capture savannah capture savannah battle savannah siege battle fought december local american patriot militia continental_army units holding city british invasion force command lieutenant colonel british seizure city led extended occupation opening british southern strategy regain control rebellious southern provinces appealing strong loyalist sentiment believed general sir commander chief british forces based new_york_city dispatched campbell man force new_york capture savannah begin process returning georgia british control assisted troops command marching east florida landing near savannah december campbell assessed american defenses comparatively weak decided attack waiting taking advantage local assistance successfully flanked american position outside town captured large portion army drove remnants retreat south_carolina followed victory capture expedition occupied campbell weeks retreated savannah citing insufficient loyalist indian support threat patriot forces south_carolina british held franco american siege held city late war background march following defeat british army consequent entry france american revolutionary war american ally lord british secretary responsible war wrote lieutenant general sir capturing southern colonies considered king object great importance scale war instructions clinton framed recommendations abandon philadelphia embark operations recover georgia carolinas making attacks virginia maryland british preparations june july clinton successfully removed troops philadelphia new_york november dealing threat french fleet new_york newport rhode_island clinton turned attention south organized force men new_york sent orders capital east florida organize available men indian agent rally local creek warriors assist operations georgia clinton basic plan proposed began capture capital georgia savannah clinton gave command detachment new_york lieutenant colonel force consisted battalions 1st 2nd regiment foot regiments von loyalist provincial units battalion campbell sailed new_york november arrived near mouth december american defenses state georgia defended separate forces units continental_army command general responsible defense entire south state militia companies overall command georgia governor howe georgia authorities previously control military expeditions east florida expeditions failed failures led decide september replace howe major general successfully negotiated militia participation events surrounding british defeat lincoln arrived word reached howe clinton sending troops georgia november british raids georgia threatening state population centers despite urgency situation governor refused allow howe direct movements georgia militia november howe began marching south charleston south_carolina continental_army troops arriving savannah late month learned campbell sailed new_york december december sails spotted day governor assigned georgia militia howe war council decided attempt vigorous defense savannah spite fact likely significantly outnumbered hoping lincoln troops arrived large number potential landing points howe forced hold army reserve british actually landed battle place campbell selected landing plantation located miles city word reached howe landing started december sent company occupy landing site campbell realized need controlled majority forces land dispatched companies control opened fire yards british returning fire advanced rapidly fixed denying second shot retreated having killed wounded cost noon campbell landed army began proceed city howe held council morning ground chosen stand half mile south city established line defense shape open ends anchored woods left howe placed militia right militia line supported pieces field artillery light infantry companies guarded flanks howe troops including seen little action war campbell advance companies spotted howe line main body stopped short field campbell went viewed howe defenses essentially sound local slave told path swamp howe right campbell ordered sir light infantry new york loyalists follow slave swamp troops view way impression attempt flanking maneuver howe left officers climbed tree observe progress true slave word trail came near continental barracks left unaware flanked reached position man tree signaled waving hat campbell ordered regulars charge sounds battle howe heard musket fire barracks rapidly followed cannon fire appearance charging british german troops ordered immediate retreat rapidly turned rout troops hardly bothered return fire throwing weapons attempting run away terrain campbell reported scarcely possible come retreat rapid conception light infantry continental rear cut road significant escape route forcing mad scramble retreating troops city georgia soldiers right attempted find safe crossing exist troops taken prisoner soldiers immediately surrender colonel managed form rear guard cover escape number howe men managed escape north british closed city forced attempt swimming unknown number drowned attempt aftermath campbell gained control city cost forces seven killed seventeen wounded including men killed wounded preliminary campbell took prisoners dead wounded howe forces howe retreat ended south_carolina men left half original army howe receive blame disaster arguing disputed landing site force retreated battle army intact court martial event tribunal pointed howe stand directly opposed landing arrived east florida mid january shortly sent campbell men campbell occupied frontier town minimal opposition general lincoln begun rally support south_carolina oppose british campbell abandoned february day loyalist force route meet defeated patriot forces following british ambushed march battle creek georgia remained patriot hands campbell wrote british officer star stripe flag congress british held savannah july troops withdrawn savannah base conduct coastal raids targeted areas charleston south_carolina florida coast fall combined french american siege recapture savannah failed significant casualties control georgia formally returned royal governor july come british control siege charleston patriot forces recovered siege savannah remained british hands
Capture of Savannah