and manifested a hostile temper. It was therefore judged expedient to furnish them with ammunition for their hunting season, to enable them to supply their families with necessary support. The council of safety in Charleston sent them one thousand weight of powder, and a proportionable quantity of lead, under an escort of twenty Rangers, commanded by lieutenant-colonel Charlton, who was charged with the distribution of it among the Indians. General Cunningham and major Bowman with about one hundred and fifty loyalists, way-laid the party as they passed through Ninety-six district, took possession of the ammunition, and disarmed the guard.

Upon the receipt of intelligence of this event, major Andrew Williamson ordered into service the militia of his battalion, and called for assistance from Georgia, with the intention of dispersing Cunningham's party. He was joined by captain Jacob Colson, with his company, consisting of about sixty minute men; and on mustering his force, found it to consist of between three hundred and fifty, and four hundred men; with which he advanced to Ninety-six.

When Williamson's movements were communicated to Cunningham, he assembled the loyalists, who numbered fifteen hundred or more, and advanced to meet Williamson; who calculating on a superiority of numbers in the ranks of his opponent, had constructed a stockade fort with fence rails, sufficient in extent for his troops, on

the hill which is separated from Ninety-six by the spring, which supplied the inhabitants of that village with water. There was no water in the fort; but Williamson expected to be able to supply his troops with that necessary fluid, from the spring. Major Williamson had supplied himself with some swivels, which he placed to the best advantage. On the 19th of November, in the forenoon, the advanced parties of the enemy were skirmished by parties from the fort; in this rencontre, the Americans had several men wounded, and they retreated into the fort. General Cunningham took possession of the village and gaol, about three hundred yards from the fort, which enabled him to command the water. Williamson was attacked on all sides, from behind houses, trees, logs, stumps and fences; but no trenches were opened. On the second day of the attack, the enemy constructed mantelets, with an intention to approach the fort and set it on fire; but they could not manage them so as to answer their intentions, and they were burned: the besieged were summoned to surrender, but the proposition was rejected. On the third day a sortie was arranged, to be commanded by captains Pickens, M'Call, Middleton, Anderson, Sinqufield and Colson, with twenty men each, to attack the enemy at different points, at the same time: this was not executed, by reason of a suspension of hostilities being proposed by general Cunningham for twenty days, and agreed to by major William

son. In this agreement each party was at liberty to send to their respective authorities, unsealed despatches, informing them of the event, and their situation. The American party had sustained themselves without water, and but short allow. ance of provisions for three days without a mur. mur; and their stock of ammunition became nearly expended. General Cunningham was induced to propose the suspension of hostilities, on receiving intelligence, that colonels Richardson and Thompson, with a formidable re-inforcement, were approaching to the relief of major William

son.

The terms of the suspension of hostilities were signed on the 22d of November. Captain Colson and his company were discharged, after receiv. ing the compliments of major Williamson, for their courage and activity during the siege. In this affair, the besieged lost one man, James Birmingham, killed; and thirteen wounded. The loss of the enemy was not accurately known; but afterward acknowledged to be fifty-two men killed and wounded.

The militia were discharged, and returned to their respective homes; but, were directed to reassemble at Ninety-six, at the termination of the truce.

Captain Colson and his company marched to the place of rendezvous on the day appointed, and joined major Williamson: the condition of things had materially changed. Colonel Richardson's

command, was near two thousand men; and the enemy, in the fork of Broad and Saluda rivers, was reduced to six hundred. The Americans marched in quest of them, and attacked them by surprise, on the morning of the 24th of December. The loyalists were totally routed; several of their leaders were captured; and such as escaped, made their way toward Florida, and the neighbouring Indian nations, for safety.

On the night of the 25th was a great fall of snow, supposed to be deeper on the ground, than what had ever before been witnessed in the south

ern provinces. In Georgia it was generally, eighteen inches deep; and from this circumstance, this was called the snow campaign. The troops having no tents, and generally, not well provided with thick cloathing, suffered severely. When the Georgia troops were discharged, they had to march one hundred miles knee deep in the

snow.

John Stewart, the superintendant of Indian affairs, had fixed the head quarters of his agency at St. Augustine, and appointed his brother, Henry Stewart, his deputy, for the purpose of keeping open a communication with Alexander Cameron, agent among the Cherokees. Notwithstanding the great obligations which Stewart was under to the people of South Carolina, whose government had made him a donation of fifteen hundred pounds sterling, and from whose recommendation he was appointed superintendant of Indian affairs;

yet in fifteen years after, we find him a violent opponent to those friends, when they were struggling for freedom. Early in the contest, he had settled a plan in concert with the king's governors, and other officers engaged in the royal cause, to land an army in Florida, and to proceed with a part of it to the western frontiers of Georgia and Carolina, and there, in conjunction with the loyalists and Indians, to assail the friends of the revolution. For this purpose he had employed colonel Moses Kirkland, of the Carolina refugees, to proceed to Boston, and concert the plan of operations with general Gage, commander-inchief of the British forces in America. After the

arrangement was digested, Gage was to communicate the result to the lieutenant-governor at St. Augustine, from whence a party was to attack Georgia upon the south. When Kirkland was on his way to Boston, he was taken prisoner, and these letters were found in his possession. The Indian talk to Cameron, which is mentioned in the letters, contained assurances from the Cherokees, that they were ready to attend Cameron, and massacre the back settlers of Georgia and Carolina. A letter was also found with Kirkland, from the lieutenant-governor to general Grant, containing a description of Carolina and Georgia, and pointing out the most accessible points of attack by the British and Indians, through the aid of Stewart and Cameron, who adopted every possible means of exasperating them against the