EXPEDITION AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA.
While Rodney was bravely supporting the honour of the British flag on the ocean, the British arms were equally successful on the continent. During the last days of December, Sir Henry Clinton, leaving New York under the care of General Knyphausen, sailed away from Sandy Hook for Charlestown in South Carolina. The ships in which he sailed, however, were driven from their course by a long and terrible storm, so that it was not till the 11th of February that he was enabled to disembark on John’s Island, about thirty miles from Charlestown. Other delays took place; and it was the 29th of March when Clinton’s army crossed Ashby River and landed on Charlestown-neck. Ground was broken in front of the American lines on the 11th of April; but as these lines were formidable, it was evident that some time must elapse before the town could be taken. Thus the Americans had built a chain of redoubts, lines, and batteries right across the peninusular, from Ashby River to Cooper River, on which were mounted eighty cannons and mortars; they had dug a deep canal in front of this line, which was filled with water, and had thrown two rows of abattis, and made a double picketed ditch; in the centre of their works they had erected a kind of citadel, which was bomb-proof; they had erected numerous batteries on the waterside, to prevent the approach of ships; and they had raised a bar or sand-bank, that rendered the approach of our largest ships of war impracticable, and of the smaller craft difficult and dangerous. Within the bar, however, there was a place called Five Fathom Hole, with a sufficient depth of water to float second-rate ships; and here nine American ships were moored, under the American commodore Whipple. Behind the bar and Whipple’s squadron there was Fort Moultrie, upon Sullivan’s Island, which was now much stronger than when, in a previous year, it repulsed Clinton, and cut up Sir Peter Parker’s squadron. Such were the formidable obstacles which Clinton had to surmount before he could hope to capture Charlestown; and, moreover, within the town was the American General Lincoln, at the head of about 7000 men. It was necessary first to take possession of Five Fathom Hole; and accordingly Admiral Arbuthnot, who had escorted Clinton to Charlestown, made the attempt. The American commodore retired before Arbuthnot to Sullivan Island, and then the English were permitted to pass the bar at their leisure. This was effected with great labour, and on the 9th of April Arbuthnot was in full possession of the harbour. Soon after Clinton finished his first parallel, and began to erect his batteries; and then Arbuthnot sailed, passed Fort Moultrie under a heavy fire, and anchoring just without range of the shot from the town batteries, summoned Lincoln to surrender. The American general having replied that he would defend the place to the last extremity, the English batteries were opened, and they soon made a visible impression. In the meantime Clinton detached Colonel Tarleton against Lincoln’s cavalry, which were placed outside the lines in order to keep the country open beyond Cooper Hiver. Tarleton was successful: the cavalry were surprised at a place called Biggin’s Bridge, and completely routed, leaving behind them all their stores, camp-equipage, and baggage, with some two or three hundred horses. By this victory a passage was opened across the head of Cooper River, and a detachment was sent under the command of Earl Cornwallis to scour the country beyond that river. All supplies were thus cut off from Charlestown, as well as all hope of retreat for Lincoln and his garrison. A council of war was called, and Lincoln offered to surrender upon certain conditions; but as Clinton considered them too favourable, they were rejected. The British now continued their approaches; a second parallel was completed by the 20th of April, and a third by the 6th of May. On this latter day the garrison of Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan Island, surrendered to Captain Hudson of the navy; and on the same day the broken remains of Lincoln’s cavalry, which had been re-collected, were again routed by Tarleton. Clinton’s third parallel was erected close to the canal; and this canal was drained by means of another excavation. Consternation and despair seized upon the inhabitants of the town, but still Lincoln and the garrison resolved to hold out. Hostilities were recommenced with additional fury, and an incessant fire was kept up for two days, in the midst of which the besiegers advanced to the very ditch, and drove the Americans from several of their guns. At length, at the prayer of the terrified inhabitants, Lincoln resolved to accept the terms which Clinton had offered before the last assault. A flag of truce was sent out by him, and Clinton instantly signed the capitulation. Between 6000 and 7000 men, consisting of regular troops, militia, and sailors became prisoners of war; and four hundred pieces of ordnance, and a large quantity of naval stores fell into the hands of the victors. The garrison were allowed some of the honours of war: they were to march out and deposit their arms between the canal and the lines; but the drums were not to beat a British march, nor were the colours to be reversed. The militia were to return home upon parole, and the citizens were to be considered prisoners on parole; but their property was to be respected so long as they kept their word. As for the officers of both army and navy they were to retain their swords, pistols, servants, and baggage, the latter of which was not to be searched. The town was taken possession of by the British on the 12th of May; and General Clinton set on foot several expeditions, calculated to extinguish every idea of resistance in the interior of the province. At the same time he issued proclamations for the purpose of conciliating the inhabitants. These measures seemed to produce the desired effect. The only body of troops that still held out was defeated by Colonel Tarleton, and the people in every part of South Carolina seemed to submit to King George. In this happy state of affairs, Clinton, on the 5th of June, embarked for New York, leaving Lord Cornwallis behind him with 4000 men, to maintain the acquisition, and to penetrate into North Carolina, so soon as the intense heat of the season and other circumstances should admit of such an enterprise.
BATTLE OF CAMDEN, ETC.
The loyalty of the people of South Carolina was like a morning cloud; it soon passed away. It was not long before they began to manifest a change of disposition. Those who had accepted protection, because they could not help themselves, manifested their antipathy to the British government; while those who were in heart favourable to the cause of King George, were indignant at seeing the disloyal part of the community enjoying immunities and advantages, which they would employ against the English on the first opportunity. The disaffected were encouraged by the hope of speedy aid from Virginia and by congress, who were resolved to make the most strenuous efforts to recover South Carolina. At length, therefore, treachery began openly to show itself. One Lisle, who had taken the oath of allegiance, and obtained rank and command, went over to the republicans with a battalion of militia, well equipped with arms and ammunition. A similar instance of treachery also occurred in another part of the province, where a colonel of militia, who was entrusted with the escort of some sick and wounded soldiers, carried them into North Carolina, and gave them up to Baron de Kalb, a German, who was at the head of some regular troops, and of 3000 militia. Kalb was appointed to drive the royalists out of the country in North Carolina, and to encourage the disaffected in South Carolina. He was soon joined by General Gates, whom congress sent to take the supreme command of the American forces. On his arrival, Gates having 6000 men under his command, prepared at once to drive the British from their line of posts across the state of South Carolina, and carry the war up to the very walls of Charlestown. Intelligence of these preparations induced Lord Cornwallis to repair to Camden, though his effective force did not exceed 2000 men. After some skirmishing, and two attacks on detached positions, conducted by Colonel Sumter, and both unsuccessful, Gates moved forward to Camden, in the full assurance of victory. Having received intelligence of this, Lord Cornwallis, instead of retreating or waiting to receive Gates, set out in the dead of the night to meet him. The advanced parties met in the woods at two o’clock in the morning, and a Maryland regiment was defeated; but after this temporary conflict both armies betook themselves to rest, and waited for the morning light. When the morning dawned, Cornwallis discovered that the ground which he occupied was exceedingly favourable for an action; his flanks being secured by two swamps, which narrowed the ground in his front by which Gates must advance. He formed in two lines: the first consisting of two divisions under Lord Rawdon and Colonel Webster, and the second consisting of the seventy-first regiment, and some squadrons of horse under his Own command. The arrangement of the enemy was similar; but Gates made some disposition on the left, as if intending to change his position, and Lord Cornwallis seizing the critical moment, ordered Webster to advance and charge the enemy on their left. This division was chiefly composed of Virginia militia, and as Webster advanced they threw down their loaded muskets and fled from the field. Their example was soon followed by the North Carolina division, which formed the centre of Gates’s army. Gates now brought up his second line, or reserve, and endeavoured to rally his militia. It was all in vain; the reserve corps were utterly routed, and the militiamen ran for their lives into the woods. Gates, aware that all was lost, fled with a few friends to Charlotte, about eighty miles off; and in this battle he lost nearly nine hundred slain, among whom was Baron de Kalb, and about 1000 were taken prisoners, he also lost all his baggage and camp-equipage, many stands of colours, seven pieces of cannon, and one hundred and fifty waggons, containing a large quantity of military stores and provisions. The English lost about three hundred and fifty men in killed and wounded, nearly all belonging to the regiment under Webster, and the Irish volunteers under Lord Rawdon, who had borne the chief weight of the action. This victory was followed by another. At this time Colonel Sumter was on the other side of the Wateree, with the intention of striking into the heart of South Carolina, and Tarleton, with some cavalry and mounted infantry, was dispatched against him. Sumter, warned of Gates’s disaster, had already began a retreat towards North Carolina, when he was overtaken by Tarleton near the Catawba Fords, where his corps were almost annihilated. He lost one hundred and fifty men killed, three hundred prisoners, and an immense quantity of arms and military stores: two hundred and fifty British prisoners were also recaptured. Thus victorious, Lord Cornwallis again sent emissaries into North Carolina, to assure the royalists there, that he would march into their country as soon as he received necessary supplies from Charlestown. In the meantime, as lenity had not disarmed the hostility of the disloyal, he gave some examples of severity. He sequestered the estates of all those who had broken their parole or their oath, and who had left the province; denounced death against those who, after receiving British protection, should desert; and executed some of the South Carolina militia, whom he had taken in arms near Camden, with British protection in their pockets. Cornwallis then marched into North Carolina, and he took possession of Charlottetown; but hearing of the defeat of a body of loyal militia, under Major Ferguson, who were attacked at King’s Mountain by 1000 backwoodsmen, he retreated to South Carolina, and deferred the prosecution of his enterprise till reinforcements should arrive from New York. He took up a position between Camden and the district of Ninety-Six, where he waited for the arrival of General Leslie, who had been detached by Sir Henry Clinton to penetrate into Virginia, in order to co-operate with Cornwallis. Leslie was afterwards ordered round by sea to Charlestown; and while Cornwallis was waiting for him, Tarleton with his flying column drove back an enterprising partizan, named Marion, and again defeated his old adversary, Sumter. Meanwhile congress, though greatly dejected by these reverses, had appointed General Greene to supersede Gates, Greene arrived at Charlottetown on the 2nd of December; but he found himself in no condition to advance into South Carolina; and as Cornwallis had not yet been reinforced, no further events transpired in the south during this campaign.
AFFAIRS AT NEW YORK.
On the side of New York, during this year, a variety of petty enterprises were undertaken. While Sir Henry Clinton was absent, Knyphausen was at first occupied in making preparations for the defence of that city? for, by the extreme severity of the winter, New York was deprived of that natural defence which arises from its insular situation. The Hudson, called the North River, was so completely covered with thick ice that a large army, with heavy artillery and baggage, might have crossed it with ease, and by that means have approached the very walls of the city. Knyphausen expected that Washington would avail himself of this circumstance to attack with his whole force, and therefore he adopted judicious measures for the city’s protection. Washington, however, was not in a condition to attempt anything so bold and important. His army had been weakened by draughts made upon it for the service of the south; he had scarcely any provisions or clothing for his men in the camp; and not only discontent but open mutiny had begun to manifest itself. Hence Knyphausen was secure from danger, though, in the month of January, Washington detached Lord Stirling to Staten Island, to act on the offensive. Stirling crossed over the ice from the Jersey shore, surprised a small post, and took some prisoners; but he was obliged to quit the island, and in his retreat lost some of his own men, who served to exchange for the prisoners he had taken. This expedition was followed by another on the part of the British, to drive the Americans from a post at Young’s House, in the neighbourhood of the White Plains, which was attended with greater success. The post was stormed and carried; forty of the enemy were killed, and about one hundred taken prisoners. Nothing further was attempted by Knyphausen during the continuance of the frost; but in the month of June, encouraged by the weakness and distress which still prevailed in Washington’s camp, he detached a considerable force, under Brigadiers Mathew and Stirling, to make an attempt to re-establish the ancient government in New Jersey. Mathew and Stirling marched up the country towards Springfield, but they were disappointed in their expectation of the people joining them, and were obliged to retreat to Elizabethtown. A few days after this Sir Henry Clinton arrived from Charlestown, and though he did not approve of the movement which Knyphausen had ordered, as the soldiers were at Elizabethtown, and as Washington had come down to the hills near Springfield to protect the Jerseys, he resolved to attempt to bring him to action. Mistaking some of the movements made by the British, Washington marched towards Pompton to defend West Point, and in his absence Sir Henry Clinton defeated General Greene, who was left at Springfield for its protection, and reduced the town to ashes. Washington, however, could not be brought to action, and Clinton, expecting the arrival of the French armament, returned in haste to New York. In the meantime, Lafayette, who had returned to France to quicken the exertions of his countrymen, presented himself in the American camp, with a promise from his sovereign of speedy assistance. Encouraged by this promise, congress, who had recently neglected Washington’s army, probably from the feelings of despair, made an extraordinary effort to give his troops some appearance of respectability before the arrival of their French allies. These allies arrived in July at Rhode Island, and they amounted to 6000 veteran troops. They were commanded by the Count de Rochambeau, an experienced officer, who had fought in the battle of Minden; but in order to obviate all quarrels about rank and precedence, Washington received a commission from the French monarch, appointing him lieutenant-general in the French armies, and investing him with the chief command in America. No precaution, however, could prevent the French and Americans from quarrelling with each other. The Americans complained that the French had come too late in the season to do any good, and the French complained, that on their arrival the American army were not ready to co-operate. Washington suggested an immediate attack upon New York; but this could not be attempted without a decided superiority at sea, and before any thing could be done, the arrival of Admiral Graves at Sanely Hook gave the superiority to the British. This determined Sir Henry Clinton to act upon the offensive. The French fleet which had brought the troops from France lay at Newport, and Sir Henry proposed to Admiral Arbuthnot a plan for attacking this fleet, while the troops proceeded up to the Sound to co-operate by land. Hoping to meet the enemy at sea, Arbuthnot deferred his co-operation till the enemy had strongly fortified their position, and then it was too late. Clinton proceeded with 8000 men to Huntingdon Bay, on Long Island; but Washington, having received reinforcements, crossed the North River, and rapidly advancing towards Kingsbridge, put a stop to their enterprise.