by Eric Nelson, Historical Interpretation Manager
March 2, 2026 – Since the beginning of 1776, a British Fleet, headed by the HMS Scarborough, had sat off the coast of Tybee Island. In December of 1775, to support British operations in the Northern Theatre, Admiral Richard Howe had sent orders to the Scarborough, under Captain Andrew Barkley, to sail to Savannah to gather provisions of rice. He assured Barkley that the Royal Governor, James Wright, would cooperate in this operation. In January of 1776, while the Scarborough and fleet were only a few weeks at Tybee, Governor Wright was arrested and imprisoned by Joseph Habersham, the son of his late friend, James Habersham. On February 11th, Governor Wright, along with several other loyalists, escaped confinement in Savannah and fled to the Scarborough.
While aboard that vessel, Wright attempted to negotiate with the Patriots in Savannah for the rice, offering to trade for what they needed. Upon their consistent refusal, Wright urged the British fleet to advance and take the rice by force. Between late February and March 1st, the British fleet sailed down the Savannah River, arriving just off the coast of Brewton’s Hill, not too far from where Old Fort Jackson sits today.
Colonel Lachlan McIntosh, in command of the defenses of Savannah, would later report to General George Washington that on the evening of this day, March 2nd, 250 years ago, a British transport ship and several smaller boats, escorted by the schooner Hinchinbrook and sloop St. John, were spotted sailing along the northern passage of the river, settling beyond Hutchinson’s Island. McIntosh responded by fortifying Yamacraw Village in anticipation of an attack or landing west of the city. Instead, late that night, the British landed on Hutchinson’s Island itself. The Battle of the Rice Boats had begun that day, but the real fighting would happen the next…
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