British troops took possession of the rice boats at about four in the morning, yet Savannah’s alarm was not raised until nine. One explanation is an exceptionally quiet approach by eighteenth-century infantry across Hutchinson Island. Another is that some captains and crews willingly cooperated with buyers offering a premium for their cargo. The sources do not settle the issue, but the delay matters because commercial incentives could blur the apparent division between loyalist and revolutionary control. Economic behaviour therefore belongs in the tactical story of surprise.
Notable Point · 1:16:50-1:18:05
Silence, surprise, or merchants willing to sell
The nine-hour delay in raising Savannah’s alarm may reflect British stealth, but the premium offered for rice also makes merchant cooperation plausible.