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their exile was, that "they discovered no difpofition to 1780. return to their allegiance, and would, if in their power, overturn the British government."

2.

General Gates wrote to the prefident of congrefs→→→ O&t. "The enemy have, fo far, the worst of the campaign, 16. having loft confiderably more men, officers and arms, than your army; and even loft ground, as they had feveral pofts at the beginning of the campaign on Peedee, all which are now evacuated," Gen. Smallwood having left Hillsborough to take the command at Sa+ lifbury, the command of the brigade at the first place devolved on col. Williams; officers and foldiers were impatient for taking the field: every exertion was used; and the clothing being wrought up, old fuits mended, and the blankets proportionably diftributed, report thereof was made to head quarters; when the general gave orders for the brigade to march on the 2d of Novem- Nov. ber, with all the artillery, ammunition and baggage under the command of col. Otho H. Williams. On the 8th the troops reached Salisbury, having marched 100 miles in less than eight days, upon three pounds and a half of Indian meal per man and fome beef. Having no tents, they were fortunate in a fucceffion of fine days, till the fourth after their arrival. Gates had now done every thing in his power to repair the injuries of his defeat; and was endeavouring to recover as much territory to the United States, as the circumftances of the war in the fouthern department would admit of, when. he received advice from fome of his friends, but from no one officially, that congrefs had appointed an officer to supersede him, and had ordered a court of inquiry to be held on his conduct. He had even a very polite

1950. col. Gray's militia, who was taken near the Peedee, was lately put to death without any crime being laid to his charge. From the character which I have heard of you, Sir, I cannot fuppofe that you can approve of these moft cruel murders: but I hope you will fee the neceffity of interpofing your authority to stop this bloody scene, which must oblige me in justice to the fuffering loyalifts, to retaliate on the unfortunate perfons now in my power. -I am not confcious, that any perfons have hitherto been executed by us, unless for bearing arms, after having given a military parole to remain quietly at home; or for enrolling themfelves voluntarily in our militia, receiving arms and ammunition from the king's ftore, and taking the first opportunity of joining our enemies. The only perfons who were hanged at Camden, after the actions of the 16th and 18th, except fome deserters from our army, were two or three of the latter description, who were picked out from about thirty, convicted of the like offence, on account of fome particular aggravating circumftances which attended their cafe." Notwithstanding it was manifeft, that there was a powerful party in the state, which was determined to oppofe the establishing of royal government; yet to convince the inhabitants, that the British were seriously resolved to remove from the country all who refused to become fubjects, a further number of twenty-two citizens, who still remained prisoners on parole, was shipped off about the 16th of November for St. Auguftine, to whom were added gen. Rutherford and col. Ifaacs of North Carolina, who were taken near Camden in Auguft. These were treated with more politeness than the first set. The only charge exhibited against them, as the reafon of

their exile was, that "they discovered no difpofition to 1780. return to their allegiance, and would, if in their power, overturn the British government."

2.

General Gates wrote to the prefident of congrefs→→→→ Oct. «The enemy have, fo far, the worst of the campaign, 16, having loft confiderably more men, officers and arms, than your army; and even lost ground, as they had several posts at the beginning of the campaign on Peedee, all which are now evacuated," Gen. Smallwood having left Hillsborough to take the command at Sa+ lisbury, the command of the brigade at the first place devolved on col. Williams; officers and foldiers were impatient for taking the field: every exertion was used; and the clothing being wrought up, old fuits mended, and the blankets proportionably diftributed, report thereof was made to head quarters; when the general gave orders for the brigade to march on the 2d of Novem- Nov. ber, with all the artillery, ammunition and baggage under the command of col. Otho H. Williams. On the 8th the troops reached Salisbury, having marched 100 miles in less than eight days, upon three pounds and a half of Indian meal per man and fome beef. Having no tents, they were fortunate in a fucceffion of fine days, till the fourth after their arrival. Gates had now done every thing in his power to repair the injuries of his defeat; and was endeavouring to recover as much territory to the United States, as the circumstances of the war in the fouthern department would admit of, when. he received advice from fome of his friends, but from no one officially, that congrefs had appointed an officer to supersede him, and had ordered a court of inquiry to be held on his conduct. He had even a very polite

1780. friendly letter from the prefident of later date than thofe which brought the information. This treatment by congrefs was neither liberal, nor candid. And yet severe as it feemed to be, both in the manner and matter, it was not the most painful stroke that the unfortunate general had to fuffer at that period. His friends had cautioufly kept from him for fome time the knowledge of the death of his fon--an only child, an amiable youth of about nineteen, whofe natural genius, improved by education, promised service to his country and honor to his family. Amid the general's other trials, this came fuddenly upon him. He bore all with a firmhefs that would reflect credit on the moft philofophic mind; and notwithstanding the indelicacy with which he thought himself treated, he continued to do all he could to promote the intereft of the caufe in which he was engaged. He remained at Hillsborough a day or two, to give an account of the meafures he had taken and was about to take, to retrieve the loft country; then went on to the 11. camp at Salisbury, where he arrived on the 11th with about 130 dragoons; and had the pleafure of hearing within four days of gen. Sumpter's fuccefs.

Nov.

Sumpter, after the difperfion of his force on the 18th of Auguft, collected a corps of volunteers, and received fuch occasional reinforcements, as enabled him to keep the field, though there was no continental army in South Carolina for three months. He varied his pofition from time to time, and had frequent fkirmishes with his adverfaries. Having mounted his followers, he infefted the British, beat up their quarters, intercepted their convoys, and fo haraffed them with fucceffive alarms, that their movements could not be made but with cau

ceived a line from a South Carolina delegate, acquaint- 1789 ing him, that he was authorized by the delegates' of the three fouthern states to communicate to his excellency their with that gen. Greene might be the perfon. He was fixed upon; not from the influence of their with, but from the opinion the commander in chief enter tained of him, as being the moft fuited to the fervice; when reported to congrefs he was approved of by them on the 30th. Greene, before he fet out, expressed his disapprobation of their paffing cenfure upon Gates by removing him, as what tended to take away an officer's character, which injury could not be repaired, even by an acquittal after examination. He added in the converfation with a brother general" I fhould be very well fatisfied t ferve under Gates." He duly weighed all the circumftances attending Gates's fituation, and formed an opinion very different from that which occafioned his recall; and as he travelled on to Hillsborough, generously reprefented the fame and the reafons for it, to thofe perfons he fell into company with, who were blindly led away, by having only confidered events. Greene found the country through which he paffed, fo fully difaffected to the American interefts and in favor of the British, that he was not without apprehenfion for his perfonal fafety, ere he could join the army. Here we take our leave of him for the prefent, and proceed to mention fome of the proceedings and acts of congrefs.

You have met with various charges against Dr. Shippen-p. 70. When congress had the last year expreffed their fatisfaction with Dr. Morgan's conduct, the last charged the former with mal-practices and mifconduct

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