29 December 1778 A.D. LTCOL Campbell
& 3000 British Soldiers Capture Savannah, GA
Editors. “December 29.) This Day in Military History. N.d. http://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2004/12/29/december-29/. Accessed 28 Dec 2014.
1778 – 3,000 British soldiers under the command of Lieutenant
Colonel Archibald Campbell capture Savannah, Georgia. The Capture of Savannah,
or sometimes the First Battle of Savannah (because of a siege in 1779), was an
American Revolutionary War battle between local American Patriot militia and
Continental Army units holding the city and a British invasion force. It was
the opening move in the British southern strategy to regain control of the
rebellious southern provinces by appealing to the strong Loyalist sentiment
believed to be there. General Sir Henry Clinton, the commander-in-chief of the
British forces based in New York City, dispatched Campbell and a 3,100 man
force from New York to capture Savannah, and begin the process of returning
Georgia to British control. He was to be assisted by troops under the command
of Brigadier General Augustine Prevost that were marching up from Saint
Augustine in East Florida. After landing near Savannah on December 23, Campbell
assessed the American defenses, which were comparatively weak, and decided to
attack without waiting for Prevost. Taking advantage of local assistance he
successfully flanked the American position outside the town, captured a large
portion of Major General Robert Howe’s army, and drove the remnants to retreat
into South Carolina. Campbell and Prevost followed up the victory with the
capture of Sunbury and an expedition to Augusta. The latter was only occupied
by Campbell for a few weeks before he retreated back to Savannah, citing
insufficient Loyalist and Indian support and the threat of Patriot forces
across the Savannah River in South Carolina. The British held off a
Franco-American siege in 1779, and held the city until late in the war.
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