ately  called  to  the  landing  of  cannon,  and  the
erecting  of  batteries.  The  distance  of  the  fleet
from  the  landing-place,  together  with  the  want
of  proper  carriages  to  transport  the  cannon  and
stores  from  Thunderbolt  to  Savannah,  a  dis-
tance of  five  miles,  consumed  a  great  deal  of
time.  The  works  of  the  town  were  every  day
perfecting  by  the  labour  of  several  hundred
negroes,  directed  by  that  able  engineer  Major
Moncrieff.  On  the  evening  of  the  23d  the
French  and  Americans  broke  ground,  and  on
the  24th  Major  Graham,  with  a  small  party  of
the  besieged,  sallied  out  on  the  French  troops,
but  he  was  soon  repulsed.  The  pursuit  was
continued  so  near  to  the  British  entrenchments,
that  the  French,  on  their  return,  were  exposed
to  a  heavy  fire,  by  which  many  of  them  fell.
On  the  night  of  the  27th  Major  M'Arthur,  with
a  party  of  the  British  pickets,  advanced  and
fired  among  the  besiegers.  This  was  conducted
so  artfully  as  to  occasion  a  firing  between  the
French  and  American  camps.  On  the  4th  of
October  the  besiegers  opened  with  nine  mortars,
thirty-seven  pieces  of  cannon  from  the  land-
side,  and  sixteen  from  the  water.  These  con-
tinued to  play  with  short  intervals  •'for  four  or


SIEGE  OF  SAVANNAH.  159

five  days,  but  without  any  considerable  effect.
On  the  8th,  in  the  morning.  Major  L'Enfant,
with  five  men,  marched  through  a  brisk  fire
from  the  British  lines,  and  kindled  their  abba-
tis  ;  but  the  dampness  of  the  air,  and  the  mois-
ture of  the  green  wood,  prevented  the  success
of  this  bold  undertaking.
