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3778.

The South Carolina delegates, rather with a view to conqueft, than from any special apprehension of danger to their own or neighbouring ftate, from the troops under Sir Henry Clinton, requested the congrefs to appoint gen. Lincoln (on whose character they justly reposed great confidence) to the command of all their forces to the fouthward: accordingly they made the appointment on the 25th of September, and ordered him to repair immediately to Charlestown. When he took his leave of them in October, they had in contemplation the reduction of East Florida, and put into his hands a scheme for effecting it, with the obfervations of two gentlemen on the ftrength of St. Auguftine. The firft hint of a destination of British troops for Georgia appears to have been given to the commander in chief by a letter of the 9th of October, from a confidential correfpondent at New York. It was the 4th of December before the general arrived at Charlestown. The North Carolina state, on the first intelligence of an intended embarkation from New York for the fouthward, generously raised about 2000 militia to ferve for five months; put them under the command of gens. Afhe and Rutherford, and fent them forward without delay. They came on with fuch dispatch, that had they not been detained ten days near Charlestown, to be furnished with arms, they would have been in time to have joined gen. Howe before the reduction of Savannah. South Carolina had not a fufficient stock of public arms for the militia of both ftates, and fufpended the diftribution of them, till it became certain whether South Carolina or Georgia was the object of the British armament, which could not be determined while it was in the offing.

On the morning

of the 26th, two regiments of 150 men each from 1779. Charlestown, with the levies and militia from North Carolina, amounting to about 950, marched for Georgia: they made their first junction with the American army after their retreat over the Savannah.

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January the 3d, gen. Lincoln established his head Jan. quarters at Puryfburgh, about 30 miles from the mouth of the Savannah. He met with a fore difappointment. He had been encouraged to expect a force confifting of 7000 men, befide the militia of South Carolina and Georgia, whereas he had only 1400 in the whole. He was alfo led to believe, that he should meet with great plenty of fupplies and military ftores, instead of which there were no field pieces, arms, tents,, camp utenfils or lead, and but very little powder; in fhort, hardly any article in the arsenal or quarter-mafter's store, all occafioned by the want of a military cheft. A large proportion of the South Carolina militia was draughted, and marched under gen. Richardson for head quarters. But they behaved very badly, refused to fubmit to the articles of war for the government of the continentals, and left the camp and even their posts at pleasure with impunity; as gen. Lincoln had no hold of them, their own state law only imposing a fine, instead of putting them upon the fame footing congrefs had ordered for all the militia when in pay of the continent and acting with the regular troops, When ordered on command, and implicit obedience was expected, they would ask at times" Whither are we going? And how long are we to stay?" By the 24th of January most of them had left the camp. Their defection however was in fome measure repaired by the arrival at length of gen. Afhe

$779. near head quarters, on the 31st, with about 1100 men, which addition made the number of rank and file under Lincoln 2428, befide 367 on command.

While the greateft part of the American force confifted of fuch ungovernable militia, gen. Prevoft joined col. Campbell with 700 regular troops from St. Augustine. With this increase of numbers he wifhed to establish a poft in South Carolina, and detached 200 men to take poffeffion of Port-Royal ifland. Soon after Feb. they landed, gen. Moultrie, at the head of an equal

3.

number, in which there were only nine regular foldiers, attacked and drove them off. This advantage was principally gained by two field pieces, well ferved by a party of the Charlestown militia artillery. The British loft almost all their officers; and several prisoners were taken. The Americans had a lieutenant and seven privates killed, and 22 wounded. This fuccefs checked the Britifh, and for the prefent prevented any enterprise against South Carolina; but they extended themselves over a great part of Georgia, and established two pofts, one at Ebenezer, and the other at Augufta. The laft place being high up in the country, was a good pofition for awing the western inhabitants, and a convenient rendezvous for the royalifts. Here the British endeavoured to strengthen themselves by the addition of South Carolina tories. They employed emiffaries to encourage them to a general infurrection, and affured them, that if they would crofs the Savannah, and add their force to that of the king's army at Augufta, they would have fuch a decided fuperiority, as would effectually crush their enemies, and make a fpeedy return to their homes practicable on their own terms. The army con

fifted of about 2000 regulars and royalists under col. 1779. Campbell. Several hundreds of the Carolina tories collected, embodied under the denomination of loyalists, and marched along the, western frontiers of South Carolina. They had fuch numbers of the most infamous characters among them, that their general complexion was that of a plundering banditti, more folicitous for booty than the honor and intereft of their royal mafter. As they marched, they appropriated to their own use every kind of property they could carry off. Col. Pickins upon intelligence of their progrefs and ra pine, collected the whig militia of the district of Ninety Six. He left a guard at the Cherokee ford to impede their croffing the Savannah, while he went upon fome other service; during his abfence they made good their paffage. He immediately followed them with about 300 men; came up with and engaged them about three. 14. quarters of an hour, when they gave way and were totally routed. They had 40 killed, including their leader col. Boyd, who had been fecretly employed by the Britifh to collect and head them. Pickins had nine killed and feveral wounded. By this action the tories were difperfed all over the country. Some ran to North Carolina. Many returned home, and caft themselves upon the mercy of their ftate government. Being the fubjects of South Carolina, they were tried in a regular manner, and 70 were condemned to die; but fentence was executed only on 5 principals, and the reft were pardoned.

The British having extended their pofts up the river, gen. Lincoln fixed encampments at Black Swamp, and nearly oppofite to Augufta on the north fide. With a view

1

$779. of ftrengthening the laft, and improving any advantages which might offer for croffing the river, and limiting the British to the fea coaft of Georgia, gen. Afhe was ordered to the upper parts of the country. He began his march on the 10th, with 1500 North Carolina militia, and the remains of the Georgia continentals; and on the 13th in the evening reached gen. Williamson's camp oppofite Augufta. That fame night col. Campbell made so hasty a retreat from Augufta, that by eight the next morning he had marched 14 miles lower down. This precipitate movement was owing to fome falfe intelligence refpecting either Afhe's force, or the arrival of a large body of continentals at Charlestown which Campbell credited, and from whence he inferred the neceffity of an immediate retreat to prevent his being cut off. Lincoln finding that he had quitted Augusta, Feb. wrote to Ashe, that it was of the greatest importance, 16. that if the enemy was out of the upper part of the coun

you,

try, he should follow them down as fast as poffible, left
by a forced march they fhould join their own troops
below, attempt his poft, and drive him from it, before
he (Afhe) could come up with their rear. Lincoln on
the 22d fent him the following intimation-" I think
that Briar Creek will be a good stand for
until fome
plan of co-operation be digefted, for which purpose, as
foon as you arrive there, I will meet you at the Two
Sifters, you appointing the time." Afhe croffed the
Savannah with about 1200 troops, befide 200 light horse.
On Saturday morning the 27th, the army arrived at the
lower bridge on Briar Creek. The next day gens. Brian
and Elbert took poffeffion of a proper fpot of ground
at twelve o'clock and encamped, Afhe being gone to

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