of major Joseph Habersham, who would have taken it, if boats could have been procured to carry this detachment on board. The vessel floated at high water and sheared off.

Colonel M'Intosh sent a flag to Maitland and Grant, by captains Roberts and Demere, which was detained. Captains Scriven and Baker were detached with a party to demand the return of the flag, but were refused admittance and the party fired upon, by which one man was wounded and the boat almost sunk. Captain Bowen was ordered to set fire to two vessels lying in the stream, near the one on board of which Maitland and Grant had taken shelter. The first effort, which was made in the morning, did not succeed, because the tide was too far spent. The second attempt, made in the afternoon, was successful. The cable of the ship was slipped, while she was enveloped in flames, and drifted against the enemy: part of the British soldiers jumped overboard, and swam on shore: the officers and as many men as the boats could accommodate were, carried on shore. Many of the soldiers stuck in the soft mud, and with difficulty reached the rice dams, with the loss of their arms.

The South Carolinians, not only observed the continental regulations, but on all occasions cheer fully co-operated with the friends of freedom, prevent an infringement of them in Georgia. One hundred and fifty volunteers from Charleston, and three hundred and fifty of the country milia,

to sea.

under the command of colonel Bull, arrived at this critical moment, and aided in the dislodgement of the enemy. Three of the merchant vessels were burned, six dismantled and two escaped Before they sailed, a party of marines went on shore at Skidaway, to collect sea stores, but were driven off by lieutenant Hext's detachment of militia. In a skirmish at Cockspur, on the same day, lieutenants Jacob Oates, and Laroach, were killed.

Upon this trying occasion, the patriotism of the citizens of Savannah was tested, by a resolution which was offered by one of the members of the committee of safety; the purport of which was, that the houses in Savannah which were owned by those whose motto was LIBERTY OR DEATH, including houses which belonged to widows and orphans, should be appraised; and in the event of the enemy's gaining possession of the city, the torch was to be applied in every direction, and the town was to be abandoned in smoking ruins. To the astonishment, even of those who made the proposition, when the republican party was convened, there was not one dissenting voice. Among the number, where this resolution originated, were many of the most wealthy inhabitants of Savannah, and some whose ll, consisted of houses and lots. The houses

those persons, who were inimical to the Amercan cause, were not to be noticed in the valuativ. Committees were accordingly appointed,

and in a few hours, returns were made to the council of fafety. There are many instances of conflagration, by order of a monarch, “who can do no wrong," but there are but few instances upon record, where the patriotism of the citizen has urged him on to the destruction of his own property, to prevent its becoming an asylum to the enemies of his country. The resolution before mentioned, was put into the hands of colonel Lachlan M'Intosh, and published in a general order for the government of the troops.

The little execution that was done in Savannah, while it was apparently attacked by an avowed enemy; gives strong evidence that the hos tile diposition of the opposing parties, was not yet roused. It was then considered as a family quarrel, which might yet be made up, by an accommodation of the existing differences between Great Britain and America. Therefore, a disposition to excite alarm by menaces, rather than to irritate by the shedding of blood, prevailed upon both sides, during the time that this partial attack was made upon Savannah. If this had not been the general disposition, certainly more men would have been killed and wounded.

When the legislature adjourned in Augus 1775, the hope was still cherished, that a negoc ation would be made through the medium yielding on the part of the British governm the points for which the colonies so justly tended. These delusive hopes were sudaly

damped by an act of parliament, dated 21st of December, 1775. The letter accompanying this act, was addressed to governor Wright, directing the confiscation of the property of those who adhered to the principles contended for in the other colonies; and the withholding of the king's protection from all the colonies, which refused implicit obedience to the laws of the crown. act extended to the prohibition of intercourse, between the British nation and all the colonies, from Massachusetts to Georgia, inclusively, during the continuance of their rebellion against the laws of England.

The

The inhabitants of the provinces, were charged with setting themselves up in open rebellion and defiance to the legal authority of the king and parliament, to which they had ever been subjects; and having assembled together, armed forces, engaged the king's troops, attacked his forts, usurped the power of government and prohibited all peaceable trade and commerce with his kingdom, and other parts of his dominions. For the speedy and effectual suppression of these daring designs, and for preventing any aid, supply, or assistance being afforded them, during the continuance of the rebellion and treasonable commotions, it was enacted—that all manner of trade nd commerce should be prohibited with the conies aforesaid, and that all ships or vessels, beaging to their inhabitants, with their cargoes, Aarel and furniture; and all other ships or ves

sels, with their cargoes, which should be found trading in any of the ports of these colonies, or going to trade, or returning from trading with them; should be forfeited to the British government, as if such ships and their cargoes belonged to an enemy. And for the encouragement of the officers, seamen and soldiers, in the king's service, they were to be entitled to the sole interest and property of all such ships and cargoes of merchandise, as they should seize, belonging to the colonies or the inhabitants thereof, to be divided in such proportions, and after such manner, as the king should see fit to order and establish by proclamation, thereafter to be issued for that purpose.

This law had a tendency to rouse the lethargic spirits of many, who had previously been disposed to remain neuter, and strengthen the party disposed to establish an independent government in America. An express was despatched to Charleston, in South-Carolina, which arrived there at the critical period when the legislature was in session, and while the important debate was pending, whether they should establish an independent constitution, and separate from Great-Britain, or make another appeal, by petition, to the clemency of the British cabinet, for a re-establishment of the former order of things. The receipt of this law silenced the opposition, and determined the wavering in favour of an independent constitution. In one hour af