The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-11-16
Volume XII.
MISCELLANEOUS.

From Headleys Washington and his Generals
SIEGE AND STORM OF SAVANNAH.
The two armies having formed a Junction
proceeded TO Savannah, and sat down before
the town, D'Estaing, with the laUrels Of
Grenada fresh On his brow, sent naughty
summons in the name of the King OF France
10 the English commander TO surrender. Pre-
vost, inevitably lost. without some little de-
Law, proiracted the correspondence as long as
he could, and then demanded twenty four
hours 10 consider the proposition, which D.
Estaing madly granted. Had he immediate
ly advanced on the place, it would have been
an easy conquest, for the Notifications were
in bad repaif--but few of the caEpon being
mounted and the garrison small. During
this interval, Provost worked on the defences
without intermission, and, at The end Of twen-
ty -four hours, had nearly hundred cannon
lining the ramparis. Maitland had also ar
rived, with his choice troops. thus swelling
his army to three thousand men. He now
felt himself stroDg-the arguments which had
influenced his determination we're of the most
forcible kind, and he sent TO D. Estaing po-
lie note, sewing that he had resolved 10 hold
| ont 10 the last.
To attempt TO carry The works by storm,
strengthened as they now were, would be
madness; and so the French commander and
Lincoln, with an army of six or seven thou
sand men, sat down before them in ocular
siege. The trenches were opened. and amid
the fire of artillery, the workmen toiled on
with such vigur, thai by the fourth of Sep
remoer sap had been pushed to wirhin three
hundred yards Of the abaiis. At length the
| I,a., IL IL H.,
the fourth OF October the tragedy ccmmenc-
ed. The autumn landscape was lighted up
by the constant blaze, and it was one peal Of
thunder till morning. The uproar then be-
came more terri6c-ih!rty- seven cannon aud
mortars were opened at ouce upon hedevot-
ed town, while sixteen heavy guns from the
neet-naking in all more than sixty pieces
kept up their stern Accompaniment. To this
deluge of iron, The garrison replied with near
| ly hundred cannon. The Garth shook un-
der the Tremendous explosions. and vast
field of billowy smoke treT1bled and lowered
above the iumult. Carcasses were hurled
into the town. which set The houses on FIRE;
and cracking iimbers mingled in with the
crash OF cannon balls. Shells smoked and
| burst along The streets, or hanging moment
like firery messengers in the air, dropped with
an explosion upon he dwellings. Amid the
uproar and thunder without. and the shrieks
of women and children within, Savannah pre-
scented a strange and fearful appearance. And
when night came on, and darkness shut in
the landscape. the scene was still more APP
paIIing. The smoke refused 10 lift in the
damp air. and settled like fog over The ar
mics, adding deeper gloom 10 The midnight.
| Trough this the artillery kept playing, max
ing the spot on which il rested appear Ike
volcano; while in the distance mass of flame
would suddenly flash up, revealing the tall
masrs and rigging Of ships, and then the deep
echo roll heavily By. Through this thick and
turbulent atmosphere. shells were constantly
Kissing and bursting, leaving long tracks of
| light in their passage or meteOrlike splendor
in their explosion. And when the sun rose
in the moIuingit came siruge ling up through
a sulphurous cloud, and at evening its golden
rays sirove IN vain TO pierce the sullen folds.
Thus day and night, for FIVE days, did it ihun-
der, aud claiter, and flame there on the shores
of the Savannah; but still the beseiged nobly
maintained their post.
AT length D'Estaing began to he concern
ed for his fleet. The stormy season was COM
ing on, and it would not be safe TO ride al
anchor on the open coast, and he therefore
proposed TO Lincoln 10 carry the works by
storm. This was considered haZardOus for,
that five days cannonade had opened no
breach, and battered down scarcely a defence
which had not been fully repaired. Besides,
if the siege was pressed lille longer, the
town must surrender. The suiferings of The
inhabitants had become intolerabe, and the
resistance could not he protracteG, in Their
confined and siraiened condition. But TWEEN
~ days had now elapsed since operations
| first commenced, and not one could tell how
| long the place might hold out. The season,
moreover, was rapidly advancing, and dangers
of every kind were Ihickning around the
fleet and therefore a crisis of some sort must
be FASTENED.
| D'Estaing being resolved on an assault, it
only remained to determine the manner in
vi ich it should be concluded. He and Lin
| coin, after a short consultation, concluded 10
make the attack on tho right side ofthe town.
where there was deep hollow, along which
the assaiIants could march perfectly covered
ill within few rods of the walls.
The ninth OF October was fixed upon for
| the attempt; and al Une O'Clock in the morI:-
ing the Americans stood in order of battle,
though the French did not lake their station
till three hours after. AT length The flower
both armies. in one long column, stretched
forward till they reached the open space in
their several divisions, as arranged before
hand, and advanced on their respective points
10 which they were destined. The French
! advanced in three columns-the Americans
in one-D'Estaing and Lincoln gallantly
leading them on. In the darkness they got
confused in The swampy holows, but as the
gray light began 10 dawn in The east, they
formed anew, and pressed forward. DIES
tang, wishing 10 take the garrison by sur
prise, Immediately spurred 10 the head ofthe
first column. and without waiting for the
others 10 come up. waved his sword over his
head, and shouted, advance Straight on
the abatls, and through ii-up 10 the very
walls, and up their sides, streamed the ex- |
cited troops, while those hundred cannon |
opened in The twilight. like peal of thunder,
and one fierce fire of muskeiry rolled down |
on their heads. Still, Advanced advance |
IL h. N