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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 305
and either capture or destroy him in his retreat upon Cornwallis. To
this end, arrangements were speedily made. So vigorous and repeated
were the attacks, that Grierson, finding further resistance useless, decided
to evacuate his position, and to escape, with his command, to Port Corn
wallis. The scheme was a desperate one, but his men, nothing daunted,
entered boldly upon its execution. In the hazardous attempt, the greater
portion of the garrison was killed, wounded, or captured, its major being
slain, and its lieutenant-colonel taken prisoner. Comparitively few of
those in the fort succeeded in escaping. After the surrender, Colonel
Grierson, in retaliation for his many enormities, was himself shot to
death by a Georgia rifleman.
The first step had been taken, but the most notable was to follow.
The eyes of the republicans were now turned toward Fort Cornwallis,
and plans were devised for its reduction. Behind the oaken ramparts
of that fortress, Colonel Brown calmly awaited the enemy's approach.
Brave and ingenious, he was always confident that a siege could success-
fiilly be sustained. The levelness of the ground making it difficult to
secure a platform high enough to render the only reliable field-piece in
camp effective for casting projectiles within the fort, under the circum
stances, it was deemed expedient to construct a "Mayham" tower. A
contrivance of this sort had proven of signal service in the demolition of
another fortification.
The tower was at length built, in spite of frequent efforts on the part
of the. besieged to interrupt the labors of the workmen. The interior
of this tower, which was raised almost abreast the parapet of the fortress,
was filled with fascines, earth, stone, brick, and every available material
which was calculated to solidify the structure. Perched upon its lofty
resting place, the six-pounder gun soon dismounted the two cannon of
the fort, and raked its inner portions, which it commanded almost
entirely. The fire of this gun was chiefly directed against the parapet
of Cornwallis, fronting on the river. Toward that quarter it was pro
posed that the main attack should be launched. Preparations were made
for a general assault, at 9 A. M., on the 4th of June, 1781. Twice had
Brown been called upon to surrender, without success. On the morning
of the 4th, however, and before an a.dvance had been ordered, an officer,
with a flag, was seen approaching from Cornwallis. He bore a message
from Colonel Brown to General Pickens and Colonel Lee, the purport
of it being that he desired to treat for a surrender.
Negotiations were at once commenced, which culminated, on the fol
lowing morning, in the proposal and acceptance of articles of capitula
tion. These articles called for the immediate evacuation, by the British
garrison—some 300 strong—of the fortress. The loss sustained by the
English at the siege of Augusta was fifty-two killed and 334 wounded
and captured; sixteen slain and thirty-five wounded represent the cas
ualties as reported among the Americans who participated in that hotly
contested affair.
The capture of Augusta practically broke the backbone of English
domination in Georgia, and foreshadowed the eventual triumph of the
patriots. Upon the re-occupation of the town by the victorious repub-