Haitian Monument Completed

A new statue honors Haitian soldiers in Savannah’s Franklin Square.

By Tina Tyus-Shaw
Published: October 11, 2009

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(Savannah) A long journey came to an end today in downtown Savannah. Members of the Haitian-American community completed their long-awaited monument after eight years of effort. The six bronze figures standing atop a granite base represent more than 500 free black volunteers from Haiti who fought for American independence in the revolutionary war battle of Savannah. "Maybe it was their first fight. Maybe it was many fights later, but I had to put myself in the position of being a fighter. Whether holding that musket or what kind of emotions they were experiencing. So that's what I try to capture in their faces,"says Sculptor James Mastin. "I'm very proud of my country, and I'm very proud to be Haitian. And I want all Haitians to be proud of themselves because we it’s not only for here. We have a lot of history,"says Daniel Fils-Aime. The Haitian volunteers were the largest group of soldiers in the 1779 battle.