USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina, V I pt 2 > Part 22
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During that fall and winter the brigade remained with Washington at Fredericksburg, near the Connecticut line, while Colonel Hogun with his new regiment of six hundred men was engaged in throwing up fortifications at West Point. which afterward became the fort so famous in history.
The other companies of nine months' men in the summer of 1778 went into camp, some at Duplin Court House, some at Salisbury, at Hillsboro, and at Paytonsburg; but, con- gress having failed to send the bounty money, most of them were placed on furlough to remain at home until the ensuing March.
As the clergy had urged the people forward, so now the bench sought to enforce constancy. Judge Iredell forcibly
S. R., XIII, 496
Hogun at West Point
592
C.ISWELL'S ADMINISTR.ITION. 1776-80
S. R., XIII, 442, 443
Reanimat- ing the people
1778 urged patriotism ; and at the June term of the Wilmington district Judge Ashe, in calling the attention of the grand jury to crimes against the State, adverted to the spirit of disaffection, saying : "When I consider our present temper and conduct and compare them with our past. I lament our depravity. When the accursed plan to enslave us was first formed and ready to be enforced against us, a noble spirit animated us, our resentment kindled, every age and order of men glowed with zeal : each became emulous who should succeed in resisting the encroachment ; to effect it all seemed determined to venture everything : no danger was thoughit too hazardous, no difficulty was too great. Then were com- panies formed and trained in every neighborhood ; . .. the example was forcible, our youths catch noble passion ; nay, our children of a few years old imbibe it. But. alas! how are we changed of late: that noble spirit no longer inspires us; the celestial fire is extinguished. the flame ceases, it glows no more. We have suffered a fascinating spirit of avarice and extortion to take place instead. . . . Lamentable defection ! Strange infatuation! Can we think the eager pursuit of riches will preserve us? . . . Or is there no dan- ger because the enemy are not instantly at our doors? . . . Our fate is inseparably linked with our sister States. If they fall we perish. America united must stand or fall together. . . . For God's sake, then, let us rouse from our supineness! Let that spirit which at first animated us re- vive. . . . Let the love of our country rise superior to the . . . base passion for gain. In a word, let us adopt an equal spirit, an equal love of liberty and firmness. with the brave Corsicans, who, oppressed by Genoese tyranny, in their mili- tary oath thus solemnly swore : 'That we will sooner die than enter into any negotiation with the Republic of Genoa or return under its yoke."" Every opportunity to impress the people was seized by the patriots to strengthen the cause.
1778
The delegation
In August there was a short session of the Assembly held at Hillsboro. Because attendance on the congress brought so many deprivations, it was resolved to increase the num- ber of deputies to five, requiring that three should always be present, while the other two could be on leave at their homes. Whitmel Hill, the speaker of the senate, and Thomas
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593
VEIT INVASION OF THE SOUTH
Burke were elected as additional members, and .Allen Jones succeeded Hill as speaker of the senate. James Iredell. one of the judges. having resigned, Richard Henderson was elected in his stead, but he did not accept, and Archibald Maclaine was then chosen. A new issue of £850,000 was ordered to discharge all debts, and with the hope of counter- acting the efforts made by disaffected persons to depreciate the bills of credit, which were now rapidly falling in valuie.
In the early autumn it became evident that the southern campaign threatened the year before was to become a reality. and South Carolina called loudly for assistance, and urged that congress should ask Caswell himself to command the troops sent by North Carolina to her aid. In response con- gress called on the State for three thousand men for service at the south ; and Caswell, with his accustomed zeal, at once entered on the work of organizing and preparing this force. He ordered out the nine months' continentals, who were then on furlough, and called on the generals of the militia brigade to send forward their quotas for this expedition.
General Allen Jones, however, and many others as well. interposed objections, saying that Caswell had no authority to send the militia from the State: and the want of harmony led to great delay in drafting the men.
Importations continued, and in January there were Importa- brought in on the ship Holy Heart of Jesus twenty-three tions pieces of heavy cannon, to pay for which a hundred and forty hogsheads of tobacco were necessary, and the agent of the State. Robert Salter, was directed to buy enough tobacco for that purpose.
Indeed, privateering as a commercial venture was carried on with great energy. In the spring of 1779 Captain Biddle sent out the Eclipse. fourteen guns; Captain Snoave, the Rainbow and the Fanny, each fourteen guns : while Captain Ellis had three ships at sea taking prizes : and about the middle of May it was reported that five vessels had come into New Bern with valuable cargoes. The more readily to im- port military supplies, the Assembly appointed commissioners to purchase and hire swift ships for the State, and Colonel Benjamin Hawkins was empowered as state agent to con- duct that business. He was to buy and export tobacco and
1778
The South threatened
Oct. 16, 1773
S. R., XIII, 2+6
S. R., XIII, (Q2
594
CASIUELL'S ADMINISTR.ITION, 1776-80
17:8 --- pork, and, going abroad, was to purchase the needed militar. supplies. Notwithstanding the doubtful issue of the struggle at that time, the State already had some credit abroad. an ! Colonel Hawkins was directed to borrow £20,000 sterling in the West Indies for state purposes.
S. R., XIII, 225
. Howe in Georgia
General Howe, who had been promoted by congress to the rank of major-general, still remained in command of Georgi :. and South Carolina ; but he was not agreeable to the South Carolina authorities, who found it irksome to be defended by a North Carolinian, and application was made for hi- removal. So in September he was ordered to join Washing- ton. General Lincoln being directed to relieve him. In No- vember, as he was about to depart from Charleston, he. however, received an express from Georgia urging the im- minent danger of that State, and requesting his aid. Send- ing forward what troops could be spared, he hurried to Savannah to meet the invasion. He could muster but seven hundred and fifty men besides the Georgia militia. With these he took a position, deemed impregnable. about half a mile below the town, and was sanguine of repulsing the enemy. But the British commander. Colonel Campbell. directed a body of seven hundred infantry, under the guid- ance of a negro, to penetrate a swamp that had been thought impassable. and suddenly Howe found his position untenable. A brisk engagement ensued. and the Americans were com- pelled to retire. In this retreat the Georgia brigade ignored their general's orders and suffered severely. Driven from Savannah, Howe recrossed into South Carolina. intending to protect Charleston. General Lincoln reached North Caro- lina in November, and urged that the intended reinforce- ments for the southern army should be hurried forward, indicating that arms and equipments, of which there was a great scarcity. could be furnished at Charleston. He arrived at Howe's camp on January 2d. and Howe went north to the Grand Army.
Lincoln takes command
1779
S. R., XIII, 30, 55, 256, 239
Caswell offered the command of the detachment about to be raised to General Ashe, who expressed a disinclination to accept it. But the governor insisted. saying that one or the other must go, and that the situation in the State ren- dered his own presence imperative. To remove an objection.
595
MOVEMENT OF TROOPS
1779
John Ashe, major- general
he promised to perform personally Ashe's duties as treasurer. Ashe finally accepted the commission of major-general, and proceeded to organize the detachments as they reached Elizabethtown. where the drafts were directed to assemble. To fill the vacancy made by .Ashe's promotion. on January Ist Alexander Lillington was appointed brigadier-general of the Cape Fear district.
It becoming apparent that the British were to make a Aid for the great effort at the south, congress called on North Carolina South to increase her re-enforcements to five thousand. and Caswell ardently sought to respond. In addition to the eastern levies, General Rutherford was directed to call out his brigade and reinforce Lincoln. The Indians had become hostile at the S. R., XIII, west, so that no troops could be drawn from beyond the 317 mountains, but Rutherford hastily assembled some seven hundred men, and toward the close of November began his Rutherford march.
Colonel Lamb was collecting the nine months' continentals at the east and Major Lytle at the west, while Sumner, the senior officer then in the State, had general supervision. Early in December Major Lytle, with a contingent of con- tinentals, joined Rutherford ; but it was a month later before Colonel Lamb crossed the Neuse with two hundred more. and then he was detained at Kingston* several weeks waiting for other detachments to come in ; while Ashe was still de- Ashe laved at Elizabethtown. as only one-half of the militia drafts had assembled. Rutherford, being the first to reach Charles- ton, was fortunate in obtaining a fair supply of arms, but the other militia detachments were so ill supplied as to give great concern. Caswell was convinced "that little service could be expected from them with what they have." When The nine months' continentals the Assembly met, about the middle of January, he reported to that body that of the five thousand troops desired by congress, he was fearful that not more than half had marched. and those badly armed. The continentals were in better S. R., XIII. plight. They were formed into two battalions, Sumner being 623 XIV, 43 in command.
*This name was afterward changed to Kinston.
596
CASITELL'S ADMINISTR. ITION, 1776-80
1777 --
Ashe defeated at Briar Creek
February
S. R., XIV, 33. 39,51 et seq.
February
The British, having taken Savannah, had established post- at Augusta and at various intermediate points on the river Toward the close of February, Lincoln, with a considerable force. was on the South Carolina side, near Savannah. Above him was Moultrie's camp, while Rutherford's brigade was twenty miles below the point where Briar Creek empties into the river on the Georgia side. General Williamson, with twelve hundred South Carolina militia, was higher up toward Augusta. Notwithstanding Ashe's force was so badly equipped and only raw militia, Lincoln selected it to make the first movement. By His direction Ashe marched rapidly from the vicinity of Charleston. passed the other detach- ments, and, leaving his baggage, hastened toward Augusta. On his approach the British evacuated that post and fell down the west bank of the river. Lincoln having ordered him to take position at Briar Creek, because of information as to the insecurity of that position Ashe advised him that it was hazardous. But, crossing on the 25th, he vigorously pursued the retreating enemy, reaching Briar Creek on the 27th. His swift march and energetic action was well in keeping with his decision of character. In the swamp at the forks. as ordered, he made his camp. He directed his baggage to cross at a point some eight miles above. sending six hundred men under Colonel Smith to guard it. and he despatched four hundred men under Colonel Caswell beyond the creek to surprise an outlying British post. Sum- moned by Lincoln to attend a council of war at Rutherford's camp, he left his army, now reduced to about six hundred men, under the command of General Bryan, with whoin was Colonel Elbert, an experienced continental officer of Georgia. and Major Lytle, equally experienced. At the council it was decided that Williamson should cross and join Ashe and they should press down the west bank of the river and clear the way for Rutherford and Lincoln to cross into Georgia.
1779
On Ashe's return at noon of March 2d he found vague rumors that the British were in his vicinity, and that Bryan was apprehensive. There had been friction between General Bryan and himself from the beginning of the march from Elizabethtown, almost resulting in a rupture, and Ashe made
597
ASHE'S DEFEAT AT BRIAR CREEK
17,0
light of Bryan's apprehensions. Two small parties of horse - had been sent out to reconnoitre, and a strong line of pickets S. R., XIV. 33 had been established three-quarters of a mile from the camp. Discrediting the rumors that could be traced to no definite source, and receiving no information from the reconnoitring parties. Ashe made no preparations to resist an attack, but busied himself in preparing for the forward movement. He was arranging to cross the creek some two miles south of his camp when, to his dismay. on the next afternoon Ashe surprised March 3d Colonel Smith, who was guarding the baggage up above. despatched information that a large British force had passed around the swamp and was approaching from the north. Almost immediately the pickets became engaged : but the British column, consisting of nine hundred regulars, brushed them aside. advancing rapidly with fixed bayonets to sur- prise the camp before preparations could be made to receive them. In the absence of preparation there was almost no S. R., XIV, hope of a successful defence. Nor was there any road open 52 for retreat. The position assigned the North Carolina force by Lincoln was a cul de sac, from which there was no escape. The drums beat an alarm, the outlying detachments on the creek were ordered in, and the troops were hastily formed into two lines and served with cartridges ; but it was too late. "We marched out to meet the enemy. some carrying the cartridges under their arms. others in the bosoms of their shirts, and some tied up in the corners of their hunting shirts." The first line. with a few Georgia continentals under The battle Colonel Elbert, and Colonel Perkins's regiment on the right. resolutely engaged the enemy. The Halifax regiment on the left of the second line almost at the beginning of the en- gagement broke and took to flight. The Wilmington and New Bern regiments after two or three rounds followed their example. The Edenton regiment remained on the field. but after two or three more discharges they, too. gave way just as Major Lytle with his command of light infantry and a brass piece came up. That the first line and a part of the second firmly stood their ground is attested by the heavy loss of one hundred and fifty killed and wounded on the battlefield1.
The six hundred raw militia were not able to withstand
598
CHSIUELL'S ADMINISTR.ITION, 1776-80
Ramsay, Hist. U. S., 11. 296 S. R .. XIV, 45, 275 et seq.
-- nine hundred British regulars. The sight of the gleamin bayonets was too much for the untrained militia, hurried1 assembled and taken by surprise. The panic-stricken second line fled, and the others soon following. Elbert and his thirty five continentals alone remained, fighting desperately; but these were quickly overcome .* The militia sought safety in the swamp, but one hundred and sixty-two privates and twenty-four officers were captured. The loss in killed was about one hundred and fifty. Those who succeeded in cross- ing the river, about two hundred. Ashe marched into Ruther- ford's camp: but as most of them had thrown away their arms they were now an incumbrance rather than of further use to Lincoln. The others who escaped through the swamp toward Augusta, about two hundred and fifty, were long collecting. Ashe asked for a court of inquiry, which found much to his mortification, that he had not taken all the pre- cautions proper to secure his camp. But considering the position in which Lincoln had placed him, and the great superiority of the attacking force, in any event only discom- fiture awaited him. As the North Carolina militia were to be discharged on April toth. on that day they began their return home, although their general and many of the officers sought unavailingly to persuade the men to voluntarily re- main. This detachment was, however, immediately replaced by another under General Butler.
The Loyalists defeated
When Hamilton was organizing his Loyalist regiment in Florida. as he had prior to his departure arranged with lead- ing Tories in the State to join him, his adherents were watchful of his movements. His regiment formed a part of the force that captured Savannah, and on the fall of that town the Tory leaders became active. Colonel Boyd, a resident of the lower Yadkin, collected a force of Loyalists. and. marching through South Carolina, was joined by others, who as they proceeded plundered the defenceless settlements through which they passed. Colonel Pickens, determined on revenge. hastily embodied some three hundred men and
.
*Colonel Elbert. desperately wounded, had fallen, and a British soldier was in the act of bavonetting him when he made a masonic sign. and his life was saved. He recovered, became greatly distin- guished, and later was governor of Georgia.
599
BOYD DEFE.ITED BY PICKENS
came up with them near Kettle Creek as they were making their way to Augusta. In an action that lasted three-quarters of an hour the Tories were routed, about forty of them being killed. among whom was Colonel Boyd, and the others dis- persed. Seventy of them were tried for treason by the South Carolina government and condemned to death, but this whole- sale sentence was respited. and only five of the ringleaders were executed. General Prevost had counted much on the aid of the Tories of upper Georgia and of the two Carolinas, and the quick suppression of this first rising somewhat dis- concerted his plans.
Dickerson's company of light horse had been taken into the service of congress soon after its organization, and served in New York and later in Pennsylvania, and always as a very efficient corps ; but toward the close of the year 1778 its numbers were so reduced that by direction of con- gress it was returned to the State, and early in 1779 was discharged from further service. Major Phifer's light horse and Vance's artillery also were at the north with the Grand Army, and served at Brandywine and elsewhere.
In December. 1778. Colonel Hogun was directed to march his regiment from West Point to Philadelphia, as its time was soon to expire. The weather was very severe, but after a trying march he went into barracks at Philadelphia early in January. While he was there, on January 9. 1779. con- gress found time to make a tardy appointment of brigadiers for North Carolina. Summer and Hogun were appointed, these being the senior colonels .* The former was directed to return to the south, organize the continental force then being raised in North Carolina, and join General Lincoln; while General Hogun was assigned to the command of the brigade, s. R., XIV, which continued during the winter and summer in the 360, 374 vicinity of West Point under the immediate command of Washington.
Although congress and the state authorities made pro-
*Colonel Clark had long been in command of the brigade, while Hogun had only his own battalion : and the Assembly urged Clark's appointment as brigadier. but Hogun's commission as colonel was two months older than Clark's, and he had so greatly distinguished himself at Germantown that Congress did not heed the wishes of the As-embly.
177)
The continentals at the North
S. R., XIV, 15
Sumner and Hosun made brigadiers
1
600
CASITELL'S ADMINISTRATION. 1776-80
1777
The distress of the officers
Pref. Notes, S. R., XIV: viii, 302
vision for the continental soldiers, the officers had to depo. on their pay for supplies ; and because of the deprecie. of the currency and the scarcity of cloth, their condy: became insupportable. They complained bitterly that : legislature paid no attention to their distresses : and at life. in the spring of 1770. they held a meeting at West l'on and resolved that they would resign to a man unless . General Assembly supplied their needs. This action was 1. without effect. The Assembly directed that they should ha. o provisions furnished them at the following prices: Run 8 shillings per gallon: sugar, 3 shillings per pound tea, 20 shillings; soap, 2 shillings; and tobacco, 1 sli .- ling : and that they should have a complete suit of clothing at what it would have cost at the time they first went int .. service : and, moreover, that they should have half pay ir life, and that the lands granted to them. as well as to th. soldiers, should be exempt from taxation while owned by them or their widows. This provision was accepted as satis factory, and the storm that was brewing passed away.
S. R., XIII,
812
Currency depreciation Taxation
In the Assembly it is to be noted that General Person Was still proposing low salaries without avail; the house was largely against him. The paper currency, which at the be- ginning of 1777 was at par, a year later was three for one. and in 1779 opened six for one. To mitigate the hardship- of taxation, commodities were to be received for one-half of each assessment. The price of corn was fixed at 33 cents per bushel : wheat, 43 cents ; rice, SI cents : pork. 33 cents: beef, 21 cents ; tallow, 9 cents ; Hour, 24 cents : salt, 23 cents per pound : tobacco. S3 per hundred : salt pork. $9.37 per barrel. The money of that period was so bulky that Treas- urer Skinner made a remonstrance to the Assembly that it was unsafe to carry large cartloads of currency through the country without a guard.
S. R., XIV, 255
The better to supply the troops, each county was required to supply a certain number of hats and shoes and stockings. yards of woollen or cotton cloth and of linen. apportioned according to their population. Rowan's contribution was 124 hats, 248 pairs of shoes and stockings, 248 yards of woollen cloth. and 524 yards of linen : there was no cotton cloth to speak of made at that time. There were thus to be
601
TORY MOVEMENTS
collected about 3000 hats, twice that number of shoes and stockings and yards of woollen, and more than 12.000 vards S. R., XII, of linen for the use of the troops. The value of these articles 639 was to be ascertained by three freeholders in each county, the amount being deducted from the taxes assessed.
There had been much opposition to the movement of troops to the southward. but when the legislature assembled in the middle of January events of such importance had 1779 happened that there was no longer any opposition to Cas- well's patriotic course. The governor was empowered to order out at any time so many of the militia as he should deem necessary, and to march them wherever needed. In addition to preparing against foreign invasion, the Assembly now had to apprehend domestic insurrection. British emis- S. R., XIII, saries were actively stirring the people up to sedition. As 296 a part of their plan for invasion, George Carey, a British naval officer, came in a vessel to the Cape Fear, under a flag of truce, to distribute manifestoes offering terms of settle- ment to the people, without regard to continental or state authorities. He was promptly seized and thrown into jail by Francis Clayton and John Walker. The vigilance of the Whigs detected movements in the central counties that excited grave apprehension. Realizing the danger, the Assembly directed Governor Caswell to embody with all possible expedition two hundred and fifty infantry and twenty-five horsemen to take possession of Cumberland County, and to disarm all persons in Cumberland, Anson, Guilford, Tryon, and other counties, who might give trouble to the cause.
Before any action could be taken, early in February Colonel John Moore, a Tory of Tryon County, raised three hundred men, and he claimed that there were two thousand more ready for enrolment. Caswell. now fully authorized. acted with his customary decision. A force of seven hundred and fifty light horse was called out. Allen Jones being appointed to command it, and two thousand militia were drafted to meet at Salisbury on March 25th.
The command of this corps, whose ultimate destination was to replace the detachment at the south, then about to return home, was bestowed on General John Butler, of the
1779
1779 S. R., XIV, 261
S. R., XIV, 273, 287
/
602
CASWELL'S ADMINISTRATION. 1776-80
1770
Gen. Butler
Gen. Sumner
Hillsboro district. Calling his council together, the gov- ernor proceeded with them, along with the troops from the east, first to Campbellton and then to Charlotte, where he arrived early in April. The disaffected inhabitants were readily overawed, Moore fleeing the country and joining Colonel Hamilton's regiment. and on April 11th General Butler took his departure with seven hundred militia for Augusta. General Sumner likewise reached Moultrie's camp about the end of March, and in May reported seven hun- dred and fifty of the nine months' men on his rolls, of whom four hundred and twenty were present fit for duty, divided into two regiments designated as the Fourth and Fifth Con- tinentals, commanded by Colonel Gideon Lamb and Major Lytle.
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