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1779. Charlestown would certainly furrender at his approach, induced him to change his original plan, and push for the place. Had he defigned it at firft, and continued his march with the fame rapidity he began it, he would probably have carried the town by a coup-de-main; but he halted two or three days, when advanced more than half the distance. In this interval the lieut. governor and the council made the greatest exertions to fortify it on the land fide. All the houses in the suburbs were burnt. Lines and abbatis were in a few days carried from Ashley to Cooper rivers. Cannon were mounted at proper intervals across the whole extent of Charleftown neck. The militia of the vicinity were fummoned to the defence of the place; and they generally obeyed. Gen. Moultrie's retreating army, gov. Rutledge's militia from Orangeburgh, and the detachment of chofen continental troops under col. Harris, which marched near forty miles a day for four days fucceffively, all May 10. reached Charlestown on the 9th and 10th of May.

11.

Nine hundred of the British army, their main body and baggage being left on the fouth fide of Ashley river, croffed the ferry, and foon appeared before the town. The fame day count Pulafki's legionary corps of infantry croffed Cooper river to Charlestown. They had fcarcely arrived two hours, when he led 80 of them out of the lines, and ftationed them in a valley behind a small breaft work, with the view of drawing the British into an ambuscade. He advanced a mile beyond his infantry, and joined a party of regular horfe, and mounted militia volunteers, and with that force engaged the British cavalry for a while, and then retreated to his infantry; who from an eagerness to engage had quitted

their breast work, and so rendered abortive the advantage 1779. of the intended ambufcade, and were by fuperior numbers compelled to retreat. Pulaski however by discovering the greatest intrepidity, and by fuccefsful perfonal rencounters with individuals of the British cavalry, had a confiderable influence in difpelling the general panic, and in introducing military fentiments into the minds of the citizens. Major Huger, a distinguished officer, while commanding a party without the lines, was killed at night through mistake by his countrymen. That the town might not be carried by furprife or a fudden af fault, tar-barrels were lighted up in front of the works. Its defence refted on the exertions of 3300 men, the greater part of whom were militia, wholly unacquainted with military operations. Gen. Lincoln was marching. with all expedition for its relief, but his timely arrival was dubious, and the crifis extremely hazardous; a propofition was therefore made by the civil authority to gen. Prevost" That South Carolina would remain in a state of neutrality, till the clofe of the war, and then follow the fate of its neighbours, on condition the royal army would withdraw." The British. commander rejected this advantageous offer, alleging that he did not. come in a legislative capacity; and infifted, "That as the garrison was in arms, they should furrender prifoners of war:" upon this they prepared for fuftaining an immediate affault, but Prevoft fearing the confequences, declined making it. Some days after, he took an exprefs coming from Lincoln: upon reading it and difcovering the movements and intentions of the latter, he cried out aloud, that he expected to be between two fires, and precipitately quitted his ground, recroffed

June

20.

1779. Ashley river, and to avoid Lincoln's army, now in his rear, filed off from the main land to the islands on the fea coaft. Both armies encamped within 30 miles of Charlestown, watching each other's motions till the 20th of June, when a part of the British army intrenched at Stono ferry was attacked. By a preconcerted plan, a feint was to have been made from James island with a body of militia from Charlestown, at the moment when gen. Lincoln began the attack from the main; but from mifmanagement they did not reach their place of deftination till feveral hours after the action.-The American army confifted of about 1200 men, only half continentals, who were pofted on the left, while the North and South Carolina militia occupied the right. Col. Malmedy led a corps of light infantry on the right, and lieut. col. Henderfon on the left. The Virginia militia. and the cavalry formed a corps of referve. The British force confifted of 6 or 700 men. They had redoubts, with a line of communication, and field pieces advantageoufly pofted in the intervals, and the whole fecured with an abbatis. That they might be haraffed, or lulled into fecurity, they were alarmed by fmall parties, for feveral nights preceding the action. When the attack was made, two companies of the 71ft regiment fallied out to fupport the picquets. Henderfon ordered his light infantry to charge them, on which they inftantly retreated only nine of them got fafe within their lines. All the men at the British field pieces, between their redoubts, were either killed or wounded. The attack was continued for an hour and twenty minutes, and the affailants had manifeftly the advantage; but the appearance of a reinforcement, to prevent which the feint from

James inland was intended, made a retreat neceffary. 1779The whole garrifon fallied out on the Americans: their light troops however fo effectually retarded the British, that they not only retreated with regularity, but brought off their wounded with fafety. Lincoln loft in killed and wounded 146, befide 155 miffing. This attack accelerated the retreat of the enemy, who with great affiduity and fatigue, paffed over from island to island until they arrived at Beaufort, from whence they had an open and free communication with Georgia by water, whither most of them went, leaving a fufficient garrifon under col. Maitland.

This incurfion into South Carolina added much to the wealth of the officers, foldiers and followers of the camp, and still more to the diftreffes of the inhabitants. The negroes, allured with hopes of freedom, repaired in great numbers to the royal army; and to recommend themfelves to their new mafters, discovered where their owners had concealed their property. It is fuppofed, that the British carried out of the ftate about 3000 flaves, many of whom were shipped off and fold in the West Indies; but the inhabitants loft upward of 4000, each worth on an average about fifty-fix pounds fterling. Several hundreds of them died of the camp fever; and numbers, laboring under difeafes and afraid to return home, perifhed in the woods. The royal army alfo plundered the planters of several rice barrels full of plate. They spread over a confiderable extent of country, and fmall parties visited every house, stripping it of whatever was most valuable, and rifling the inhabitants of their money, rings, jewels and other personal ornaments; and yet what was destroyed by the foldiers was fuppofed to

1779.

May

10.

be of more value than what they carried off. The devaftations committed by them were fo enormous, as that a particular relation of them would fcarcely be credited by people at a diftance, though the fame could be attested by hundreds of eye-witneffes. It will be nearly as difficult to credit another species of depredation which certain Americans have committed upon gen. Washing, ton's property. His debtors have been discharging in paper currency (at the rate of a fhilling in the pound, through the depreciation) bonds, which ought to have been paid him, and would have been realized before he left Virginia, but for his indulgence. Seven thousand pounds fterling would not compenfate the loffes he might have avoided by remaining at home, and attending a little to his own concerns. Alas! what is virtue come to! What a miferable change has four years produced in the temper and difpofition of many of the fons of America! It almost furpaffes belief!

Sir Henry Clinton dispatched Sir George Collier and gen. Matthew, with about 2000 men befide 500 marines, to make a descent upon Virginia. They failed for Portfmouth, and upon their arrival landed the troops at a distance; then marched and took immediate poffeffion of the town, which was defenceless. The remains of Norfolk, on the opposite fide of the river fell of course into their hands. On the approach of the fleet and army. the Americans burnt feveral veffels; others were faved and poffeffed by the British. The guards were pushed. forward 18 miles by night to Suffolk, where they arrived by day light, and proceeded to destroy a magazine of provifions, together with the veffels and naval ftores. found there. A fimilar deftruction was carried on at

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