town of Savannah, on the main road leading to the landing place.

Colonel Campbell having made a judicious arrangement of his forces, ordered that Lieutenant Colonel Maitland should land with the first division at day-break on the morning of the 29th. This division consisted of all the light infantry, the NewYork volunteers, and the first battalion of the 71st. Captain Cameron was the first to land with his light company, and pushing forward along the causeway, was killed by the first fire from the party under Captain Smith. His company continued their march, and Smith and his little party were obliged to abandon their post. The whole British army having now landed, Colonel Campbell proceeded to move towards the position of General Howe, having left a small detachment to guard the landing place. He pursued the main road, on the left of which was a thickly wooded swamp, and on the right, plantations of rice a small road crossed the grand route at a small distance from the head of the causeway, at which Colonel Campbell posted a part of the Wissenbach regiment, as a rear guard. The march of the army from the nature of the ground was necessarily slow and cautious: and Colonel Campbell did not come within the proper distance for the commencement of his plan of attack until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

The position of General Howe was by nature strong and difficult of access. His little army was formed in two divisions, one on each side of the road on the right was Colonel Eugee with two regiments of South Carolina troops, his right protected by the wood and morass before mentioned on the

left of the wood was posted Colonel Elliot, with three broken battalions of the Georgia troops, having the river on their left and rice swamps in front. In their rear was a small fort on Savannah Bluff, and the town of Savannah. They had one piece of artillery at each extremity of their line, and two on the great road in their centre, in front of which a deep trench had been cut, which connected the two swamps; and a little in front of the trench ran a swampy brook, the bridge leading over which had been destroyed. General Howe, supposing the woody morass on his right to be impenetrable, and that the enemy would of necessity be compelled to attack him on the left, fancied himself secure; but unfortunately a negro who had fallen into the hands of the enemy, gave them information of a private path which led through the morass. Colonel Campbell immediately saw the advantage which this would give him, and directed Sir James Baird with the light infantry and the New York Volunteers to pursue it, while he formed his artillery in a masked position, ready to open upon the American line, as soon as he should hear that Sir James had gained their right flank. This manœuvre succeeded but too well: Sir James readily gained his object, coming completely round into the rear of Colonel Euger, and at that moment the enemy's artillery unmasked, and the 71st moved briskly up in front.

General Howe saw too late the danger of his situation; attacked at once in front and rear, by a force so much his superiour, he was compelled to order an immediate and precipitate retreat. The British pursued with the ardour of victory, and did great execution, driving the Americans through the town of Sa. vannah, in which they bayonetted many of the de28

VOL. II.

fenceless inhabitants, who were trying to make their escape. The Americans lost, besides the capitol of Georgia, upwards of 100 killed, about 450 prisoners, 38 of whom were officers, 48 pieces of cannon, 23 mortars, a large quantity of ammunition, stores and provisions, and all the shipping in the river. General Howe continued his retreat with the remnant of his broken force into South Carolina.

A little before this disastrous affair, a body of the enemy made an irruption into Georgia from East Florida. They were divided into two parties of regulars and refugees, and marched by two different routes, the one towards Sunbury, the other towards Savannah. The first having advanced to Sunbury, either from ignorance of its defence, or from mere bravado, demanded the surrender of the fort, which being refused by its commander, Lieutenant Colonel M⚫Intosh, they very quietly departed without offering an attack. The movements of the other party were not quite so tranquil; their march through the country having been observed, General Screven collected about a hundred militia and endeavoured to stop their progress. After repeated skirmishes with their advance, the General received a mortal wound from a musket ball, and falling from his horse, several of the assailants ran up and discharged their pieces at him on the ground. About three miles from Ogeechee ferry, a gentleman had erected a breast work on his own plantation, with the assistance of his slaves, in order to oppose the passage of these invaders, in which Colonel Elbert had taken post with about 200 continentals. The enemy, meeting with this unexpected obstruction, and learning at the same time that their coadjutors had decamped from Sunbury without gaining

their object, retreated-laying waste every thing within their reach, and carrying off whatever they could manage to transport.

In the mean time, General Prevost, who had been ordered to cooperate with Colonel Campbell on the side of East Florida, having collected his scattered forces, marched from St. Augustine, and after encountering many hardships and difficulties, arrived at Sunbury just after the defeat of General Howe at Savannah. The fort now surrendered at discretion, and the General continued his march to Savannah, and took command of the united forces.

To the honour of Colonel Campbell it must be mentioned that his conduct to the inhabitants of Savannah and the neighbouring country, was very different from that of most of the British commanders in our captured towns. Immediately after entering the town he issued a proclamation, encouraging the inhabitants to come in and offer their submission, and promising them protection on condition of their submitting to the royal government. He restrained the soldiers from every species of oppression and depredation, and by his mild and prudent policy, for a time, silenced all republican opposition. The whole state was compelled to yield after the loss of the capital, and once more the royal government was established in Georgia.

In the beginning of October an expedition was undertaken by Colonel William Butler from Scoharie, to the country between the head waters of the Delaware and the Susquehannah, against the Indians and tories of that district. They succeeded in destroying a great deal of property on both sides of the river, and returned at the end of a fortnight, after having encountered innumerable dangers and difficulties, from

the heavy rains which had so swelled the rivers and creeks as to render their passage extremely hazardous. The advantages arising from this expedition did not compensate for the fatigue and trouble attending it.

About the same time a most gallant exploit was performed by Major Talbot, who had formed the design of taking the British schooner Pigot, of eight 12 pounders, which lay at Howland's ferry, on the east side of Rhode Island. He embarked with a number of troops on board a small vessel from Providence on the 26th October, and arriving on the night of the 28th off the fort on Rhode Island, to prevent an alarm, suffered his vessel to drift down under bare poles until he came within sight of the schooner. Being hailed from the schooner, and returning no answer, he received a volley of musketry, which however he took care not to return, until more sure of his prize. He ran on until the jib boom of his vessel was locked in the foreshrouds of the schooner, and then opened a fire from his cannon and musketry, which proved so destructive, that the enemy soon sued for quarters. The Captain of the Pigot, however, behaved with heroic gallantry; having fought single handed for a considerable time, just in the state in which he had been roused from his bed; Major Talbot succeeded in carrying off his prize, and arrived safely with her at Stonington. For this gallant enterprise he received from Congress the promotion of Lieutenant Colonel.

A similar expedition to that under the American Colonel Butler was undertaken in November, by the Anglo-Indian Butler, but attended with circumstances of barbarity and cruelty, at which the American chief would have shuddered. At the head of a large party