Colonel McIntosh sends a parley to Captain Barclay the next day, offering a prisoner exchange.

When Barclay refuses the exchange, the Committee of Safety orders the arrest of the remaining members of Wright's council.

This move proves successful; the British-held prisoners are released in exchange for promises of protection of those councilors.

In spite of the action, the British successfully sail most of the merchant ships down the Back River, although some of the ships need to dump a portion of their cargo in order to make it down the shallow channel.

Once they reach Tybee Island, the desired provisions, amounting to sixteen hundred barrels of rice, are loaded onto the two British transport ships.

The fleet remains anchored off Tybee Island while negotiations go on over the exchange of prisoners.

During this time the fleet detains several arriving vessels, which are later disposed of as prizes.

On March 25, a band of militia from Savannah burns all the houses on the island to deny their use to Wright and the ships' officers.

Barclay weighs anchor on March 30 and sails north, leading the convoy of merchant ships and transports.

As the British had abandoned Boston earlier in March, he first puts into Newport, Rhode Island, where the local Patriots deny him any assistance and fire at his ships using field artillery.

He eventually rejoins the British forces at Halifax, Nova Scotia in May.

The battle and Wright's departure mark the end of British control over Georgia until Savannah is recaptured by British forces in December 1778.

Governor Wright will return, and Savannah will then remain in British hands until 1782.