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the Dutch republic; but excepted the cities of Amfter- 1779 dam and Haerlem, because of their patriotic exertions to perfuade the republic to procure from the court of London the fecurity of unlimited liberty to their flag. This meafure was confidered by that court, as defigned to cause the republic to quarrel with Great Britain, and occafioned the presentment of a memorial by Sir Jofeph April Yorke, in the name of his fovereign, to the States Ge- 9. neral; in which the literal and strict observance of the treaty infifted upon by them is pronounced incompatible with the fecurity of Britain, and contrary to the fpirit and stipulations of all the future treaties between the two nations. His majefty alfo declares in it, that he cannot depart from the neceffity he is under of excluding the transportation of naval ftores to the ports of France, and particularly timber, even if they are escorted by men of war; but flatters himself, that he fhall never be obliged to take other measures toward the republic, than those which friendship and good harmony may dictate.

The capture of the Dutch veffels occafioned a great dearth of naval ftores at Breft, fo that the repair of count d'Orvilliers' fleet has been exceedingly hindered. The Ville de Paris, which fuffered much in the engagement with admiral Keppel, will not be ready for sea, much before the time for the fleet's failing. Till April there was not a mast fit for her in all Breft *. A number of store ships however got in from Holland, fo that about the beginning of the year, several small squadrons were prepared and flipped out from different ports nearly at the fame time; one under Mr. de Graffe for Marti

Advocate MI's Political Memoirs,

1779. nico, to reinforce count d'Estaing. Another under the marquis de Vaudreuil, with a land force, failed for Africa, and has taken the British forts, fettlements, factories and property, at Senegal and other parts of that coaft.

1778.

1779.

May

I.

The English Eaft India company, foreseeing actual hoftilities, refolved, very foon after the delivery of the French rescript, on a bold and decisive measure, for the final reduction of the French power in India, and conducted the business with unusual fecrecy. Their inftructions were happily conveyed with uncommon expedition, and preparations were immediately made for be fieging Pondicherry. Gen. Munro invested the fortress closely on the 21st of last Auguft, with an army of 10,500 men, including 1500 Europeans. But before this had taken place, there was a warm engagement between Sir Edward Vernon, with a small squadron, and Monfieur Tronjolly commanding the like, in which the French were fo roughly handled, that to escape a second action they abandoned the garrison to their fate on the day Pondicherry was invefted. The garrifon amounted to near 3000 men, of which 900 were Europeans. They were commanded by Mr. de Bellecombe, who difputed every point of his ground, and perfevering to the laft extremity in a determined and noble defence, held out to the 16th of October. An honorable capitulation was allowed in teftimony of the garrifon's gallantry, and every requifition that did not interfere with the public benefit was agreed to. The factories at Chandenagor, Yaman and Karical, with the fettlement at Mafulipatam, had been reduced before the capitulation.

The New York, Quebec, and Newfoundland fleets, to the number of 300, under the convoy of adm. Ar

buthnot, failed from Spithead : the admiral, with a fqua- 1779. dron of men of war and a number of tranfports, is bound to New York.

LETTER

VIII.

Roxbury, Aug. 5, 1779.

TH

HE difafters which followed the American arms, after the landing of the British in Georgia, roufed the South Carolinians vigorously to oppofe the extenfion of their conquests. By an almost unanimous voice, they chofe John Rutledge efq; their governor; and to him and his council was delegated, by the legiflature, power" to do every thing that appeared to him and them neceffary for the public good." In execution of this truft, a body of militia were affembled, ftationed at Orangeburgh near the centre of the ftate, and kept in conftant readiness to march whitherfoever the public fervice required. The governor fent orders to gen. Williamfon, and directed him to push parties into Georgia, and deftroy all the cattle, horfes, provifions and carriages they should meet with in that ftate. Gen. Lincoln April in a letter remarked upon the order, as affecting alike 16. the innocent and guilty, the aged and infirm, &c. and concluded with faying-" As nothing but a conviction. that it is an indifpenfable duty, would have led me to the disagreeable task of making the above remarks, fo

3779.

19.

I fhall avoid at prefent any other, however my own feelings may have been hurt." The order, if at all needful, fhould have gone from the continental general, whom congrefs had empowered to command in that department. He in a letter of the preceding day, wrote to the prefident of congrefs, "We have lately exchanged fome prifoners, those who have come out are in a most miferable condition, few of them fit for fervice. Their treatment on board the prifon fhips, and the measures adopted to oblige them to renounce their allegiance to the United States, and engage them in the British service, have been cruel and unjuftifiable, many inlisted with them-many are dead-and others in a weak dy-. ing ftate."

April A council of war was held at the general's head quarters at Black-fwamp, when it was agreed—“ That as the number of militia in camp, with those at gen. Williamson's camp, and 500 promised from Orangeburgh, and 700 from North Carolina now in the ftate, amounted to 5000 men; they would collect the remainder near to Augusta (after leaving 1000 here and at Purysburgh) and crofs the Savannah, take fome ftrong ground in Georgia, prevent the enemy's receiving fupplies from the back parts of the country, circumfcribe them within their narrow limits, and prevent their junction with the unfriendly and the favages, in Georgia and in the back 23. parts of this ftate." The general began his march, leaving at Black-fwamp and Puryfburgh, the 5th and part of the 2d regiment of South Carolina, and about 800 militia under gen. Moultrie. When the American army was 150 miles up the Savannah, gen. Prevoft availed 29. himself of that moment, and croffed over to Puryfburgh

I.

with 2400 men he had befide a confiderable body of 1779 Indians. The first night after entering Carolina, he made a forced march in hope of attacking Moultrie at Black-fwamp, but was three hours too late. The latter had changed his quarters, and being joined by col. M'Intofh's party, which had made a timely retreat from Puryfburgh, took poft at Tulifinny bridge, to prevent the further incurfion of the British, and to keep between them and Charlestown. Gen. Lincoln, on information of these movements, immediately detached 300 chofen May continental troops to reinforce Moultrie, left he should be mistaken in his idea, that Prevoft only intended a feint to divert him from his general plan; in purfuit of which he croffed the Savannah near Augufta, and marched for three days down the country toward the capital of Georgia. But being informed by Moultrie's letters of the 4th and 5th, that his number of men was greatly diminished by the desertion of the militia, and that he was obliged to retire before the enemy, Lincoln recroffed the river and country, as fast as poffible, to come up with Prevoft. Moultrie had no cavalry to check the advancing foe; who met with fcarce any other interruption in their march, than the destruction of all the bridges by the retreating Americans. The abfence of the main army under Lincoln, the retreat of Moultrie, the plundering and devastations of the invaders, and above all the dread of the royal auxiliaries, the Indians, diffused a general panic among the inhabitants, and induced many to apply to the British for protection. The facility with which their army proceeded through the country, added to the repeated fuggeftions of the friends to royal government, who pofitively affured Prevoft, that

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