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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE PARISH
OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST,
SAVANNAH, GA.
By Very Rev. Joseph D. Mitchell, V.G.
Catholics in Revolutionary Days.
Although the organization of a Catholic Parish in
Savannah did not take place until after the War of
the Revolution, it is fitting to connect our brief ac
count of the early Catholic settlers in Georgia with
the “parish period” by a separate article on the part
that Catholics took in Savannah during the War for
American Liberty.
There is no record of Catholics figuring in Savan
nah’s history during this war until the memorable at
tack upon the city by the French and American
troops in 1779.
It is a well-known fact that despite the enthusiasm
displayed by so many of her citizens in the American
cause, a great many of the people of Savannah were
British sympathizers. This was due in great measure
to the fact that Georgia was still in her infancy as an
English colony; there were comparatively few native
Americans among her people, and the colony owed
much to the English for their expenditure of money
and other helps in keeping the town and colony alive.
Nevertheless, those who espoused the cause of the
colonies in their revolt against the “mother-country”
were very active.
Frequent meetings were held at Tondee’s Tavern,
and the Liberty Pole erected there became the rally
ing point of the American patriots. The colony of
Georgia was represented in the signing of the Decla
ration of Independence; the citizens seized a store of
ammunition and captured a British supply ship off
Tybee; the Governor himself was made prisoner and
banished from the town; and for a time Savannah
seemed to be completely under the control of the
patriots.
But the triumph of the Americans was short-lived.
In 1778 Savannah was easily re-captured by the
British and remained in their possession until the close
of the war.
On the 6th of February, 1778, through the efforts
of Benjamin Franklin, a treaty was made by the
struggling colonies with France, by which the inde
pendence of the thirteen colonies was recognized.
This being interpreted as an act of war by England,
a fleet under the command of Count D’Estaing was
sent over to blockade the British fleet in Delaware.
This was the beginning of the French activities in the
war.
On September 9, 1779, the American forces under
General Lincoln and the French under Count D’Es-
taing laid siege to Savannah in the effort to capture
the tov/n. The siege lasted for a whole month, and
for a time the town was subjected to an almost con
tinual bombardment from the French fleet in the Sa
vannah River. On the 9th day of October it was de
cided to take the town by storm, and then occurred
the famous assault whicti ended so disastrously to the
French and American forces.
It was in this battle that Count D’Estaing was se
verely wounded, Sergeant Jasper was killed, and
Count Pulaski received his mortal wound. It is esti
mated that the French and Americans lost over a
thousand men, of whom 600 were French and
Catholics.
It is not our purpose to enter into any detail con
cerning this, one of the most bloody engagements of
the war. The battle took place outside of the town,
as it then existed, but in what is now one of the
busiest and most important localities of the city. The
Central of Georgia depot occupies a large part of the
ground where the fiercest fighting occurred, and St.
Patrick’s Church, at Liberty and West Broad Streets,
is not far from the spot where Pulaski fell from his
horse, struck by a cannister shot fired from the last
gun of the bastion.
General Lincoln wished to renew the attack, but
Count D Estaing would not hazard another attempt;
so the French fleet returned home, and the American
forces moved to Charleston.
The dead were buried where they fell, and the
wounded were taken off the field where most of them
died later and were interred under what is now oc
cupied by streets and buildings and railroad yards in
the western part of the city. It is related that in
183 7, when the ground was cut down to fill in the
place where the Central of Georgia station now
stands many relics of that sanguinary conflict were
found along with remains of the dead. Thus, under
Savannah’s soil rest the mortal remains of over 600
Catholic soldiers who gave their lives in the effort to
make Savannah and America free. Their names are
mostly unknown, and their graves unmarked, but
their memory will ever remain with our people.
In this memorable engagement there are two of
the Catholic faith who figured so prominently that it
is but right that they should receive special mention
Count D’Estaing, of France, and Count Pulaski, of
Poland.
Count Casimir Pulaski.
This hero of the American Revolution was born at
Winiary, Poland, March 4, 1748. He was the eldest
son of Count Joseph Pulaski, and received his military
training as a youth in the Guard of Charles, Duke of
Courland. Under the leadership of his father, he
was one of those who formed in 1 768 a “Confedera
tion of the Bar” for the liberation of Poland from
Russian tyranny and oppression. His life for the en
suing six years was one constant series of brilliant
exploits, successes and failures, hair-breadth escapes,
but all fruitless endeavors, to accomplish the freedom
of his native land. He was compelled in 17 72 to flee
to Turkey, and later to France.
On the 17th of October, 1776, he offered his ser
vices to Benjamin Franklin in the cause of America,
and landed in Boston in July, 1 777. His signal ser
vices in the American Army in the Jersey campaign
led to his forming, with the approbation of General
Washington, what is known in history as “Pulaski’s
Legion.” This was in 1778. The famous “banner of
the legion” was purchased by him from the Mora
vians, of Bethlehem, and was not presented as a gift,
as is popularly supposed.
His gallant defense of the city of Charleston in
May, 1779, led to his being given the command of
both the French and American cavalry in the assault
(Continued on Page 13.)