Here's another seasonal post from Balladeer's Blog for the upcoming Fourth of July Holiday.
THE CHASSEURS-VOLUNTAIRES DE SAINT-DOMINGUE - French assistance to the emerging United States of America during our Revolutionary War took many forms. One of the most often overlooked elements of such assistance came in the form of a unit from Saint-Domingue (renamed Haiti during the nation's own revolution against French control in 1804).
Originally numbering roughly 800 colored soldiers, the Creole regiment had white officers with the exception of their overall commander - the black Marquis de Rouvray, Laurent Francois Lenoir. The unit was formed in Saint-Domingue on March 12th, 1779, and after training and outfitting departed from Haiti on August 15th.
These Chasseurs arrived outside Savannah, Georgia on September 8th and served alongside the American forces and other French troops in besieging the city. In December of 1778 the British had taken Savannah as part of their operations in Georgia and the Americans were trying to take it back.
The soldiers served with distinction during the campaign and there is a monument in Savannah's Franklin Square commemorating their heroism. The Chasseurs also served in South Carolina beginning in 1780.
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