The 1779 Battle of Savannah was one ofthe deadliest of the entire American Revolution. The overwhelming defeat of French andAmerican forces resulted in an allied withdrawal and in approximately 800 woundedor killed, with British losses totaling 55wounded or dead.
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The British victory in Savannah rekindledEngland's spirit for the war, in part becausethe victory defeated troops of the regulararmy of France as well as American rebels.The battle marked the first time French regular army units fought on Americansoil in the Revolutionary War.
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The international conflict that mostAmericans call the Revolutionary Warinvolved British, French, Hessian, Irish,Polish, Hiatian, Spanish, Dutch, Scotish,Native Americans and Americans ofEuropean and African heritage,many ofwhom were represented in Savannah.
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Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski, who helda brigadier general's commission fromCongress, had fought unsuccessfully forPolish independence. He commanded the American cavalry and lost his life from awound he received in the battle.
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A young Henry Christophe participated with the allied army in Savannah. He wenton to fight for the independence of Haitifrom France and later became King Henry Iof Haiti. He was one of the first heads of state of African descent in the WesternHemisphere.
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The largest unit of black soldiers to fightin the American Revolution, the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint- Domingue ( now Haiti),fought in Savannah. Many of these free men and volunteers went on to lead Haiti's fightfor independence.
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British Major General Augustin Prevost wasa Swiss professional soldier of FrenchHuguenot descent with a French wife. His loyalty to the British Crown was neverquestioned.
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Arthur Dillon, an Irish nobleman andexpatriate, commanded a regiment thatincluded Irish soldiers serving the King ofFrance. He and his regiment were prominent in the Battle of Savannah.
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The Swedish Baron Curt von Stedingk waswounded leading a French column in theattack. He was intimate in the court ofGustavus III, Louis XVI and Catherine theGreat .
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The day before the battle, Pierre CharlesL'Enfant, who later designed Washington,D.C., tried to dismantle and set fire to theabatis, a barrier of sharpened tree limbsdesigned to slow attackers.
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Ancestors of people represented by thesemodern flags fought in the Battle of Savannah.
[ Flags: United States,France, United Kingdom,Haiti, Scotland, Poland, Ireland, Germany ]
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