USA > South Carolina > Documentary history of the American revolution: consisting of letters and papers relating to the contest for liberty, chiefly in South Carolina, from originals in the possession of the editor, and other sources, V.2 > Part 3
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The Bristol, against which the fire was chiefly directed, is very much damaged. It is said that not less than seventy balls went through her. Her mizen mast was so much hurt, that they have since replaced it with another. The main mast is cut away about fifteen feet below the hounds; and, instead of her broad pendant soaring on a lofty mast, it is now hardly to be seen on a jury main mast considerably lower than the fore most. The Experiment had her mizen gaff shot away; the other vessels sustained little damage in their rigging. The loss in the fleet, according to the report of the deserters, is about 180 killed and wounded; among the former is Captain Morrison, of the Bristol. Sir Peter Parker had the hind part of his breeches shot away, which laid his posteriors bare, and his knee pan hurt by a splinter. There have been several funerals in the fleet since the engagement; and from the parade of some, it is conjectured they were of officers of ranks. Some of the deserters say that Capt. Scott, of the Experiment, is among the killed.
The loss of the garrison was as follows :
Artillery-Killed, 1 matross; wounded, 2 matrosses.
3d Regiment-Killed, 1 sergeant, 9 rank and file; wounded, Lieuts. Gray and Hall, the fife major, 1 sergeant, 19 rank and file.
An officer's mulatto waiting boy was killed.
Total-Killed, 12; wounded, 23.
Both the officers were but slightly wounded, and are well-five of the wounded privates are since dead.
The works are very little damaged, but hardly a hut or tree on the island escaped the shot entirely. Many thousands of the enemy's shot have been picked up on the island. 2
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General Lee was at Haddrell's Point at the beginning of the action, and went in a boat, through a thick fire, to the fort, where he stayed some time. He says, in the whole course of his military service he never knew men behave better, and cannot sufficiently praise both offi- cers and soldiers for their coolness and intrepedity. The behavior of two sergeants deserves to be remembered. In the beginning of the action, the flag-staff was shot away, which, being observed by Sergeant Jasper, of the Grenadiers, he innmediately jumped from one of the embrasures upon the beach, took up the flag, and fixed it on a sponge staff. With it in his hand he mounted the merlon, and notwithstand- ing the shot flew as thick as hail around him, he leisurely fixed it. Sergeant McDonald, of Capt. Huger's company, while exerting himself in a very distinguished manner, was cruelly shattered by a cannon ball. In a few minutes he expired, after having uttered these remarkable words :-- " My friends, I am dying; but don't let the cause of liberty expire with me !"' His comrades felt for him. The gallant Jasper im- mediately removed his mangled corpse from their sight, and cried aloud : " Let us revenge that brave man's death " The day after the action, his Excellency, the President, presented Sergeant Jasper with a sword, as a mark of esteem for his distinguished valor.
We hear that the fort on Sullivan's Island will be in future called Fort Moultrie, in honor of the gallant officer who commanded there on the memorable 28th of June, 1776.
The men-of-war dropped down several miles further from the island a few days after. The carpenters in the fleet had sufficient employment in repairing the vessels. Several deserters came from both fleet and army, who all agreed we need not expect another visit at present-that it was talked that the two large ships would go to English harbor in Antigua to get refitted-the transports, with the troops, to proceed to New York, under convoy of some men-of-war, to join the grand army, and that two frigates would be left to cruise between North Carolina and Georgia.
On the 2d of July, Gen. Lee sent a flag to the enemy, with a pro- posal to exchange a prisoner for Col. Ethan Allen, who it was said was in the fleet. A present of some fresh meat and vegetables was sent at the same time. Gen. Clinton being at Long Island, an answer was not received till two days after, when he informed Gen. Lee that Col. Allen was not on board, and in return for his, present, sent some porter, cheese, &c. Two engineers came in the boat, but as they were received at some distance from the fort, they were deprived of an opportunity of seeing what they were probably sent to observe.
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A sloop from the West Indies, with gunpowder, &c., ran aground on the 5th, in coraing into Stono Inlet. She, a few days afterwards, went to pioves, the cargo having been previously taken out.
A number of the enemy's transports went to Long Island about ten days after the repulse, and took on board all the troops on it and Goat Island. About the same time some of their frigates and armed vessels went over the bar; and, on the 14th, the Bristol made an attempt to co out, in which she failed, having struck on the bar. She succeeded in another attempt, four days after, and came to an anchor off the harbor.
The transports, with the Solebay, Thunder, Friendship, and some of the small armed vessels, sailed on the 20th, steering a southward course ; they were afterwards seen standing to the eastward. On the same day a brigantine, having on board fifty soldiers and six sailors, got aground near Dewees' Inlet. She was left unobserved by the rest, and on the day afterwards was taken by an armed flat or floating battery, commanded by Lieut. Pickering. The brigantine could not be got off, and was, therefore, burnt. She was mounted with six 4 pounders. The soldiers threw their small arms overboard, on seeing the approach of the flat. Four of the crew escaped in their boat.
On the 25th, the Experiment went over the bar, her lower tier of guns being taken out. She came to an anchor near the Commodore, Syren, and three transports, lying off the harbor. A frigate, which had not been here before, came to the Commodore in the afternoon of the 25th. Next morning she sailed for the southward, and two days after the Syren followed her.
This forenoon the Active, Sphynx, and a large transport, being all of the enemy's vessels within the bar, went out, and with the Bristol, Experiment, three transports and a tender, stood out to sea, steering an E. N. E. course.
The following letter was found on Long Island, since it was evacuated by the British army :
CAMP, LONG ISLAND, 13th July, 1776.
DEAR BROTHER,
With great difficulty I have procured this small piece of paper, to inform you of my being very well, notwithstanding the miserable situa- tion we are in. We have been encamped on this island for this month past, and have lived upon nothing but salt pork and peas; we sleep
3%
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upon the sea-shore, nothing to shelter us from the rains but our coats, or a miserable paltry blanket-there is nothing that grows upon the island, it being a mere sand-bank, and a few bushes, which harbor millions of musketoes, a greater plague than there can be in hell itself. By this sloop-of-war you will have an account of the action which hap- pened on the 28th June, between the ships and the fort on Sullivan's Island. The cannonade continued for about nine hours, and was, per- haps, one of the briskest known in the annals of war. We had two 50 gun ships, five frigates from 24 to 30 guns playing upon the fort-I may say without success, for they did the battery no manner of damage; they killed only about fifteen, and wounded between forty and fifty. Our ships are in the most miserable, mangled situation you can possible imagine. The Acteon, a 30 gun frigate, ran aground during the action, and, as it was impossible to get her off, we were obliged to burn and blow her up. Our killed and wounded amounts to betwist 200 and 300. Numbers die daily of their wounds. The Commodore is wounded in two different places; his captain lost his arm and right hand, and was wounded in different parts of the body. He lived but two days after the action. Capt. Scott, of the Experiment, died of his wounds, and a number of officers. If the ships could have silenced the battery, the army was to have made an attack on the back of the island, where they had about 1000 men entrenched up to the eyes, be- sides a small battery of four guns, one 18 and three 4 pounders, all loaded with grape shot, so that they would have killed half of us before we could have made our landing good. We are now expecting to em- bark for New York, to join General Howe with the grand army.
My anxiety to inform you of bad news had well nigh made me forget to mention our passage to Cape Fear, where we arrived safely the 1st of May, after a passage of three months. Though it was long, yet it was not disagreeable, after we got out of the Bay of Biscay, where we met with the worst weather ever known at sea, and continued in that situation for sixteen days. After that time we had very fine weather all along, sometimes we were becalmed four or five days together, not going above ten knots a day. Upon our arrival at Cape Fear, we dis- embarked, and were encamped in the woods till the 27th May, when we went on board again, and sailed for this infernal place. The oldest of our officers do not remember of ever undergoing such hardships as we have done since our arrival here.
I hope you will be so good as watch every opportunity to let me hear from Mrs. Falconer and you, and at the same time to inform me how to do in case I shall be obliged to purchase my lieutenancy. I beg you
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will make my excuse to my dear sister for not writing to her at this time. It is not owing to want of affection, but to the want of proper materials. I am obliged to write upon the ground. You'll be so good as let Capt. Falconer know the same thing. I shall write again from New York. I am, dear sir,
Your most affect. brother,
WILL. FALCONER.
To the Hon. Anthony Faloner, at Montrose, Scotland.
Within these few days a cargo of seven tons of gunpowder, and a quantity of dry goods, have been safely landed in this colony.
In this Gazette of May 31, our advices respecting the Indians gare reasons to expect that they would remain quiet ; since which we have certain accounts of the Cherokees having killed several white people, and taken some prisoners. The other nation seems averse to inter- meddling in the present contest, and it is to be hoped the measures taken to fix them in their peaceable dispositions will be successful. There is the greatest reason to expect the Cherokees will soon repent of their rashness, as considerable bodies of men from Virginia, North Carolina, and this colony are actually on their march into their country.
We hear that about three weeks ago, two armed vessels from St. Augustine cut a sloop and schooner, loaded with rice, out of Ogeechee River in Georgia. A party from the same place have been employed in building a fort at St. Mary's. A boat belonging to them, with Capt. Peter Bichop and seven others on board, was taken about a fortnight since, after some shot being exchanged. Three of them were killed, and Capt. Bachop, with the other four, brought prisoners to Savannah.
We have just received accounts that the General Congress, on July 4th, declared these united colonies to be free and independent States; that one hundred and thirty sail of men-of-war and transports, with 10,000 men, under General Howe. had arrived at Sandy Hook, and forty-five sail had got above the Narrows, but that it was imagined nothing of consequence would be attempted by the enemy before the arrival of Admiral Lord Howe, with the fleet under his command, having on board 20,000 land forces. Reinforcements were pouring in from all quarters to New York, and there was but little doubt of Gen. Washington soon having an army of above 50,000 men under his com- mand.
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MAJOR WM.SON TO W. H. DRAYTON.
[Original MIS.]
WHITEHALL, June 27, 1776.
DEAR SIR :
I have no later letters from Charlestown than those I showed to Mr. Salvador when here.
James Holmes left Charlestown a day later, and says no attempt was made against the town-that several of the small vessels had re- turned back over the bar, and several more getting under sail, appre- hended to be bound the same way.
Your letter to the President I despatched to Charlestown with some of my men, on Friday last. The two Cherokee Indians returned to the nation on Wednesday weck, seemingly well satisfied with their journey. I gave them a strong talk, the substance as follows: That I had. agree- able to the desire of the warrior of Sugar Town, acompanied them across the frontier settlements, and told them before I set out, that if they saw, and would show me any bad white warriors, who carried lies and bad talk amongst them from the settlements, that I would take them into custody, and punish; and in return demanded liberty to send some of our people into the nation to secure York, and other bad white people, who had carried lies and bad talk amongst them, and endea- vored, by every method they could devise, to make them quarrel with us. If they complied with this proposal, I should then know they wanted to live at peace with us; but, if they denied us that liberty, I should believe they did not care to continue in friendship with us longer, and should either send, or come myself, and bring the bad people out of the nation by force. A string of white beads. I desired them to remember-talk well, and tell it to the warriors, and return an answer soon, which I received yesterday by one Price, a half breed. On receiving my talk, the warrior of Sugar Town summoned the other warriors of the lower towns, and returned an answer as follows :--- Thanked me for the good talk in them, by Shurry Shurry, and believed every word therein was truth-that the warriors of the lower towns would not interfere between the white people in their quarrel, and in future would not prevent me sending men into the nation, to take into custody such white people as went into the nation with bad talk and lies. They remembered the good talk given them at Fort Charlotte, and were resolved to abide by them. A string of white beads.
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Mr. Hammond writes me on the 25th instant that Brown had met with an affront in the Creek nation, at a great ball play, where he and some white people, and Indians, by desire of Tate, the commissary, seized one Tapley, a trader, fitted out from Mobile; but the other In- dians interfered, and rescued Tapley, and broke Brown's sword, and beat him and his party, and carried Tapley to Tate, and desired him to tell Tate what he had a mind to speak. Brown, it is thought. is gone to Florida, in great disgust for this treatment. The Creeks say they will suffer no ammunition to be carried through their nation for the Cherokees.
I received a kick from Major Downes' stallion the evening of the day I left you, which cut my leg, and my being careless of it, has brought on a fever for these two days past, which confined me to my chamber. I have sent Mr. Salvador a little powder and bullets. Mr. Williamson and Winter are well. They join me in best compliments to you and Mr. Salvador. I am, dear sir,
Your most humble servant,
A. WM.SON.
CHIEF JUSTICE DRAYTON TO PRESIDENT LAURENS.
[Original MS.]
July 7, 1776.
SIR :
As a magistrate I yesterday presented myself at your door to have the honor of paying my respects to your Excellency, and in the after- noon I attended there again, in order to beg to be honored with your commands in a military way; for I think that, at this time, while I have no occasion to wear my gown, I ought to wear a sword.
In a word, the favor I have to ask of your Excellency is, that you will be pleased to enable me, as a volunteer, to be active in the defence of my country.
I have the honor to be, sir, your Excellency's most obedient and Most humble servant,
W. H. DRAYTON.
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FRANCIS SALVADOR TO HON. CHIEF JUSTICE DRAYTON.
[Original MIS.]
CAMP NEAR DEWIT'S CORNER, 18th July, 1776.
DEAR SIR :
Major Williamson has told me that you thought the present alarm a good opportunity to execute your commission. I have employed an unsuspected person, who has taken refuge in the same fort with Nor- wood, and am in hopes, by the time I return from the Cherokee Nation, it will be accomplished, though he is a most positive old blackhead.
You would have been surprised to have seen the change in this country two days after you left me .* On Monday morningoneof Capt. Smith'ssons came to my house, with two of his fingers shot off. I gave an account of the shocking catastrophe at his father's. I immediately galloped to Major Williamson's, to inform him, but found another of Smith's sons there, who had made his escape, and alarmed that settlement. The whole country was flying -- some to make forts, others as low as Orangeburgh. Williamson was employed night and day sending expresses to raise the militia; but the panic was so great, that on Wednesday following the Major and myself marched to the late Capt. Smith's with only forty men. The next day we were joined by forty more, and have been gradually increasing ever since, though all the men in the country were loth to turn out, till they had procured some kind of fancied security for their families. However, we had last night 500 men, but have not been joined by any from the other side of the river. I rode there last Saturday, and found Col. Williams and Liles, and two companies from Col. Richardson's regiment. amounting to 430 men. They were at- tacked on Monday (July 15) morning, by Indians and Scopholites, but repulsed them, taking thirteen white men prisoners. The Indians fled the moment day appeared. I will not trouble you with more particu- lars, as Major Williamson will send a circumstantial account to his Excellency. I am afraid the burthen of the war will fall on this regi- ment, and that the people over the river will do nothing. They grumble at being commanded by a Major; and, I fear, if they join us at all (which I doubt), they will be very apt to prejudice the service by altercations about command. I cannot help saying, that if Williamson
* W. H. Drayton was at Mr. Salvador's plantation, called Cornacre, on the 28th of June, 1776, as appears by a letter to bim directed there, and written by Major William- son, on the 27th June, from White Hall, bis plantation in the neighborhood.
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is fit to conduct such an expedition, he certainly ought to have a much higher rank than any of these classes, who don't object to his person, but his rank. I likewise think it an omission that the colonels on the other side the river have no written orders to put themselves, or their men, under his command. On the last accounts from town, that Cun- ningham and his companions were set at liberty, we were very near having a mutiny in camp; and it is really a measure (which, though certainly intended for the best, ) very alarming to all ranks of people. The ignorant look upon it as turning their enemies loose on their backs in the day of their distress; and the sensible part consider it as a dan- gerous exercise of a dispensing power, assumed contrary to the express determination of Congress, and a corroborating resolve of the succeed- ing. House of Assembly. Pearis' house having been a rendezvous for the Indians and Scopholites, Col. Thomas intended to attack it on Mon- day. We are not yet informed if he did or not; but one of our spies was there on Tuesday, and saw many of our enemies about the place, and all the buildings in ashes. Whether they were burnt by friends or foes, is still uncertain; if by the first, I fear Pearis will injure us much. Our men seem spirited, and very much exasperated against our enemies. They one and all are displeased at the people over the river for grant- ing quarter to their prisoners, and declare they will grant none either to Indians or white men who join them. We have just received an account that two of the Cherokees' head warriors were killed in the late skirmish at Lindley's Fort.
19th July, 1776.
Cunningham and Pearis came here last night, and by the former I imagine he was much caressed in town. Here he was treated politely, but with reserve, the Major and myself having advised him to go home, and mind his private business, at which he seemed chagrined. I am clear he had not yet given up the idea of being a man of consequence ; but the friends of liberty in this part of the world are determined to have no connection with him, and to consider him for the future merely as an individual, and not as head of any party. We have just heard from over the river that the white people in general had quitted the Indians, after the repulse at Lindley's, and were delivering themselves up to Col. Liles. He has sent all those to Ninety-Six jail, against whom there is proof of having been in the action.
I hope you will pardon the freedom with which I express my senti- ments; but I look upon it as an advantage to men in power to be truly
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DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF
informed of the people's situation and disposition. This must plead my excuse, and believe me to be, with great respect, dear sir,
Your obedient humble servant,
FRANCIS SALVADOR.
P. S .- We, this day, increased to 600, all from the same regiment.
Capt. McCall, with 20 men, was sent by Major Williamson to the Cherokees at Seneca, to make prisoners of some white men, by the encouragement of some Indians, who had been at the Major's. When the detachment got near, the Indians came out to meet them, spoke friendly to them, and invited the captain, lieutenant, and another man, to sup with them, leaving three of their own people in their room ; and, in a few hours after, in the night, the Indians returned, and suddenly attacked the detachment, which fled as fast as possible. They are all returned but the captain and six men. This happened immediately before Smith's family was cut off, who lost five negro men, himself, wife, and five children. On this day Stringer and one child, three or four of Gillespy's family, in the same settlement. The ravage ex- tended all along the frontier the same morning. At Lindley's Fort, Downes accidentally arrived with 150 men at night, on his way to Williamson's, when at oue in the morning the fort was attacked by the Indians and white men-eighty-eight Indians and one hundred and two whites.
A. WM.SON TO
[Original MS.]
CAMP AT BARKER'S CREEK, July 22, 1776.
DEAR SIR :
Your favor of the 12th instant is now before me, giving an account of the agreeable news of your having beat the British fleet. I shall try my utmost endeavors to follow your example, and beat the Chero- kees, of whose treachery and faithless behavior you are well acquainted. I am now encamped here, with about 700 effective men from this regi- ment, which, with 136 who do duty in the different forts, you'll perceive have turned out pretty well. My numbers would soon increase if I had arms. If any can be spared from Charlestown, you can never do this part of the country a greater service than by using your endeavors to have them immediately sent here.
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Capts. Tate and Prince's companies of Riffemen, have just now joined me. They consist of ninety-three effective men; and to-morrow Col. Williams, who has been at least fourteen days contriving a mode to cross Saluda River, will also join me, with about 200 men. "Captain Hammond marched with a detachment of 100 picked men, on Friday morning, for Paris' House, where I am informed a party of the enemy have been skulking about there some days past. I expect hourly to hear from him, and some agreeable news. He has my orders if he can conveniently join Col. Thomas and Niel, to act in concert with them, and proceed directly into the nation by Estatoe, while I penetrate by way of Seneca and the Sugar Town. Thomas has acted in every respect agreeable to his declaration when at his house. I have wrote, and sent him express upon express, to no purpose. It is really disagree- able to have any connexion with such men. He has not wrote me a line since the Indians first commenced hostilities. Lieut .- Col. Polk, of Niel's regiment, with 300 men well armed, has joined Thomas; and I am told by Capt. Powes, who I sent on purpose to see his strength, and marked out a plan to act in conjunction with them, that Polk is eager to join me. It is agreeable to his sentiments, communicated by letter to me lately. Judge, then, what feelings such a man must be pos- Sessed of, who, in place of hastening to save or revenge his country, can content himself with doing nothing. Robert Cunningham and Paris came to my camp. The former, on his arrival. declared himself our fast friend, and that he came to stand and fall with us. I was sorry I could not show him the countenance I could have wished, owing to the people being so much exasperated at the behavior of Hugh Brown, and others, who have lately joined the Indians against us, thirteen of which were taken prisoners, a few days ago, and sent to Ninety-Six jail-four of which were found painted as Indians. I have no doubt of Cunningham proving true to his declaration, but at present it would be improper to confer any public trust on him. Mr. Salvador has been with me since my first taking the field. I showed him your postscript. Ile thinks of making the campaign to the nation. I under- stand last night, the Indians struck at North Carolina and Virginia the very day they commenced hostilities against our frontier. If these two colonies join heartily with us, I hope soon to have the pleasure of congratulating you of a happy issue being put to their expedition, and reduce the savages to such a state, as to wish they had never broke their faith with as. I am, with much regard, dear sir,
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