USA > Georgia > The history of Georgia: containing brief sketches of the most remarkable events, up to the present day, Vol. II > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25
------
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781. 373
mined to dislodge Grierson, and to destroy or in- tercept him in his retreat to fort Cornwallis; and arrangements were accordingly made without loss of time for executing the plan. General Pickens and colonel Clarke were to attack the fort upon the north-west, with the militia ; major Eaton's battalion, and some Georgia militia under major Jackson, were to pass down the river and attack the work upon the north-east ; while Lee, with his infantry and artillery, took a position south of the fort, so as to support Eaton or keep Brown in check if he should make a sortie to save Grier- son's command, in case he should attempt to eva- cuate his work, and retreat to fort Cornwallis. The cavalry under Eggleston were posted in the skirt of the woods, to the south of Lee, ready to fall upon Brown's rear if he attempted to sally out.
Discovering that Grierson was in a critical situation, Brown drew out a part of his command and advanced with two field pieces, with the ap- pearance of giving battle, to save Grierson, who was warmly assailed by Pickens and Eaton : Lee opposed Brown, counteracted his plan, and con- fined his interposition to a distant cannonade, without much effect on either side. Grierson finding that resistance would be vain, determined to evacuate his fortress and throw his command into fort Cornwallis. With this view he threw open the gate, passed down the gully to the river bank, and under cover of it, some of his troops escaped into the fort.
1
-
-
374
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
In this hazardous retreat, thirty of Grierson's men were killed, and forty-five wounded and ta- ken prisoners : among the former was his major. Grierson was killed by one of the Georgia rifle- men after he had surrendered, in consequence of his having rendered himself peculiarly odious to the Georgians by his cruel practices. A re- ward was offered by the American commanders for apprehending the person who shot him, but no one made the discovery. The imagination need not be much wearied in conjecturing by whom this act was committed, when it is turned to the treatment received by the venerable Alexander. Among the Americans who fell, was the gallant major Eaton, who had on all occasions sought the post of danger.
Brown finding that he would be closely in- vested, applied himself to strengthen his fortress ; and every part which required amendment was repaired with industry : he placed the aged Alex- ander, and others who had been long in captivity, in one of the bastions most exposed to the fire of the rifle batteries ; one of which was manned by captain Samuel Alexander's company : thus the father was exposed to be killed by the hand of his son ; but he escaped uninjured.
The preparations, on the part of the enemy, could not be counteracted. The Americans had but one field piece, and all that could be done was by close investure and regular approaches ; therefore, all the tools which could be collected
375
HISTORY OF GEORGIA. 1781'
from the neighbouring farms, were brought into camp, and with those taken at fort Galphin, the Americans commenced their approaches near the river bank, extending it towards the enemy's left.
The condition of the enemy's wounded, re- quired medicine and hospital stores, which could not be furnished from the American camp. The · senior officer solicited permission to send a flag to colonel Brown for a supply. The American commanders had no hesitancy in granting the re- quest, but they disliked the idea of subjecting their flag to a second insult ; recollecting the an- swer given by colonel Brown to major Eggleston. The principles of humanity however prevailed, and a British officer was permitted to be the bear. er of the flag, and a letter from Pickens and Lee, assuring Brown that no consideration affecting themselves or their troops, would have led to the condescension of renewing a correspondence, which he had lately rejected with so much inso- lence and contempt. Brown returned a polite answer by the prisoner, excusing himself by re- fering to some previous altercations with colonel Clarke.
Colonel Lee suggested the plan of raising a sort of tower, such as he had used to great advan- tage in the reduction of fort Watson, in South- Carolina. It was simply a square pen of logs, raised about thirty feet high and filled with coin- bustibles ; proof against the enemy's artillery, and sufficient to sustain a six pounder. The tower
-
. 376
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
was thrown up under cover of an old framed house, which Brown had suffered to remain near the fort. On the night of the 28th, Brown sent · out a detachment to force the Americans from their works: the onset was vigorous, and the guard was forced to retreat. Captain Handy met the enemy in the ditch, and for a few minutes the conflict was obstinate : Handy pressed the bayo- net, and forced the enemy to retreat to the fort. Lee's infantry, after this sortie, were exclusively employed in defending the American works at night. Another attempt was made the succeed- ing night in the same quarter, and for a consider. able time the struggle for the possession of the ditches was about equal. Captain Rudulph re- enforced the guard, cleared the trenches with the bayonet, and forced the enemy, with some loss, to make a precipitate retreat.
On the Ist of June the tower was raised .as high as the enemies works, and Brown anticipat- ing the fatal consequences which would result from its completion ; directed his attention to the destruction of it. On the other hand, the besieg- ers determined to oppose their whole force against any effort which might be made to drive them from their works.
Pickens took command of one division of the militia in person, supported by Handy's com- pany of infantry ; and Clarke took command of the other, supported by Rudulph's. About ten o'clock at night, Clarke's division were charged .
-
--
---
L
. HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1731. 377
upon by about one third of the British troops : the conflict was furious for some time ; Rudulph presented the bayonet, and the enemy retired. While this detachment was engaged against Clarke and Rudulph, Brown sallied out with his remaining force against Pickens, where the con- test was equally severe, until Handy pressed the bayonet, which forced Brown to retreat. Upon this occasion, the loss on both sides exceeded all which had occurred during the siege, except in the evacuation of fort Grierson.
Finding that the work of the besiegers could not be destroyed by fair combat, Brown resorted to stratagem. He sent out a Scotch sergeant, under the cloak of desertion, with instructions to use the most effectual means that occurrences might present, to burn down the tower. 'The house standing between it and the fort had been intentionally left undemolished by Brown, imagin- ing that it might be blown up when occupied by the American troops. Preparatory to this plan, Brown had opened the communication to the house, and placed under it the necessary quantity of powder. The pretended deserter suggested some new plans in using the tower more advan. tageously, by blowing up the magazine of the be- sieged ; but Lee was suspicious of him, and or- dered him to be withdrawn and put in charge of the quarter guard. Early in the night, all the houses in the vicinity of the fort were burned by Brown, except two, under one of which the in ..
48
د
378
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
fernal machine was placed. The houses were ex. amined in the night by order of Pickens, suppos- ing that riflemen could be advantageously placed in their upper stories, when the assault was made upon the besieged : Brown imagining from the preparations of the besiegers, that the assault was to be made at the dawn of the next day, and that the militia riflemen were already in the house, blew it up about three o'clock. Fortunately for the riflemen, they had not yet taken possession of the houses, consequently no lives were lost.
On the SIst of May, Brown had been sum- moned to surrender, but he replied that it was his duty and inclination to defend the place to the last extremity. On the morning of the 3rd of June, another opportunity was afforded him, which he also rejected.
During the day an incessant and galling fire was kept up from the rifle batteries, which were raised so high as to enable the besiegers to unman the field pieces, and drive the enemy from the op- posite bastions. The six pounder in the tower, had dismounted the enemies artillery, and render- ed it useless. They were obliged to dig vaults in the ground within the fort, to secure themselves from the fire of the American riflemen. The morning of the 4th, at nine o'clock, was destined for the assault : as the hour approached, and columns were arrayed waiting the signal to ad- vance, a British officer appeared with a flag, and presented a letter at the margin of the trenches,
-
370
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
addressed to general Pickens and colonel Lee, offering to surrender upon conditions, detailed in the communication. Some of the articles were exceptionable, and others were substituted and- submitted to Brown as an ultimatum. The dis- cussion produced one day's delay, which was gratifying to Brown, as he did not wish the sur. . render to be made upon the king's birth-day. These terms were finally agreed on, and the fort and garrison were surrendered on the morning of the 5th of June to captain Rudulph, who was ap- pointed to take possession, and the British troops marched out and laid down their arms. The British loss during the siege, was fifty two killed, and three hundred and thirty four, including the wounded, were made prisoners of war. The American loss was sixteen killed, and thirty-five wounded, seven mortally.
Brown and his officers were placed under a- strong guard of continental troops, commanded by captain Armstrong, for their safety. Young M'Kay, the brother of the one who was executed by Brown, sought an opportunity of putting Brown to death ; but the guard prevented him from executing vengeance, for the murder of his brother. Mrs. M'Kay was said to have armed herself for the same purpose, and asked leave of the guard, who escorted him to Savannah, to speak to him ; but they would not permit her to do so, until she gave the requisite assurances, that she would not injure him ; when her request
---
$80
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
was communicated to Brown, he observed that he was not afraid to face men in the field, but was apprehensive of the consequences of encounter. ing an enraged woman. She reminded him of the murder of her son, in terms mild and pun- gent ; but feelings had long been banished from his remorseless bosom, and their place inhabited by a fiend of darkness.
Before Brown surrendered fort Cornwallis, at Augusta, Waters, Tillet, and several others had penetrated the frontiers with parties of Indians. Anticipating this event, captain George Barber had been ordered to cover the forts, and watch and disperse such parties as might be found on their route. Barber was an active officer, and executed the du ies assigned him with success and honour.
A quantity of Indian goods, and other stores, were found in fort Cornwallis, liable to distribu- tion among the captors; small portions of which were distributed among the men, so as not to en- cumber them with an extra portion of baggage, while their military services were required. The remainder of the goods, which fell to the Georgia troops, were put into the hands of John Burnet, who was directed to remove them to the western part of the state until a more convenient time to make the dividend. Burnet had made great preten- sions of attachment to the American interest, and under pretence of harassing the enemy in the lower country, had visited the most wealthy settlements . south of Savannah, where he had been indiscrim.
-------
-----------
381
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
inate in the pillage of negroes and other property, from friends and enemies. His party had secreted in the vicinity of. Augusta, about sixty negroes : to give plausibility to his plans, he pretended that his intentions were to throw these negroes, which he alleged were taken from the enemy, in- to the general stock with the goods, and make an equal dividend of the whole, among the Georgia troops who had suffered most by the effects of the war. The officers suffered themselves to be duped by this plausible pretence, and the whole was delivered into his care. He proceeded on his way toward the mountains, unsuspected, under pretext of carrying the property out of the reach of re-capture by the enemy. Having so far suc- ceeded, he disclosed to a few who were with him, his villanous plan of carrying off the coty and dividing it among themselves. They crossed the mountains, passed through Kentucky to Ohio river, procured boats and passed down to Natchez, where they divided the fruits of their knavery.
Immediately after the surrender of fort Corn- wallis, general Pickens and colonel Lee, marched with their troops, and part of the Georgians, to Ninety-six, which had been closely invested by general Greene. When they arrived at Ninety- six, the prisoners who had been captured at Au- gusta, were marched in view of the besieged, to depress their ardour for resistance, and induce colonel Cruger to surrender. General Greene, . with the main body of the southern army, had
382
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
advanced to Ninety-six, and encamped before it on the 23rd of May. Regular approaches by saps, were necessarily resorted to, under the di- rection of colonel Kosciusko, chief of engineers. On the 3rd of June, three regiments from Ireland arrived at Charleston, to re-enforce lord Rawdon, who commenced his march at the head of two thousand troops, to the relief of the garrison at Ninety-six. General Sumpter was directed to check his progress, by harassing his front, but without effect. An express reached colonel Cruger, informing him of Rawdon's approach to his relief. As general Greene was unable to meet Rawdon, he determined on an assault, but the works were unassailable, and the forlorn hope, conducted with great courage and perseverance by lieutenants Duval and Sheldon on the 18th of June, proved unsuccessful. General Greene rais- ed the siege and retired toward North. Carolina. Rawdon pursued him a short distance, and find- ing that Greene had taken a strong position, he retired toward Ninety-six, where he rested two days, and then returned to the Congaree river, with one thousand men. The British force thus divided, encouraged general Greene to follow Rawdon toward Charleston. Colonel Cruger was left in command at Ninety-six, and after affording time for the loyalists. to remove their property and join him, he destroyed the works, burned the village, and retreated to Orangeburg, where he formed a junction with Rawdon.
383
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
When general Greene raised the siege, he or- dered major James Jackson, who had been left in command at Augusta, to demolish his works and join him. Jackson attempted to retreat between Ninety six and Camden, but finding that route occupied by the enemy, he changed his course toward Wilkes county, to join colonel Clarke. . Hearing that Cruger had retreated, he returned and re-occupied his former position at Augusta:
In July, two small forts on Broad river were attacked and taken by James Tillet, with a party of loyalists and Indians. Eighteen men, women and children were murdered. Such of the women as were able to bear the fatigues of a rapid march, were carried into captivity and compelled to en- dure all the difficulties of a savage life.
The advantages which general Greene had derived from the service of legionary corps, com- posed of an equal number of cavalry and light in- fantry, induced him to order a body of this des- cription to be raised in Georgia. In the active genius and enterprise of major James Jackson, he discovered the qualities necessary for the com- manding-officer : accordingly he was appointed colonel of the Georgia legion, to consist of three companies of cavalry and two of infantry. This corps was filled without delay and equipped for service. Having gained possession of the western division of Georgia, general Twiggs' attention was directed to the eastern. He ordered colonel Jackson to advance toward Savannah, and to take
---
-----
. 384
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 17SL
a position as near the enemy as his force would authorise ; and to consult the safety of his com- mand, and the advantages of his country, by ad- vancing or retreating, as circumstances might re- quire. A short time before Jackson marched from Augusta, a plot was discovered to have been * formed by a part of his legion, to assassinate their commanding-officer, and carry off the governor and members of the executive council to the Bri- tish in Savannah. The greater part of Jackson's legion was composed of British deserters and loy- alists, who had changed their political opinions and quited the British service. After the plan had been digested by some of the non-commissioned officers and privates of the infantry, it was com- municated to the British general Clarke in Savan- nah, who ordered a detachment to meet the re- volters, and to aid them in the execution of their purposes and escape. A faithful soldier named David Davis, who was the colonel's waiter, dis- covered that there was something in agitation of an extraordinary nature in the camp; and in or- der to obtain a knowledge of the secret, affected. an extreme dislike to the colonel, and united with the conspirators in the use of the most unqualified language of abuse and disrespect for him. Sup- posing that Davis' situation would enable him to be of great service to the party, they lent a favour- able ear to his observations. This stratagem had the desired effect, and drew from the traitors a dis- closure of the diabolical purposes in contempla-
-------------
3
.
1
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
385
tion, which he immediately communicated to his colonel, and informed him that no time was to be lost in checking its progress, as it was ripe for execution. The dragoons, who did not appear to have been engaged in the conspiracy, were ordered to mount their horses and repair to colo- nel Jackson's quarters, prepared for action. The infantry were ordered to parade without arms, under the pretence of searching for some clothing which had been stolen the preceeding night. The dragoons were ordered in front, with drawn swords, and the ring-leaders seized and confined. A general court-martial was ordered to convene, and the culprits brought up for trial : John Good- game, William Simmons, and one Honeycut, were ascertained to be the projectors and leaders in the conspiracy. The court found them guilty of treason, and sentenced them to suffer death, by being hanged, and they were executed according- ly. The remaining seventeen, turned states evi- dence, confessed their guilt, and were pardoned in consequence of their apparent penitence.
General Alured Clarke had ordered captain Brantley, with forty-five men, to advance within a few miles of Augusta, join the conspirators in the night, on the skirts of the town, and co- operate in the execution of the plan. Great re- wards had been offered by the British general, in case of success, as stated by the witnesses before the court-martial ; but fortune nipt its progress in the bud, and the leaders were hurled into etermity
49
.
3
386
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
under the premeditated and detestable crimes of murder and treason.
Davis was complimented by the legislature for his attachment and fidelity to the cause of his country, and rewarded by a present of five hun- dred acres of valuable land, and an elegant horse,
- saddle and bridle. Captain Brantley had advan- ced as far as Spirit creek, about ten miles from Augusta, and skirmished with a small party, one mile and a half from general Twiggs' camp, killed one man and took off some horses. When Brantley was informed that the plan had been defeated, by the discovery of the plot, he retreated to Savannah.
While vigorous preparations were making, in the vicinity of Augusta, to annoy the British by land, the American privateers, and small govern- ment vessels, were actively employed upon the sea coast. The impolitic prohibitions, imposed by congress at an early period of the war, upon British importations of every description, had been very severely felt by the inhabitants, as well as by the army of the United States : clothing, ammunition, and many other articles, could not be procured for the army ; but among the most material, was the article of salt : the demand for it, at one time in the southern states, was so great, that it was sold at the exorbitant price of two dol- lars per quart : those who were not able to pro- cure it, substituted ashes and red pepper to save their meat. This idea was borrowed from the Indian tribes, who generally apply hickory ashes,
-
387
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
and barbecue it over a slow fire. During the war, salt, sugar, and many other articles, could only be procured by capture from the enemy.
· On the 14th of April, captains John Howell and John M'Cleur entered one of the southern inlets, unperceived by the enemy, and received intelligence that the British ship Britania lay in the harbour at the mouth of Ogechee river. Under cover of a dark night, with oars muffled, the privateers were towed alongside and grappled with her ; before the crew were aware of any danger, the assailants sprung upon the deck, and demanded a surrender ; the ship was accordingly delivered up, without opposition. Captain Wade, of the Britania, and a boat's crew, had gone on shore to pass the night, and escaped capture. The ship was laden with rice, bound to the West-Indies, and only waited for a fair wind to go to sea. A pilot boat was also taken, and a pilot by the name of Saunders was put on board of the Britania to take her over the bar. On the 18th, the ship and privateers passed out at Ossabaw, with the intention of taking in a supply of water, at Jekyl island. On the 24th, about eight o'clock in the morning, off Doboy sound, the ship Cor- morant, captain M'Evoy, hove in sight, and gave chase to the prize. Finding that the Britania could not escape, she struck her colours and dropped anchor. The boats were manned from the Cormorant to take possession, but before this could be effected, captain Howell ran down to the
383
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781.
prize, fired upon the boats, and compelled them to retire to the Cormorant. The cable of the prize was ordered to be slipped, her sails and colours hoisted, and the vessel ran in close to the shore, until she reached the south end of Black- beard's island, where she was land-locked and brought to anchor. The advantage of shoal water, enabled the privateer to defend her until . five o'clock in the afternoon. Apprehensive that an advantage might be taken, under cover of the night, by a force so superior, captain Howell ordered the ship to be abandoned and burned. The prisoners were landed on the island and paroled, and the American crew and prize-master, taken on board the privateer : after this was ef- fected, the Cormorant put to sea. In this con- test, captain Howell had one man killed, and one slightly wounded. The damage sustained by the Cormorant, if any, was not known.
Howell, M'Cleur, Spencer, and many others, continued to hover along the coast, and whenever any British merchant vessels attempted to go to sea without a convoy, they were almost certain to be captured ; and in that event, were either burn- ed or sent into a northern port. Many British vessels, from the West-Indies, laden with salt, and other articles in great demand, were captured by these privateers and taken into North Carolina. The numerous inlets along the coasts of South- Carolina and Georgia, affording no great depth of tvater, enabled these privateers to escape capture when chased by large armed vessels,
--
---
389
HISTORY OF GEORGIA, 1781
The effects of this policy were severely felt by the British West- India islands, where great de- pendance was placed upon the southern states for supplies : disappointed in these expectations, they frequently suffered for want of subsistence ; and there is no doubt of its having a share, in bringing the war to a conclusion.
On the morning of the 4th of June, captain Howell entered the inlet of Sunbury, where he found a negro man fishing. The negro informed him, that he had been sent out to catch fish for Mr. Kitchins, the collector at Sunbury, with whom a party of British civil and military offi- cers were to dine, it being the king's birth-day. Kitchins' house was not more than four hundred yards from the fort, and the execution of the plan to capture the party, required caution and courage. Supposing that they would be completely off their guard, and that they would indulge in the free use of the glass, upon such an occasion, until a late hour ; Howell selected twelve men, and proceed- ed up the river, under cover of the night, with muffled oars, and landed undiscovered : he sur. rounded the house, about eleven o'clock, and took twelve prisoners ; among the number was colonel Roger Kelsall, who had insulted and otherwise ill-treated Howell, while he was a prisoner of war. The feelings of resentment, which actuated How. ell at the first moment, determined him to carry off Kelsall and drown him ; but the influence of the lady of the house, who begged that his life
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.