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would intercept the supplies of the enemy from the back parts of Georgia, while at the same time it would enable him to protect the Republican Legislature, then about to convene at Augusta. Leaving one thousand men under General Moultrie, at the Black Swamp and Perrysburg, he commenced his march for Augusta on the 23d of April.

General Prevost almost immediately determined to take advantage of this movement of Lincoln, and penetrate into South Carolina. With this view, having collected a force of more than 3000 men, he crossed the river in several places, and moved towards the posts occupied by Moultrie. They traversed swamps that had been deemed by the Americans impassable, and appeared so unexpectedly, that Moultrie's militia made but a feeble resistance and retreated towards Charleston. Emboldened by this success, the British General, with the advice and concurrence of his officers, determined to push his advantages as far as the capital of South Carolina. He moved on, therefore, in pursuit of Moultrie's militia, a part of which had been left under Colonel Laurens at Coosawhatchie bridge, while Moultrie himself took post at Tullifinny bridge. Laurens defended the pass with great spirit for some time, but being himself wounded, and his troops having suffered considerably, he was at length obliged to join General Moultrie. Captain Shubrick, his second in command, conducted the retreat of Laurens's corps with great order and caution.

General Moultrie's force in the mean time suffered daily diminution by the desertion of his militia, who could on no consideration be induced to pass their homes without stopping to take care of their private affairs. General Lincoln received intelligence of the

movements of the enemy, but judging that his object (which in reality it had been at first,) was a mere feint to draw him back from the capital of Georgia, contented himself with sending Colonel Harris with about 300 continentals to the relief of Moultrie, and continued his march for three days longer. Being at length, however, convinced that the British General intended a serious operation against Charleston, Lincoln turned to the right about and recrossed the river.

Colonel Harris, with his 300 continentals, having for four successive days marched near fifty miles a day, reached Charleston as soon as Moultrie, and fortunately before the British army had crossed Ashley river. This dilatory movement of Prevost saved the city; for if he had continued his march with the same rapidity, after he had determined to convert his feint into a real operation, as he had moved at first, he must have arrived at Charleston before any part of the American forces could have entered it, and the town must have fallen. Pulaski's light legion had been sent on by General Lincoln, as soon as he himself had taken the retrogade motion, and these with a part of Moultrie's militia, made repeated stands on the retreat, and a few slight skirmishes ensued, which only served the more strongly to convince Prevost of the facility with which he could accomplish his object.

During the movements of the two armies, Governour Rutledge had established himself with the reserve militia at Orangeburg, considerably on Prevost's left, and though in a situation from which he could conveniently detach his troops to any post at which they might be wanted, he was too far off to have afforded any aid to General Moultrie, but for the delay of two days which Prevost made on his march. This suffic

ed for him to gain Charleston in time, and he entered with his militia on the 10th May, the day after General Moultrie and Colonel Harris had taken their stations in the town. On the 11th Pulaski arrived with his legion; and on the same day, 900 of Prevost's army crossed the ferry of Ashley river, and moved towards the town. Pulaski had scarcely taken his post within the town, when the enemy appeared, and with a view to lead them into an ambuscade, he marched out with a single company and stationed them behind a small breast work in a valley; leaving these with orders to remain concealed, he advanced a mile beyond them, and placing himself at the head of a small party of horse, attacked the British cavalry. His object was after a slight skirmish to draw the cavalry after him into the reach of his concealed infantry; but the latter with an ardour which could not be restrained, had in the mean time marched out from behind their breast work to join the attack; the consequence was that, being very inferiour in numbers to the British, they were compelled to retreat. Pulaski, one of the bravest officers that ever drew a sword, entered several times during the day into single combat with individuals of the enemy. His intrepidity was not lost upon the soldiers or officers: it served to excite them to noble emulation; and in several skirmishes which occurred during the day and succeeding night, they showed a courage and coolness which did honour to their brave exemplar. In the course of one of the night skirmishes, Major Huger, an officer greatly esteemed by his countrymen, was unfortunately kill

ed.

Those within the town had, in the mean time, diligently employed every moment of Prevost's extraor

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dinary and unaccountable delay, in strengthening as far as possible their defences. Every individual of the city, old and young, male and female, bore a part in the labours of the day. On the 12th General Prevost summoned the town to surrender, upon what were considered favourable conditions; but they were not such as the besieged thought proper to accept, and the day was spent in negotiation. Thus was still further time allowed for improving the means of defence. On the 13th, it was deemed adviseable by the civil authority to propose a neutrality for the whole state, to continue during the war, and to depend for its conditions upon the peace. This offer, advantageous as it was, was rejected by General Prevost, and an immediate assault was expected; but to the utter astonishment of the whole army, the besiegers moved off during the night, and before the morning of the 14th, had recrossed Ashley river.

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So singular a circumstance has perhaps never occurred in history, as the rejection of the neutrality offered by Charleston to General Prevost. The advantage to the British cause would have been greater than the mere surrender of the city upon any terms. Already in possession of Georgia, by thus securing the neutrality of the adjoining state, they would have compelled General Lincoln to withdraw his army, and have forced Congress to the necessity either of greatly weakening the main army in the north, or of abandoning the south to its fate. It is still more extraordinary, that at the very moment General Prevost rejected the proposal, instead of still further carrying on the negotiation, or at once commencing his attack, he should quietly and secretly decamp without an ef fort. It is ridiculous to allege that he was disappoint

ed in his expectations from the loyalty of the people. He could hardly have hoped for a more quiet march through the country than that by which he arrived at Charleston; nor was it possible that he could have anticipated better terms than those that were offered to him by the besieged. It was no excuse for him, that General Lincoln was in his rear: he knew this when he undertook the enterprise; and he had abundant time, if he had used the moments of negotiation in preparations for attack, to have accomplished his object before the approach of Lincoln. Whatever were his motives, General Prevost precipitately raised the siege on the night of the 13th, and had scarcely crossed the river, when General Lincoln reached Dorchester. After resting a few days in camp on the south side of the river, General Prevost continued his retreat, taking possession of the various little islands that are situated at the mouth of Charleston harbour. Here he waited until the arrival of supplies enabled him to proceed southward. His first object was to gain possession of the island of Port Royal, which not only offered eligible quarters for his troops during the approaching hot and sickly season, but secured to him a footing in South Carolina, in a strong position. Lieutenant Colonel Prevost with the van of Prevost's army was posted at the ferry on Stono inlet-his force consisted of Hessians, Carolina refugees, and one battalion of the 71st, amounting to about 1500 men. The natural strength of his position had been increased by several redoubts with an abbatis, and some heavy artillery. He was, however, out of the reach of reinforcements except by a bridge of boats, which afforded a doubtful and limited conveyance.

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