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and left orders for the South-Carolina militia to follow him, with all possible speed. The citizens of Charleston exerted themselves in sending such small craft as was necessary to assist the French in landing their troops; but such was the necessary delay, that it could not be effected until the 12th, and in the mean time, the British had exerted themselves in obstructing the river, strengthening their works, and thus preparing for their defence.

In this state of things Count de Estaing summoned Gen. Prevost to surrender to the arms of the king of France. Gen. Lincoln remonstrated against this, particularly as the Americans were acting in conjunction; the count persisted, and Gen. Prevost demanded a cessation of hostilities for 24 hours to deliberate, this the count granted; during this period the troops from Beaufort arrived, to the number of 4 to 800, and Gen. Prevost, thus reinforced, determined to defend the place to the last extremity. The count now saw his error, and in a consultation with Gen. Lincoln, concluded to set down before the place, and carry it by a regular siege; and they proceeded to co-operate in landing the necessary cannon, and constructing the necessary works.

Gen. Prevost employed several hundred negroes at this time, in carrying forward his works of defence; and on the 23d, the allies broke ground, and commenced the operations of the siege. The besieged sallied forth, from time to time, to interrupt the operations of the besiegers; but were repulsed with loss.

On the 4th of October the besiegers opened their batteries, and began to play upon the town, with 9 mortars, and 54 pieces of cannon, which continued for four or five days, with very little intermission; but without any apparent effect. On the morning of the 8th, Maj. Le Enfant, with five men, braved the fire of the enemy; marched up to the abbatis, and attempted to set it on fire; but this

bold adventure failed; the weather was moist, and the materials were green. General Prevost next requested that the women and children might be removed; this, considering the late stratagem of the general, was denied; and the two commanders resolved on carrying the town by storm. This became necessary to close the operations, and relieve the French fleet from its exposed situation, both from an attack from the enemy, as well as from the storms to which it lay exposed.

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The morning of the 9th was fixed upon to begin the work of death, and carry the town by storm; but a deserter fled in the night, and carried the plan of attack to General Prevost, who was prepared in the morning. to receive the assailants; and although, the attack was well concerted, and bravely executed by the allied commanders, at the head of their troops, supported by the brave Count Pulaski with his legion; yet the fire of the enemy was so destructive that the troops gave way, after having planted the French and American standards on the British redoubts; at this critical moment the brave Count Pulaski fell with a mortal wound, at the head of his legion, when charging the enemy in the rear, in the full career of victory. The allies supported this desperate conflict 55 minutes, under a deadly fire from the enemy's batteries; and then made good their retreat with the loss. of 637 French, and 234 continentals killed and wounded, and of the 380 Charleston militia, who all fought bravely, 6 were wounded, and one captain was killed..

General Prevost conducted this defence like an able general, and deserved well of his country.

Count de Estaing embarked his troops, cannon, baggage, &c. in about ten days, and was immediately dispersed by a violent storm, and although 7 ships had been ordered to repair to the Chesapeake, but one solitary ship was able

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to gain that station; the others stood off for the WestIndies.

Pending these operations, a Colonel John White of the Georgia militia, with six men, including his servant, surprised a battalion of Captain Delancey's royal refugees, near the river Ogeechee, consisting of 100 men, besides about 40 regulars, and by a masterly stratagem secured, the whole, and conducted them safely through the country 25 miles to an American post.

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Congress resolved that a monument be erected to the memory of Count Pulaski, who died in October, of the wound received in the attack upon Savannah on the 9th. Thus fell Count Pulaski, whose services did honour to his nation, and the cause of America in which he was engaged.

When the news of the arrival of the French fleet upon the American coast reached New-York, it gave a general alarm, notwithstanding Sir Henry Clinton had been reinforced by the fleet of Admiral Arbuthnot in August, and Sir Andrew Hammond in September, with 1500 troops from Cork. To secure the port of New York the more effectually against the suspected attack, Sir Henry Clinton dispatched a fleet of transports to Rhode-Island, on the 26th of September, to bring off the garrison to New-York. On the 25th of October, the whole British force at Newport embarked for New-York, where they arrived safe on the 27th. General Gates, who commanded the American forces in the vicinity of Newport, watched the movements of the enemy critically during the period of evacuation, expecting to witness the same ravages that had so generally marked the progress of the British of late; but to the honour of General Pigot they did not appear at Newport. The general drew off his troops in great good order, and left the town and adjacent country in as good condition as when he landed.

* Dr. Ramsay; Vol. II. page 35-43.

Sir Henry Clinton having concentrated his forces at New-York for the defence of that city, felt himself at liberty to resume his operations at the south, when he found that the French fleet had left the coast and returned to the West-Indies. Accordingly on the 26th of December, he embarked 7000 troops on board his transports, and they sailed for South-Carolina, under convoy of Admiral Arbuthnot, where they arrived the last of January in a shattered condition, after having encountered adverse winds, and tempestuous weather on their passage. One ordnance ship was wrecked and lost on her passage, with all her stores, together with several transports, and others were taken by the American cruisers. Such was the condition of the fleet, and troops, that Sir Henry was not prepared to land until the 11th of February; he then effected a landing on the south side of John's-Island, distant about 30 miles from Charleston.

To meet this invasion promptly, Congress had ordered on to Charleston, three of the continental frigates, and Gen. Lincoln had dispatched a trusty officer to the Havannah, to solicit the assistance of the Spanish governor, in ships and troops, for the defence of South-Carolina; promising at the same time to furnish a force of 2000 men, to co-operate with the Spaniards in the reduction of St. Augustine.

The legislature of South-Carolina, being in session at this time, delegated absolute power to Gov. Rutledge for the defence of the state, in all cases, excepting over the lives of the citizens, without legal trial, and he called on the militia to meet in general rendezvous for the public defence, but his call was very partially obeyed. He next summoned the militia by proclamation, and threatened with confiscation of property, all such as should disobey this summons, but even this was disregarded, and such was the general depression throughout the colony, since the

defeat at Savannah, that bad Sir Henry marched directly for Charleston, he would have met with a very feeble resistance.

Gen. Lincoln undertook the defence of Charleston, with only 1400 troops of the regular service, with about 1000 North-Carolina militia ; yet he hoped to preserve the town against the regular approaches of Sir Henry Clinton, with a well appointed army of 6 or 7000 men,

Gen. Lincoln had taken the precaution to strengthen the old works of 1779, and to extend his lines of defence quite across from Cooper's to Ashley River. In front of these lines he had constructed a strong abbatis, and a wet ditch firmly picquetted on the inner side. Between the lines and the ditch, deep holes were sunk at short distances; cross lines were also constructed, so as to rake the wet ditch throughout its whole extent. In the centre of the whole was erected a strong citadel. Works similar to these were thrown up on all sides of the town, where a landing could be practicable, and the frigates were stationed at the entrance of the harbour. In this position Gen. Lincoln awaited the approach of the enemy.

Sir Henry Clinton- formed a depot on James' Island, and constructed fortifications there and on the main-land, opposite the southern and western extremities of the town. On the 29th of March he moved forward his grenadiers, light troops, and infantry; crossed Ashley River, and advanced to the distance of about 3000 yards from the American lines. All the movements of Sir Henry were plain, and regular; he rightly appreciated the character of Gen. Lincoln as an officer, and made his dispositions accordingly.

Admiral Arbuthnot entered the harbour with such of his ships as could be floated over the bar, and the American frigates retired up to the town, landed their crews and guns, and prepared for the defence of the town; under

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