General Lincoln, the Count d’Estaing sent a most vaunting summons to the garrison at Savannah, demanding its immediate surrender. General Prevost, who commanded, required twenty-four hours for deliberation, which was granted. In this interval Colonel Maitland and Lieutenant Goldesborough, of the navy, with the greatest zeal and perseverance, having surmounted many difficulties, joined the garrison with a reinforcement from the island of Port Royal; the officers, seamen, and marines, with the guns from the ships of war, were landed, the works put in the best possible state of defence, and two vessels, the Rose and Savannah brig, sunk on the bar at the entrance of the river, to prevent the approach of the enemy’s ships. At the expiration of the time allotted, an answer was returned to the French commander, that the garrison were determined to defend themselves to the last man. Upon the signal gun being fired for the recommencement of hostilities, nothing could prevent the usual ardour of the British seamen from expressing their joy by three loud cheers from the batteries.
The siege was prosecuted with the greatest vigour; at length the enemy began to be considerably weakened and disheartened by repeated attacks, in all of which they were repulsed with great slaughter; the fleet and army also became extremely sickly, which much contributed to reduce their strength. On the 18th Oct., upon the clearing up of a fog, it was discovered that the French and Americans had abandoned their camps the preceding night, and to prevent being overtaken in their retreat, had broken down all the bridges. The wreck of the French army was re-embarked, and on the 1st Nov. the Count d’Estaing departed with a part of his fleet for Europe, and sent the remainder to the West Indies.
The French army is said to have consisted of 4,800 regular troops, besides mulattoes and free negroes brought from the West Indies. The American force under General Lincoln, to about 3,000 men.
The loss the French sustained on this expedition is computed at 1,500 men.
On the 15th May, 1780, Captain Henry was appointed to the Providence, of 32 guns, an American frigate that had
