end of the Revolution. Good. Item #36790
From American Battlefields dot org:
In 1778, British policymakers and strategists decided to refocus their efforts on the southern colonies, where they believed the crown would enjoy the support of a large Loyalist population. As part of that effort, a British army under Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell captured the city of Savannah, Georgia on December 29, 1778
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In the fall of 1779, the Americans were determined to take the city back. American forces in the region, numbering between 5,000 and 7,000 men, were based in Charleston, South Carolina, under the command of General Benjamin Lincoln. Lincoln recognized that to recapture Savannah, he would need assistance from the French military. On September 3, he learned that Charles Hector, Comte d’Estaing, was en-route to Savannah, bringing with him a fleet of warships and 4,000 French soldiers. On September 11, Lincoln left Charleston with a force of his own, intent on linking up with d’Estaing. Arriving first, d’Estaing began offensive operations against the city on September 16. When fully assembled, the Allied force numbered over 5,000 men. Defending Savannah was a force of more than 3,000 men under the command of General Augustine Prevost.
On the morning of October 9, the Franco-American Allies launched a major assault. Fog shrouded the battlefield, impeding forward progress. Troops became lost in the swamps fronting the Spring Hill Redoubt, the Allied objective. d’Estaing had selected the Spring Hill Redoubt under the mistaken impression that it was lightly defended by local Loyalist militia. In reality, the Loyalist militia was backed by battle-hardened British Regulars. When the fog lifted, the French lines were fully exposed, crumbling in the face of a withering and incessant fire from the redoubt’s defenders. d’Estaing himself was wounded twice while personally leading the attack. Mortally wounded in the assault was the Polish cavalry mastermind, Casimir Pulaski, who had done much to shape the mounted forces of the Continental Army. He was shot while trying to lead his horseman through a temporary breach in the British line. During the attack on the Spring Hill Redoubt, the Allies lost roughly 1,000 men. The British suffered only 150 casualties.
An hour after leading his forces forward, d’Estaing called off the attack, recognizing its futility. A week later the French commander sailed away, leaving Lincoln behind and the Franco-American Alliance strained. On October 18, Lincoln lifted the siege. Savannah would remain in British hands until the end of the war.
Price: $350.00