As he waited in a small encampment on the beach, hidden by an overhanging bluff, Brown sent a few men toward Savannah to explore the marshland and observe the deployment of American forces. It was cold, and a light rain was being blown into their sheltered area by a strong wind. These men were experienced in infiltrating loosely structured military lines, disguised as farmers, fishermen, tradesmen, or even as militia or Continental soldiers. As a former slave, Liverpool was one of the Rangers’ most effective spies. Shrewd and eloquent, he was equipped with a standard pass used by trusted servants to go on errands for their masters. By the time the British fleet was sighted, two days before Christmas, Brown had a complete report awaiting its commander, Colonel Archibald Campbell.

Their plans succeeded far beyond any expectation. The British forces landed on December 29, and Brown provided a thorough assessment of the deployment of Whig forces under General Robert Howe, Governor John Houstoun, and Colonel George Walton. The British launched a mock raid against the main American forces, while the real force waited for low tide at night and followed Quash Dolly quietly along a narrow and little-used path through the palmettos and across the tidal streams. And then the British troops moved quietly and unimpeded into the town.

At daybreak, panic seized the citizens of Savannah and the forces that were supposed to defend it. Many officers and men deserted their posts and attempted to escape. Neither General Howe nor any of his subordinates really knew what had happened, but the word spread rapidly that a slave woman had guided them across the marsh. The British captured 423 Americans, killed nearly 100, and more than 30 others were drowned when they tried to cross the waterways as the tide rose. Only 7 British troops were killed. Everything in the city was taken, including 45 cannons, 637 rifles and muskets, and a large supply of powder, shell, and shot.

Despite his best efforts, Colonel Campbell was unable to control his own forces as they swept through the defenseless city. They pillaged the stores, raped some of the women, and disemboweled some of the captured soldiers even after they lay down their weapons. General Howe, with his few remaining troops, retreated northward along the Savannah River, crossed the stream into South Carolina, and issued an order for his surviving Continental troops to reassemble.