> A post on SCBATTLES-L said that there was reference, in a speech to the > Sons of Italy, to there being 3 regiments of Italians during the > Revolution. Anyone ever heard of such? This might be a misreading of the ethnicity of Hessian Regiment d'Angelli. In 1779, General Louis Marquis d'Angelli became the 'chef' of the regiment that historians now call "Regiment Rall/von Wöllwarth/von Trümbach/d'Angelli" which was formerly known as Regiment Rall [majority of whom were captured at Trenton in 1776], then as part of the so-called Combined Regiment (remnants of the Rall, v. Knyphauasen and v. Loßberg [Lossberg] regiments), then after 1777 as the Regiment von Wöllwarth, then after 1778 as the Regiment von Trümbach, then after 1779 as the Regiment d'Angelli. The Combined Regiment was at Philadelphia with Howe in 1777, then in the fall of 1778 the regiment was sent south and was part of the group which took Savannah just after Christmas 1778. The regiment was with Maitland's battalion of the 71st (Fraser's Highlanders) at the Battle of Stono Ferry SC in June 1779. When the French showed up at Tybee Island at the mouth of the Savannah River in early September 1779, the regiment was at Beaufort SC with Maitland. They were part of 800 men in Maitland's journey through the swamps behind the South Carolina sea islands which reached Savannah during the 24 hr cease fire d'Estaing granted Prevost allegedly to be used to draft the convention of his surrender. This reinforcement preserved the British control of Savannah which was highlighted by the failure of the combined Franco-American attack upon the British fortifications outside Savannah 222 years ago this morning, 9 Oct 1779. No, Mailand's troops didn't walk all the way from Beaufort to Savannah. They travelled by ship from Beauford down Beauford River, then up Port Royal Sound and through Skull Creek (between Pinckney's and Hilton Head islands) into Callabogue Sound (between Dawfuskee and Hilton Head islands) from where the soldiers marched the length of Dawfuskee while the boats went around through the creeks. The troops were reloaded at Dawfuskee landing and rowed down the New River through Wall's Cut and then up Wright's River to what is now dredged out as the intercoastal waterway where they had to disembark and drag their boats to the Savannah River. They entered Savannah River above the French blockade and then rowed to Savannah another ten miles or so. The boats (under British naval Lieut. Thomas Goldesborough) returned to Dawfuskie landing for a second load and all 800 fit troops arrived at Savannah before the end of the cease-fire. The fleet left in Callabogue Sound included a ship-rigged "sloop of war," two galleys, one half-galley, a victualler and two troop transports. In addition to the ship's boats, just about every thing capable of floating was commandeered, including canoes (specifically mentioned). The strain of the trek led to the death of the much beloved, one-armed LtCol the Honorable John Maitland not long after his arrival at Savannah. Whereas Henry Knox's bringing the Ticonderoga cannon to Boston and Benedict Arnold's march to Quebec where magnificant American winter treks, John Maitland's march through the South Carolina swamps is one of the most remarkable (I think THE most remarkable) British maneuvers conducted during the RevWar. This would put one regiment with an Italian-sounding name in South Carolina during the Rev War. I can't now recall whether d'Estaing had any regiments in his French forces which could be considered Italian or had Italian-sounding names. Somewhere in my files, I have a list of the Franco-American order of battle for the Seige of Savannah. Bob Brooks