’Bye, George
Blazing a New Nation: US War of Independence
by
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On October 3, the French started an almost continuous bombardment of Savannah. On the sixth, Prevost asked that women and children be allowed to leave the city. D’Estaing, fearful of another delaying tactic, refused. That had to be sorrowful news for General McIntosh, whose wife and children were in Savannah.
Lincoln and d’Estaing decided to launch an attack the ninth. The main attack was against the Spring Hill Redoubt, thinking it was manned by Loyalist militia and could be easily overrun. The opening of the attack was eerie. As the French, including several hundred free Negroes from Haiti, charged, they shouted in unison, “Vive le Roi,” while the Scottish troops played their bagpipes. Being in white uniforms, the French were easily picked off by the Loyalist riflemen. Admiral d’Estaing was wounded twice.
We, under McIntosh and Marion, went in to assist. Swedish Count Colonel Curt von Stedingk managed to plant a French flag on the redoubt, and one of our men planted a South Carolina flag. The British vigorously counterattacked. Seeing this, General Pułaski’s Legion attacked. Pułaski was wounded by grapeshot. Bodies were piling up everywhere. Many French were impaled on the abatis surrounding the redoubt. A four-hour truce was called to bury the dead. Our combined killed and wounded came to almost nine hundred, while theirs were about fifty. General Pułaski was taken to the American privateer Wasp. A few days later, he died while clutching an icon of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa.
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About the Book
It is 1774 and the stage has already been set for the War of Independence. As a Continental Congress is called to deal with the deteriorating situation between the colonies and Britain, six soldiers begin penning heartfelt letters to Eb Chaplin, the owner of the Blaze Horse Tavern in Philadelphia.
Soldiers Moses, Ben, Teunis, Roelof, and Felix are Patriots. The sixth soldier, Zack, is loyal to King George III of Great Britain. In letters addressed to Eb Chaplin written over the course of several years, the Patriot soldiers sound off about Loyalists, their hopes that Congress can come to a resolution with Britain, the opening salvo of slaughtering fifty Americans by the King’s Men, the capitulation of General Cornwallis, the Loyalists’ dismay over the Rebels’ win against the Crown, and their relief when the war is over. In his return letters to the soldiers, Chaplin tells of the political and diplomatic events affecting the War of Independence from the beginning to the end when America bids King George farewell with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
In this historical novel, six soldiers reveal their battle experiences, hopes and fears, and lessons learned through letters to a Philadelphia tavern owner before, during, and after the War of Independence.
About the Author
John Ebenreiter first became passionate about history while reading encyclopedias in his one-room Wisconsin schoolhouse. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, John spent forty-seven years in the accounting field, mainly with two Fortune 500 companies. Now retired, John is a Brandywine Battlefield tour guide and resides with his wife, Sharon, in Media, Pennsylvania.