neighborhood of Augusta; and in four days completed it. On the 21st of May, the British post at Silver Bluff, called Fort Dreadnaught, with six commissioned officers and 70 staff, noncommissioned and privates, beside a field piece and a large quantity of stores, surrendered to a detachment of the legion, under captain Rudolph. Pickens and Lee had for their object the reduction of Fort Cornwallis, at Augusta, where col. Brown commanded. The approaches were conducted with judgment and rapidity; but no advantage could be gained over the brave and vigilant Brown. In the course of the siege several batteries were erected which overlooked the fort. From these the Ameriean riflemen shot into the inside of the works with success The garrison buried themselves in a great measure under ground, and obstinately refused to surrender till every man who attempted to fire upon the besiegers, was instantly shot down. On the 5th of June the fort, with about 300 men, surrendered by capitulation. The Americans had about 40 killed and wounded during the siege. Lieut. col. Grierson, who was greatly obnoxious to them, was after the surrender put to death by some unseen marksman. A reward of a hundred guineas was offered for the perpetrator of this perfidious deed, who notwithstanding remained undiscovered. Brown would probably have shared a similar fate had not his conquerors furnished him with an escort to the royal garrison in Savannah; for on his way he had to pass through the inhabitants whose houses he had burned, whose relations he had hanged, and some of whose fellow-citizens he had delivered to the Indians, from whose hands they suffered all the tortures which savageness has contrived to give poignancy to the pains of death. Gen. Greene, the mean while, had proceeded with the main army to Ninety-Six, which was of more consequence than the other posts, and was defended by a considerable force under the command of lieut. col. Cruger. Greene arrived before. the town on the 22d of May, and two days after opened his first batteries. The approaches were carried on with unremitting assiduity, day and night. Greene's regular force was somewhat superior to that of the garrison.* The militia in that district abated their habitual * Mr. M⭑Kenzie, in his strictures on Tarleton's hiftory, fays, the Ameri can army amounted to upward of four thousand men, p. 146. The Ameri. can deputy-adjutant-general, col. O. Williams, fated them thus in his return, prefent fit for duty, rank and file, Maryland brigade, 427, Virginia ditto, 431, North-Carolina battalion, 66, Delaware ditto, 60-ic all 984; and made no mention of militia. Mr. McKenzie ftates the garrison at about 150 men of Delancey's battalion, 200 Jerecy volunteers, and about 2200 loyal mi, ardor ardor for destroying each other, and waited the event of the siege. The Americans not finding the aid they expected from -them, but on the contrary being obliged to send large convoys with the waggons that went only a few miles from camp for provisions or forage, the business became extremely irksome, and the event dubious; however the siege was prosecuted with indefatigable industry. The garrison defended themselves with spirit and address, and frequent rencounters happened, with va rious success. Riflemen were employed on both sides, who immediately levelled at every person that appeared in sight, and seldom missed their object. The additional force of Lee's le gion after the surrender of Fort Cornwallis, was highly seasonable, as most of the American militia had withdrawn, either to carry home their plunder or to secure their families from the ra vages of the royalists, who began to get rid of their apprehensions, on a report that a large reinforcement from Europe had arrived at Charleston, and that lord Rawdon was marching to the relief of Ninety-Six. On the 3d of June a fleet arrived from Ireland, having on board the 3d, 19th and 30th British regiments, a detachment from the guards, and a considerable body of recruits; the whole commanded by licut. col. Gould. This was a seasonable arriv al, for the royal army had lost a number of brave officers and soldiers, through the sudden and unexpected attack of the Ame ricans upon their detached posts in different parts of the country: On the 7th Rawdon marched from Charleston with a number of these newly arrived troops, in order to relieve the garrison at Ninety-Six. Great were the difficulties they had to encounter, in rapidly marching under the rage of a burning sun, through the whole extent of South-Carolina; but much greater was their astonishment when they were told, that their services in the field were necessary to oppose the yet unsubdued rebels in the province. They had been amused with hopes that nothing remained for them to do, but to sit down as settlers on the forfeited lands of a conquered country. Gen. Greene's army had advanced their approaches very near that critical point after which further resistance would have been temerity. At this interesting moment, intelligence was received that lord Rawdon was nigh at hand, with a reinforcement of at least 1700 foot, and 150 horse. An American lady, lately married to an officer in the fitia; in all 550, if full, and no more than about the number specified. But if a mistake in the account of the garrifon, any wife fimilar to that of the American army, has been committed, the difproportion between both must" be much greater than that of 550 and 984. gar garrison, had been prevailed upon by a large sum of money to convey a letter to Cruger with the news of their approach. Attempts had been made to retard their march, but without the desired effect. Their vicinity made it necessary either to raise the siege, or make a bold attempt for the reduction of the place. The American army was eager for this effort, in which every one knew and despised the danger. But Greene considered the con sequences of a repulse, and instead of a general assault, ordered [June 18.1 the batteries to be well manned, and a furious cannonade to commence, while the troops lined the trenches and paral lel lines with all the appearances of a meditated coup-de-main. One of the redoubts was quickly abandoned, and Lee's light-infantry took possession of it. Immediately afterward, a select party from the Maryland brigade under lieut.. Duval, and another from the Virginia brigade under lieut. Selden, followed by a number of pioneers provided with intrenching tools and grapples, entered the ditch of the strongest work called the Star fort and endeavored to pull down the sand bags and to make a lodgment... The astonishment of the enemy at first made their opposition feeble; but the strength of their works requiring much time to reduce them, some of their troops who had abandoned the post were brought back to its defence, and parties were thrown into the ditch to charge the Americans on each flank, who were repulsed with loss, and then succeeded by others that suffered also, while those within fought entirely under cover. The American parties in the ditch were enfiladed, and galled exceedingly by the fire from the flank angles of their fort. The enter prise however was not soon relinquished. Exposed as they were, with their noses almost touching the muzzles of the enemy's musketry, flanked on both sides, and fighting foot to foot, they bravely maintained possession of the ditch, and vigorously urged the daring design till they were ordered to retire. The conflict. continued near an hour, when Greene observing that every thing had been attempted which could promise success, directed the surviving assailants to be called off. About one third fellia the ditch, and near as many, were brought off wounded. Duval and Selden were both wounded. During the attack, the 1s£ Maryland regiment, commanded by capt. Benson (which was to sustain the advanced parties in case they penetrated the fort) manned the advanced parallel line, and both lines of approach, which were within a few feet of the enemy's works. The orficers could not be at once neighbors and strangers to danger. They frequently observed the situation of affairs, and sometimes. ordered their soldiers to rise up and fire over the heads, of thei Com panions, to prevent the enemy from looking and firing over their sand bags. Capt. Armstrong received a ball through the head, and capt. Benson a very dangerous wound through the -left shoulder and neck. Rawdon's near approach obliged Greene to raise the siege on the evening of the 19th, after having lost, since the 22d of May, about 150 men in killed, wounded, and missing. It was a mortifying circumstance to the Americans, to be ob liged to abandon the siege when in the grasp of victory to be compelled, when nearly masters of the whole country, to retreat to its extremity. On this sudden turn of affairs, Greene was ad vised by some persons to leave the state, and retire with his remaining force to Virginia. To such suggestions he nobly answered" I will recover the country, or die in the attempt." On the 20th of June the American army crossed the Saluda, and retired toward Broad-river. They reached the Enoree on the 24th Thus far lord Rawdon pursued them; when finding it impossi ble to overtake them, he faced about and returned. He consoled himself with the apprehension that they were gone to North-Carolina or Virginia, but they halted and refreshed themselves near the Cross-roads, till Greene was informed that his lordship, with about half his army was marching to the Congaree. Upon this the American invalids and heavy baggage filed off toward Camden, and all the effective infantry marched by way of Wynsborough to meet his lordship at Fort Granby. The cavalry was previously detached to watch his motions, and did it so effectually, that a part of them charged and took a captain, a lieutenant, a cornet, and 45 privates of the British dragoons, with all the hor ses and accoutrements, one mile from their encampment. The day following, the 4th of July, his lordship marched from the Congaree to Orangeburgh, where he was joined by the 3d re-. giment under lieut. col. Stewart, with a convoy of provisions. Greene, after collecting the militia under Sumpter and Marion, and attaching them to the continentals, offered him battle on the 12th. His lordship, secure in his strong position, would not venture out, and Greene was too weak to attack him with any prospect of success. Advice being received that Cruger had evacuated Ninety-Six, and was marching with his troops to join Rawdon, Greene ordered the Americans to retire about seven miles that evening. The next day the cavalry of the legion, the state troops and militia, were detached to make a diversion toward Charleston, and the rest of the army was ordered to the High Hills of Santee. The same day Rawdon and Cruger formed a - junction. A few days after his lordship left Orangeburgh, with a considerable a considerable detachment and a great number of waggons, and marched to Charleston. His lordship intends returning to GreatBritain. His ill state of health will fully justify his using that leave of absence which has been granted, while, the nature of the service in the Carolinas can be no inducement for him to remain. The evacuation of Camden having been partly effected by striking at the posts below, Greene was for trying how far the like measures. might induce the British to leave Orangeburgh. The detachment was sent off to Monk's Corner and Dorchester, and moved down by different roads; in three days they commenced their operations. Lee took all the waggons and waggon horses belonging to a convoy of provisions. Lieut. col. Wade Hampton, with the state cavalry, charged a party of British dragoons within five miles of Charleston. He also took 50 prisoners at Strawberry ferry, and burned four vessels loaded with valuable stores for the British army.. Sumpter appeared before the garrison at Biggin's church, consisting of,500 infantry, and upward of 100 cavalry. Lieut. col. Coates who commanded there, after repulsing Sumpter's advanced party, on the next evening destroyed his stores and retreated toward Charleston. He was closely pursued by Lee's legion and Hampton's state cavalry. The legion came up with them, and took their rear-guard and all their baggage. Sumpter and Marion came up with the main body after some hours; but by this time the British had secured themselves by taking an advantageous post in a range of houses. An attack was however made, and continued with spirit till upward of 40 were killed or wounded by the fire from the houses. The British lost in these different engagements 140 prisoners, beside several killed and wounded, all the baggage of the 19th regiment, and above 100 horses and several waggons. Gen. Greene with the main army reached the High Hills of Santee, on the 16th of July, and there reposed them till the 22d of August. In a letter from thence of the 8th of August, to a friend at Philadelphia, he thus expressed himself "Gen. Gates left this country under a heavy load, and I can assure you he did not deserve it. If he was to be blamed for any thing at all, it was for fighting, not for what he did, or did not do in or after the action. I have been upon the ground where he was defeated, and think it was well chosen, and the troops properly drawn up, and had he halted after the defeat at Charlotte, without doing the least thing, I am persuaded there would have been as little mururing upon that occasion as in any instance whatever, where the public meet with a misfortune of equal magnitude. I think the order of congress for an inquiry was permature, and am conVOL. IIL A a fident |