ftate of weaknefs which preceded the arrival of the troops from Ireland, to part with the king's American regiment, and to commit it to the hazard of paffing in fuch fmall craft as were at hand, and without convoy, from CharlesTown, in order to reinforce Sir James Wright at the town of Savannah. Thus the business of the war feemed every where to multiply in proportion to the means and provifion that were provided from all quarters for its fupport.

Lord Rawdon marched from Charles-Town, with fomething more than 1700 foot, and 150 horfe, for the relief of Ninety-Six, in four days after the arrival of the troops from Ireland. He was joined on the way by Col. Doyle, with the troops which he had left at Monk's Corner; and he preffed his march with all the rapidity which the exceffive heat of the weather would permit. To prevent the enemy's detachments on the Congaree, and other parts on the eastern fide, from reinforcing Greene, while he was pushing forwards, he deviated from the courfe which he otherwife would have taken, and keeping confiderably more to the right, paffed the little Saluda, near its junction with the greater river of that name. This route, however, enabled a Colonel Middleton, who was on his way from the Congarees, with about 300 cavalry and mounted militia, to endeavour to harraís his rear, and particularly to obftruct the parties which were neceffarily engaged in collecting cattle for the fupport of the army. After giving fome trouble of this t nature, Middleton being trained into a well laid ambush, was fpi

ritedly charged by Major Coffin, at the head of the royal cavalry, and his party was fo completely routed and difperfed, as again to appear during the march.

never

Lord Rawdon received intelligence on his march of the lofs of Augufta; that the forces employed in the reduction of that place had joined Greene; and that the latter was determined, rather than give up his point at Ninety-Six, to ftand an action. But that commander did not think himself in condition to hazard the encounter of fo formidable a foe frem without, while his hands were fully occupied by the exertions of an enemy within, who had from the beginning given conftant proofs of their determined courage and refolution; and ftill much less, could his force admit of fuch a divilion, as would enable him, with any profpect of fuccefs, to encounter Lord Rawdon on his way, and at the fame time to leave fuch a ftrength behind, as would be neceffary for guarding the works, and overaweing the garrifon. He was likewife difappointed by Sumpter, to whom he had fent inftructions to join him with all the force that could be collected on the fide of the Congaree, with a view, as he fays himself, of fighting the British army on its way; but whether it proceeded from fome flownofs in his movements, or from unavoidable delay, the junction was not effected in time, and the route taken by Lord Rawdon for the purpose, rendered it afterwards impracticable.

But exclufive of thefe caufes, he was not now to learn, the great fuperiority of his enemy, in all

field or general engagements. Nor in fact, was his force very confiderable in respect even to number, and it was ftill much lefs fo in point of estimation. His continental, or regular troops, formed but a diminutive part of the whole; and the others, whatever service they might be of in their own way, were of very lit. tle in regular action. On the other hand, he knew that the troops that were marching againft him, were fresh, excellent, and that those who were newly arrived were particularly full of ardour for an opportunity to fignalize themselves.

He however faw, that fomething must neceffarily be attempted; and that even the running of fome rifque, which would not be too decifive in its worft confequences, could fcarcely, in the prefent circumftances, be conftrued into imprudence. He had already pushed his fap very clofe to the principal redoubt of the fort at Ninety-Six, and had nearly completed a fubterraneous paffage into the ditch; but his artillery had failed in their effect, and the works of the fort had yet fuffered little. The nearnefs of Lord Rawdon left no time for proceeding farther by regular approach; and as he could not venture an engagement, he muft either abandon the place fhamefully without an attempt, or hazard a premature affault.

Gen. Greene deterJune 19th. mined upon the latter. The attack was made before day; and the Americans who were appointed to form the redoubt difplayed an undaunted courage. The garrifon received them with equal gallantry. Scarcely an offi

cer or private man who entered the ditch, but was either killed or wounded; and yet, though the impracticability of the attempt foon became as obvious to all as its danger, no one betrayed by a fingle movement, the fmallest indication of quitting his ground. The commander feeing fo many brave men fruitlessly fall, and that fortune or chance, which fo often befriend bold enterprize, fhewed no difpofition at all of acting in their favour, put an end to the combat, before it became more ruinous, by calling off the remainder foon after day light.

As Greene fcarcely less than expected what now really happened, he had accordingly provided for the event. All the heavy baggage and incumbrances of the camp, had been previously dispatched across the Saluda; whither, upon this repulfe, he alfo imme diately retired with his whole force. Though the Americans loft fome valuable officers, and not a few private men, in this attack, yet the number actually flain (as frequently happens in fuch cafes) was much below what might have been expected. Nothing could exceed the condu&t and firmness of the governor and garrison, whether in the affault, or during every previous part of the fiege.

Lord Rawdon arrived at NinetySix on the 21ft of June; and having received intelligence that Greene had halted in a strong pofition behind Bush River, at about 16 miles distance, and that he was likewife ftill incumbered with fome waggons and baggage, that active commander put his fatigued troops again in motion, and croffed the Saluda on the following night in his purfuit; every kind of bag

gage,

gage, even the men's packs, being left behind at Ninety-Six. Greene was, however, fo well acquainted now with the character of his enemy, and fo well guarded against furprize, that the British troops had fcarcely paffed the Saluda, when he moved with the utmoft expedition from Bush River. Lord Rawdon pursued him with the utmoft rapidity; and arrived at the fords of the Ennoree, forty miles from Ninety-Six, within two hours of the time that Green's army had paffed them. The troops were fo spent with fatigue, and overcome by the heat, that it was impoffible to do more; but Greene was fo apprehenfive of. his enemies, that he continued his retreat, or rather flight, without ceafing, until he had paffed both the Tyger and the Broad Rivers.

The British commander found it neceflary to abandon the post of Ninety-Six; but as he would not omit any mark of attention to the loyalifts of that country, much lefs have it imagined that they were abandoned, he ordered that the principals fhould be convened, and proposals made to them-That if they would keep together, and undertake the defence of the diftrict against their own difaffected inhabitants, a small party fhould be left to keep them in countenance, with the farther encouragement, that detachments from the Congarees fhould at all times be fent to their fupport, equivalent to any force which Greene might difpatch to invade their territory; and that on the other hand, care fhould be taken to provide for the removal of fuch families as fhould prefer to be

fixed upon the abandoned plantations, within the new frontier, which was now intended to be eftablished.The refult was, that the loyalists determined, for the fecurity and prefervation of their families, to bring them away under the protection of the army; with the farther view, when they were fettled within the affigned limits, that the men fhould be embodied, in order to make incurfions into the difaffected fettlements.

As Lord Rawdon's impatience to profecute the business of the campaign, would not admit of his waiting for this determination, he left Colonel Cruger behind, with much the greater part of his force, for the purpose of carrying it into execution; while he marched himfelf, with 800 infantry, and fixty horfe, for the Congarees.

He had previously written, when on his way to Ninety-Six, to Col. Balfour, ftating the expediency of fending a strong corps from Charles-Town to Orangeburgh, as a provifion against any finifler event that might poffibly happen. Upon Balfour's application to Colonel Gould, he immediately granted a battalion of his corps for that purpofe; and Lord Rawdon, before his departure from Ninety-Six, had, in confequence, received advice from the commandant of Charles-Town, not only of Gould's compliance, but that the 3d regiment was under orders to arrive at Orangeburgh by a specified day, and there to wait his inftructions; and, as if it were to remove every poffibility of doubt, he received a fucceeding letter from Col. Stuart, who commanded that regiment, with

informa

information, that he was already confiderably advanced on his way to Orangeburgh. This information, and a full confidence in the expected fupport, were the grounds upon which Lord Rawdon founded his immediate plan of operation; and were particularly the caufe of his leaving fo great a part of his force behind, and advancing with rather an unequal corps to the Congarces. In the fame perfwafion, he difpatched a number of meffengers by different routes, to meet Colonel Stuart at

Orangeburgh, and appointing their junction at the Congarees on the 3d of July.

was

Through fome error or mifap-、 prehenfion, which has not been explained, Colonel Stuart not only stopped on his march by orders from Charles-Town, but was fo far recalled, that he fell back to Dorchefter, on his return to that place. It may be obferved, that the expectation and apprehenfion of a French fleet and army on the coaft, in order to co-operate with Greene, and to put a final end to the war in that quarter by the reduction of CharlesTown, had a great influence on the operations of this campaign, and on the conduct and movements of the commanders on both fides; it may not therefore be unreasonable to fuppofe, that this apprehenfion, perhaps revived by fome new report, occafioned the recal of Col. Stuart. But, however that may be, it certainly was a measure which, under other circumftances, might have proved fatal in the event to Lord Rawdon; and which was attended with no fmall danger even in the prefent inftance.

Greene had early information of the ftate of force in which the British commander marched from Ninety-Six; and had the fortune likewife to intercept a letter from Colonel Stuart, fignifying the change that had been made in his inftructions, and the confequent impoffibility of meeting him at the time and place appointed. These circumftances led him to the defign of furrounding Lord Rawdon fo effectually that he could not extricate himself, while he` continued lingring in the vain expectation of a reinforcement which

was not to arrive.

Lord Rawdon by forced marches, in order to furprize a body of militia, of which he had received fome intelligence, arriv

ed at the Congarees two July ift.

days before the appointed time; a rapidity of movement, which probably had no fmall effect upon the iffue of Greene's fcheme. He foon difcovered that the enemy's light troops were in the neighbourhood, and took the neceffary precautions on that account; but his cavalry, regardless of express orders to the contrary, went out by themfelves to forage on the morning of the very day upon which Col. Stuart was expected. They were foon furrounded by Lee's legion, and two officers, with forty dragoons, and their horfes, were all taken without a blow. This, which in other circumftances would not have been much thought of, was in the prefent a moft grievous ftroke; and more particularly fo, as the means of procuring intelligence in this crifis of fo much danger, was thereby cut off almost entirely. This lofs, with the unexpected

affem

affemblage of the enemy, which had already been discovered in the neighbourhood, and the unexpected failure on Stuart's fide, happily laid open at once to Lord Rawdon, all the danger of his own fituation. He accordingly determined inftantly to begin his march towards Orangeburgh; and to meet or find Stuart wherever he was.

His route lay acrofs Congaree Creek, at about three miles diftance; a broad piece of water, in most parts deep, and enclofed by difficult banks. Colonel Lee, who had been appointed to the guard of this paffage, having deftroyed the bridge, and felled trees to render the fords impracticable, had then pofted himself behind the creek, with a confiderable body of cavalry, and fome infantry of his legion. The intenfe heat of the fun about noon, which feemed almoft to difable every fort of motion, and in every fpecies of animal, had thrown the Americans off their guard; and the unexpected arrival of the British forces, in that critical period, ferved much to facilitate the paffage. After the exchange of only a few ineffectual fhots, a body of infantry were thrown over, who having difperfed the enemy with out trouble, the troops foon cleared the fords, and paffed them without interruption.

Lord Rawdon was joined on the day after his arrival at Orangeburgh by Col. Stuart, with his own regiment; but was greatly aifappointed at finding that he was unaccompanied by a body of cavalry, which had been promifed, and which were fo particularly wanted. At the fame time advice"

5

was received, that Greene had paffed the Congaree, and was in full march to attack the British army. That commander, having miffed, what he little less than confidered as a certain prey, had collected all the force which the country afforded, and feemed dẹtermined, before they were farther ftrengthened, to try his fortune in the field. He July 10th. accordingly led his army within four miles of the Britifh camp; and in the evening, at the head of his cavalry, closely reconnoitred their pofition. As their fituation had but little of ftrength in it, excepting that the winding of the river, which lay in their rear, would in fome meafure remedy the total want of cavalry, by ferving as a cover to their flanks, and reducing the enemy to a direct attack, Lord Rawdon flattered himself, that Greene's fuperiority of numbers, would in the morning have tempted him to the trial.

While the British forces were impatient for that wifhed event, their difpofition and countenance had produced a directly contrary effect. For Greene had aban doned his camp, and retired with fuch expedition in the night, and his movement was fo long and effectually covered by his numerous light troops, that he had fecured his paffage back across the Congaree, before Lord Rawdon had received notice of his retreat.

An unfuccefsful attempt made by Sumpter, Lee, and Marion, upon the 19th regiment at Monk's Corner, along with this retreat of Greene, clofed the campaign in South Carolina; the intemperatenefs of the climate, for a feafon,

over