The battle ended continuous British royal governance in Georgia, as Governor Wright's escape marked the colony's shift to Patriot control until 1778.
Key Facts
- Dates
- March 2–3, 1776
- Location
- Savannah River, Georgia/South Carolina border
- British objective
- Seize rice and provisions for besieged Boston garrison
- Outcome for supply ships
- Most taken by British; some burned or recaptured by Patriots
- Governor Wright
- Escaped confinement and reached British fleet
- End of royal governance
- Georgia not under British control again until 1778
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
With the British Army besieged in Boston and in need of provisions, a Royal Navy fleet was dispatched to Georgia in late 1775 to purchase rice and supplies. The fleet's arrival alarmed Patriot-controlled colonial authorities, who arrested Royal Governor James Wright and prepared to resist any British seizure of supply ships anchored at Savannah.
On March 2–3, 1776, Patriot militia from Georgia and South Carolina clashed with Royal Navy vessels on the Savannah River in a combined land and naval engagement. Some supply ships were burned by Patriots to prevent capture, others were recaptured, but the majority were successfully seized and removed by the British fleet.
Governor Wright escaped his Patriot captors and reached the safety of a British ship, effectively ending continuous royal rule over Georgia. Although Savannah was recaptured by Britain in 1778 and Wright governed again from 1779 to 1782, the battle marked a decisive early break in Crown authority over the colony.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent