The Haitian Expeditionary Force of the American Revolution,In 1778 British forces took Savannah with

The Haitian Expeditionary Force of the American Revolution,In 1778 British forces took Savannah with only modest resistance from the Continental Army and local militia.  In 1779, the colonists, with the help of the newly allied French, formed an army of 2,000 militia and 4,000 French troops to take Savannah back.  Among the French forces were 500 Haitian volunteers, called the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint-Domingue.  Formed by the French officer Laurent François Le Noir de Rouvray, the unit consisted of free black men from Haiti who were sympathetic to the American Revolution.  The Siege of Savannah began on 16th of September as Franco-American forces surrounded the city while the British dug in.  While the British were outnumbered, they had built heavy fortifications and defenses.  Over the next month the British held out against bombardment and several assaults.  Among the Haitians contribution to battle was a muzzle to muzzle bayonet charge against a unit of British regulars, a particularly gutsy assault considering British soldiers had a reputation for being masters of the bayonet.  The Siege of Savannah ended in failure as British defenses were too strong, and the Franco American army began to suffer the effects of disease.  The siege ended October 20th when supplies ran out and casualties became too high.  As for the 500 Haitian volunteers, they would return home, bringing the revolution with them.  In 1791 Haiti revolted against France in its own bid for freedom.  The Haitian Revolution would last over 13 bloody years and was a particularly deadly conflict.  Since the men of the 500 Haitian Volunteers were the only people in Haiti with experience as professional soldiers, most became high ranking officers within the new rebel army. Their combat experience at the Siege of Savannah would provide a valuable asset to the Haitian rebels who fought an insurgency warfare against professional French forces.  Also among the Haitian Volunteers was a young drummer boy named Henri Christophe, who would later become the future King of Haiti.In 2007 a monument to the 500 Haitians was erected in their honor in Franklin Square, Savannah. -- source link

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