1981. of the 17th of December laft, a copy of which is en-closed, that I informed his lordship, his order was cruel. and unprecedented; and that he might expect retaliation from the friends of the unfortunate.-You obferve, that to authorize retaliation, there fhould be a parity of circumstances, to which I can by no means agree. Retaliation presupposes an act of violence having been committed, and that it is adopted to punish the past and. restrain the future; and therefore whatever will produce thefe confequences is warranted by the laws of retalia- . tion. You obferve, that the inhabitants of any country at war, owe allegiance to the conquering power. The right of conqueft from partial fucceffes, is often made ufe of to levy contributions: but I believe there are no inftances, where the inhabitants are punished capitally, for breach of parole given under thefe circumftances, especially while the two powers are contending for empire; and this act of feverity complained of, is the more extraordinary as you long loft that part of the country, and upon your own principles the inhabitants owed allegiance to the conquering power. The execution of lieut. Fulker was without my knowledge or confent: nor did I ever hear of it before. I understood there were fome, who fell a facrifice to the violence of the militia, for the many outrages they had been guilty of, and this without the knowledge of the commanding officer, who put a stop to it the moment he discovered it. But there is a great difference between deliberate executions, and deaths which happen from an enraged people, urged by a sense of injury and oppreffion.-I have never authorized or countenanced an execution, but for the crime of defertion: on the contrary, I have

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ནཾདྷ་་ ! ཏ་་

taken all the pains in my power to foften the refentments 1781* of the inhabitants toward each other, and to prevent as much as poffible the dreadful calamity of private murders. It has been my object to reclaim, not to destroy, even fuch of the inhabitants as have been opposed to the interefts of their country; and I cannot but confider your remarks refpecting col. Grierfon and major Dunlap, as both illiberal and ungenerous, if you are acquainted with facts. If not, I hope you will be more careful how you cenfure without authority for the future. A handfome reward was offered for the detection of the murderers of both these perfons.-As you have referred the juftification of your conduct in the affair of col. Hayne to lord Cornwallis, and as his determination upon that matter will govern the business of future exchanges, I can see no advantage in appointing a person to meet capt. Barry on the fubject; befide which, that gentleman is now a prifoner of war, and no longer in a capacity to negotiate affairs of this nature. I am, Sir, your most obedient humble fervant Nathaniel Greene." But before the date of this letter, the following important military operations had taken place.

General Greene, on hearing that the British were returned to their former ftation on the fouth fide of the Congaree, concerted measures for forcing them a fecond time from their posts in this quarter. Though the two armies were within fifteen miles of each other on a right line, yet as two rivers intervened, and boats could not be procured, the American army was obliged to take a circuit of 70 miles with a view of more conveniently croffing the Wateree and the Congarce. Soon after their croffing these rivers, they were joined by general

1781. Pickens with a party of the Ninety Six militia, and by

the state troops under lieut. col. Henderfon. Gen. Ma

rion alfo joined them with his brigade of militia, on the Sept. 7th of September. The whole American force being 8. thus collected, Greene proceeded the next morning to attack the British army under lieut. col. Stewart, who had retired from the Congaree about 40 miles, and taken poft at the Eutaw fprings, 60 miles north of Charlestown, The Americans and British were nearly equal in number, about 2000: but new raised levies and militia formed the greater part of the firft *. Greene drew up his troops in two lines. The front confifted of the militia from North and South Carolina, and was com manded by Marion, Pickens and col. de Malmedy. The fecond confifted of the continental troops - from North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, and were led on by gen. Sumner, lieut, col. Campbell, and col. O, Williams. Lee with his legion covered the right flank, and Henderson with the state troops, the left. Washington with his cavalry, and capt. Kirkwood with the Delaware troops, formed a corps de referve. They marched at 4 o'clock in the morning, and fell in with two advanced parties of the British about four miles a-head of their main army; thefe being brifkly charged by the legion and state troops, foon retired. The front line advanced and continued firing and advancing on the British till the action became general, when they in

* On Auguft the ift, the whole of the continentals did not amount to 800. The field return on the 4th of September, was, total of regulars, rank and file 1256; South Carolina ftate troops. infantry 732 and cavalry 72; total of militia 457, exclufive of Marion's, of which there was no return.

their turn were obliged to give way. They were well 1781. fupported by gen. Sumner's North Carolina brigade of continentals, though they had been under difcipline only for a few weeks, and were chiefly compofed of militia men, who had been transferred to the continental fervice, to make reparation for their precipitate flight in former actions. In the hotteft of the engagement, while great execution was doing on both fides, Williams and Campbell, with the Maryland and Virginia continentals, were ordered by Greene to charge with trailed arms. Nothing could furpass the intrepidity of both officers and men on this occafion. They pushed on in good order, through a heavy cannonade, and a fhower of musketry, with such unshaken resolution, that they bore down all before them. Lee, with great address and good conduct, turned the left flank of the British, and attacked them at the fame time in the rear. Henderfon being wounded early in the action, the South Carolina ftate troops were led on by lieut. col. Hampton, the next in command, to a very fpirited and fuccessful charge, in which they took upward of 100 prifoners. The British were routed in all quarters. Washington brought up the corps de referve on the left, and charged fo brifkly with his cavalry, and Kirkwood's infantry, as gave the enemy no time to rally or form. They were clofely purfued. On their retreat, numbers threw themfelves into a strong brick house: others took post in a picquetted garden and among impenetrable fhrubs. The eagerness of the Americans urged them to attack the enemy in these pofitions. Washington made every poffible exertion to diflodge them from the thickets, but failed, had his horfe fhot under him, was wounded and

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1781. before we can get into our ftations, by the fixed ain and angular fire in every direction, of fuch a number of great and well-provided ships, drawn up to the greatest advantage, and lying moored and steady in the water. I conclude therefore, that as the attempt on the British fleet in Torbay will, in my opinion, be unwarrantable in the defign, and exceedingly hazardous in the execution, the allied fleets fhould direct their whole attention to that grand and attainable object of intercepting the English homeward bound Weft India fleets." Don Louis de Cordova, with all the Spanish flag officers, except Doz, coincided entirely with him in opinion, fo that the idea of attacking Darby in Torbay was abandoned.

Mean while a great alarm was spread in Ireland as well as Britain, with refpect to the apprehended defigns of the enemy. Not only the great outward bound fleet for America and the Weft Indies was fuppofed to be in imminent danger then in the open harbour of Corke; but the city itself, being totally unfortified and at the fame time stored with immenfe quantities of provision. The regular forces of the kingdom were therefore ordered to the fouthward for the protection of that city and coaft; and the patriotic volunteers, who had gained fo much honor in fupporting and reclaiming the liberties of their country, showed no lefs patriotifm in their immediate offer to government of taking the field, and of marching wherever their services fhould be neceffary for its defence. They had perfected themselves in the military exercise, and had been reviewed in feveral places by the earl of Charlemont.

Admiral