for such deferters as they might procure belonging to 1780. any other regiment. Colonel Sumpter having taken the field, a party of his corps, confifting of 133 men, engaged a detachment 12. of the British troops, and a large body of tories, commanded by capt. Huck, in the upper parts of South Carolina. The royalists were pofted in a lane, both ends of which were entered at the fame time by the Americans. They were speedily routed and dispersed. Col. Ferguson of the British militia, capt. Huck, and several others were killed. This was the first advantage gained over the royal forces fince their landing in the beginning of the year. At the moment the attack was made, a number of women were on their knees vainly foliciting capt. Huck in behalf of their families and property. During his command, he in a very particular manner displayed his enmity to the prefbyterians, by burning the library and dwelling-house of their clergyman, and all bibles containing the Scotch tranflation of the pfalms, which is held in the highest veneration by the generality of the Scotch and Irish prefbyterians, and their defcendants, through the United States. These proceed ings infpired the numerous devout people of the district with an unusual animation. They generally arranged themselves under col. Sumpter, and opposed the British with the enthusiasm of men called upon to defend, not only their civil liberties but their holy religion. The effects of this ardor were very sensibly felt, for the colonel was foon reinforced to the number of 600 men. No fooner did gen. Gates hear of the commencement of Sir H. Clinton's operations to the fouthward, but he wrote in the beginning of March to Mr. Matthews, a 1780. South Carolina delegate at congress," From the arrival of Sir H. Clinton and lord Cornwallis in the Savannah, and their landing the army upon the Carolina side of the river, it can be no longer doubted, that it has been refolved at St. James's, to remove the theatre of the war to the southern states." He then pointed out as the measures to be immediately taken the fending all the troops raised west of the Delaware, instantly by the water route to James river, and marching them directly cross North Carolina to meet the enemy. Mr. Matthews received the letter on the 13th of March just as he was going to the house: when there, he stated the contents of it as a matter of information and not of opinion, with a view of attracting more effectually the attention of congress. He then took the liberty of propofing the plan of operations for the southern campaign agreeable to Gates's ideas. The proposal was not duly regarded; and it was not till afterward that the resolution was taken to fend forward the Maryland and Delaware lines. These amounted only to 1400 effective men. They marched from head quarters at Morris-town on the 16th of April, under the command of baron de Kalb, embarked at the Head of Elk in May, landed foon at Petersburgh in Virginia, and from thence proceeded by land toward South Carolina. Virginia made great and effectual exertions to expedite their movements: but in North Carolina little or no preparations were made for fupporting the troops or transporting their baggage. The baron was under the necessity of halting on Deep river the 6th of July. He received frequent assurances of fupport; but found no resources except in making frequent detachments for collecting provisions, which Newbern, July 20, the reasons that urged him to leave 1780. Charlestown without the permiffion of the commandant, left the same should be reprefented as a breach of his parole, and of course infamous and dishonorable. The letter relates, that the morning of the day the justice left the town, he was informed, that the preceding night a party had assembled together to take him out of his house and put him to death; and that it would certainly have been effected, had not a British officer, capt. Constable, prevailed on them to confider further of the matter. To show his utmost reliance on his lordship's honor, he says in it-" I will immediately return to my parole in Charlestown, if I obtain your promise that no further injury or infult shall be offered me. I require no other security." He then adds-" There are many English officers, my lord, that have intelligent and generous spirits, that know it is impossible to fix any immutable standard of opinion in politics, any more than religion; and therefore not impossible that a very upright and virtuous man may be a member of congress, governor, judge, &c. notwithstanding the common epithet of rebel fo freely bestowed on them. Such men (it is no matter which side their principles lead them to embrace) behold human misery in every shape, or from whatever cause derived, with pity and concern, and by compaffion and politeness endeavour to soften and mitigate it: but the malignity and virulence of Scotch (with fome few exceptions) and American refugee officers (with none at all) whether in a civil or military line, is fingularly confpicuous throughout this war, and cannot be described but in terms offensive to the pen of a gentleman." : 1780. his predecessor with due confideration, confirmed his standing orders, and requested that he would keep the command of his division as formerly in the grand army. The Baron's division consisted of all the Maryland and Delaware troops: these with a small legionary corps under col. Armand, confifting of about 60 horse and as many foot foldiers, who arrived a few days before, and three companies of artillery, constituted the whole of the army. The Baron with great fatisfaction complied with Gates's request. A confiderable body of North Carolina militia had taken the field under gen. Cafwell. His appointment and instructions to join and co-operate with the regular forces had been announced to the Baron, who daily expected his arrival, and with him a confiderable fupply of provifions. Cafwell however, upon the plea of preventing some disaffected inhabitants from taking arms in favor of the enemy, excused his not complying with the instructions; and as to the supply though promised, no part of it ever arrived. On the July morning of July the 27th, gen. Gates marched at the head of the army, to effect a junction of the regular and irregular forces, to affume an appearance of hoftile views upon the enemy's advanced posts, and in expectation of sharing with the militia the supplies they received from the state. The troops passed Deep river at the Buffalo-ford, and encamped in the afternoon at Spinks's farm on the road to Camden, 17. Here we shall leave them till time and future operations yield us the materials for proceeding in the history of the fouthern department. However we must not quit North Carolina without mentioning, that Mr. Juftice Pendleton stated to lord Cornwallis, in a letter dated Newbern, July 20, the reasons that urged him to leave 1780. Charlestown without the permission of the commandant, left the same should be represented as a breach of his parole, and of course infamous and dishonorable. The letter relates, that the morning of the day the justice left the town, he was informed, that the preceding night a party had assembled together to take him out of his house and put him to death; and that it would certainly have been effected, had not a British officer, capt. Constable, prevailed on them to confider further of the matter. To show his utmost reliance on his lordship's honor, he says in it-" I will immediately return to my parole in Charlestown, if I obtain your promise that no further injury or infult shall be offered me. I require no other security." He then adds-" There are many English officers, my lord, that have intelligent and ge nerous spirits, that know it is impossible to fix any immutable standard of opinion in politics, any more than religion; and therefore not impossible that a very upright and virtuous man may be a member of congrefs, governor, judge, &c. notwithstanding the common epithet of rebel fo freely bestowed on them. Such men (it is no matter which side their principles lead them to embrace) behold human misery in every shape, or from whatever cause derived, with pity and concern, and by compassion and politeness endeavour to foften and mitigate it: but the malignity and virulence of Scotch (with fome few exceptions) and American refugee officers (with none at all) whether in a civil or military line, is fingularly confpicuous throughout this war, and cannot be described but in terms offensive to the pen of a gentleman." |