British officers with their hands in the dance, or even to accompany them, notwithstanding the engaging qualities many of them possessed. But no sooner was an American officer introduced as a prisoner, than his company was sought for, and his person treated with every possible mark of attention, and respect. They even visited the prison ships, and other places of confinement, to solace their suffering countrymen. At other seasons they retired in great measure from the public eye, and wept over the distresses of their country, and gave every proof of the warmest attachment to its suffering cause. In the height of the British dominion, and conquests, where pov-, erty and ruin seemed the unavoidable portion of every adherent to the independence of America, they discovered more firmness than the men. Many of them, like guardian angels. preserved their husbands from falling in the hour of temptation, when interest and convenience had almost gotten the better of patriotism. Many examples could be produced of their parting with their sons, husbands, and brothers, (amongst those that were banished, and whose property was seized by the captors,) exhorting them to fortitude, and repeatedly entreating them never to suffer their family attachments to interfere with the duty they owed to their country.

When the successes of Gen. Greene afforded them an apportunity, they celebrated his successes by dressing in green, and ornamenting their persons with green feathers, ribbons, &c. and thus parading the streets."

Gordon's Revolution, Vol. III. page 224.

I have inserted this extract in honour of the sex, as well as to throw some light upon a picture, whose whole field. would otherwise have been covered with shade of the deepest hue.

Governor Rutledge left Philadelphia on the 28th of June, to resume the government of South-Carolina, with a full determination to retaliate the conduct of Colonel Balfour, in exileing so many whigs from their families; by driving all the royalists, with their families, within the British lines.

This the governor carried into execution, with a rigid severity, and it was accompanied with many distressing circumstances.

General Greene held his strong position upon the high hills of Santee, where he watched the motions of the enemy; collected his forces, and strengthened his army until the 7th of September, when he made a sudden movement, and advanced by forced marches to attack the British, who had taken a strong position at Eutaw Springs, 60 miles north of Charleston, under the command Lieut. Col. Stewart. Both armies were about 2000 strong; but more than one half of the army of General Greene were new levies, and militia who had never seen service. The advance guard of General Greene fell in with a party of British about four miles from their camp, and charged them so promptly, that they retired in haste; the Americans pursued, supported by the main body, until the fugitives were supported by the whole British army, and the action had become general. The Americans retired in their turn. General Greene witnessed the bravery of his troops, amidst this murderous conflict, and supported his columns by ordering the Virginia and Maryland conti-nentals, under the command of Colonel Williams, .to advance to the charge with trailed arms. This order was promptly obeyed, and with unshaken firmness, and intrepidity, amidst a most terrible cannonade, and shower of musquetry, which astonished even the veterans of Old England, and they carried all before them. At this critical moment, Lieut. Col. Lee with great address turned the left flank of the enemy with his legion, whilst General Greene

supported the charge with his whole force; the enemy were routed, and put to flight. Lieut. Col. Washington, charged home the enemy with such fury, at this eventful moment, that a part of the enemy threw themselves (as at Germantown) into a strong brick house; others into a picketed garden, where they rallied to the combat, and resisted the repeated charges of the Americans with such success that General Greene abadoned the pursuit; drew off his troops, and retired to his camp; leaving a strong picquet upon the field of action.

Lieut Col. Stewart destroyed all such stores as he could not remove hastily; abandoned his camp, and made a basty retrograde movement towards Charleston; leaving more than 70 wounded, together with one thousand stand of arms, to the mercy of the victors. Lieut. Col. Stewart was joined by a strong reinforcement under Maj. M' Arthur, on the same day he left Eutaw; yet he did not feel himself authorised to renew the combat; but pursued his

retreat.

This was one of the volumes of Bunker's Hill, and was as obstinately fought, for the time, by both parties.

The British lost about 500 in killed and wounded, with about 500 prisoners. The American loss was about 500 killed and wounded. Among the slain was Lieut. Col. Campbell, of the Virginia line, an officer greatly beloved, and universally lamented.

Lieut. Col. Campbell fell at the head of that charge, with trailed arms, that decided the fate of the day, and covered his name with immortal glory.

Such was the shock given to the enemy by this battle, that they burnt their stores at Dorchester; evacuated their posts at Monk's Corner, and actually commenced a serious preparation for the defence of Charleston, by employing a great number of negroes to fell trees across the Neck, &c.

Gen. Greene lost more than one third of his whole force engaged in this desperate action, which was so obstinately fought, and became so sharp and bloody, that not only the men, but the officers, fought hand to hand in the true Grecian, and Roman stile.

Gen. Greene retired to his position on the high hills of Santee, to rest and refresh his army, and the British retired and took post at Monk's Corner, and commenced a system of defensive operations. In this position they suffered a party of American horse to cut off a foraging party, and carry off more than eighty prisoners, within sight of their camp.

Congress voted their thanks to Gen. Greene, and the different corps under his command, with their commanders, on the 29th, and directed that he be presented with a British standard and a gold medal.

At this critical moment a mutiny broke out in the army of Gen. Greene, in which the soldiers complained of long, and hard service, and want of pay; and it became the more serious because the facts were serious;* but the officers met this mutiny promptly, by making one serious example, and the whole was quelled.

Gen. Greene, knowing that action was one of the most effectual means of caring the discontents of an army, left his strong position on the high hills of Santee, on the 18th of November, and advanced into the lower country, to provide for his winter's subsistence, and commence offensive operations. He gave the command of the main body to Col. O. Williams on the 27th, and put himself at the head of a detachment of 200 horse, and 200 infantry, that by a sudden movement, through by-roads, he might surprise the enemy at Dorchester. On the 29th, he be

* In their petitions to Gen. Greene they stated, that out of seven regiments, there were scarce two hundred remaining`; that they were destitute of clothes; and that they had never received any pay.

gan to reconnoiter the position of the enemy, which exposed him to a sally from a party of the British cavalry; a conflict ensued in which the enemy were put to flight, with the loss of 8 or 10 killed and wounded, and 5 or 6 were taken prisoners. So sharp was this rencounter, and such the dispositions of Gen. Greene after the action, that the enemy abandoned their post, and drew off their force in the night consisting of about 150 horse, and 700 infantry, regulars and militia royalists, and retired to the quarter-house on Charleston Neck. This movement opened to Gen. Greene the whole field of South-Carolina for the support of his army.

Col. Williams in his letter to Gen. Greene thus expressed himself."Your success at Dorchester would make your enemies hate themselves, if all circumstances were generally known; and the same knowledge would make your friends admire the adventure, even more than they do."

Col. Williams advanced to the support of Gen. Greene, and they formed a junction at Round O, on the 9th of December; on the 14th the general wrote to the American board of war-"We cannot advance upon the enemy for the want of ammunition, though we have been in readiness for more than ten days. I have not a quire of paper in the world, nor are there two in the army. We broil most of our meat for the want of kettles to cook it."

On the 4th of January, Maj. Gen. St. Clair joined Gen. Greene, with a handsome reinforcement, and Gen. Greene moved forward with his whole force, by the way of Jacksonsborough, and Stono, to the Edisto, about five miles from Jacksonsborough. Gen. Greene crossed the Edisto in person, at the head of a small detachment, and proceeded to join the light troops under Cols. Lee and Laurens, and took his position near to Charleston.