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1781. commerce, Eustatia fuffered fo feverely. This whole business, from beginning to end, has brought upon Great Britain the odium of all Europe.

A fquadron of privateers, moftly belonging to Bristol, upon hearing of the rupture with Holland, boldly entered the rivers of Demarara and Iffequibo, and with no fmail degree of courage and enterprise, brought out from under the Dutch forts and batteries, almost all the veffels of any value in either river. The prizes were confiderable but adm. Rodney, in his official letter of the 17th of March, obferved in the poftfcript-" The Dutch fhips feized by the privateers at Demarará are droits to the admiralty, the privateers having no commiffion to take them." He mentioned also the surrender of the French island of St. Bartholomew on the 16th.

terms.

The inhabitants of the two Dutch colonies of Demarara and Iffequibo, sensible of their defenceless fituation, had already made a tender of their submission to the governor of Barbadoes, requiring no other terms but a participation of those which had been granted to Euftatia and its dependencies. A deputation was fent to adm. Rodney and gen. Vaughan to learn what were these The deputies found that the colonists had made an improvident demand, as in effect the terms which they required were, that they might be defpoiled of all their goods, and banished from their habitations. But a nice line of diftinction was drawn, between the honesty and good properties of Dutchmen inhabiting the continent, and of those living in Euftatia: and the continental colonists were accordingly fully fecured in their property, and had every indulgence granted, which could have been fairly expected. However their coun

trymen,

trymen, the Euftatian islanders, have been obliged to 1781. undergo the opprobrium, of having the atrocious crime of perfidiousness publicly charged and recorded against them in the London gazettes; and therefore of being unworthy of any degree of protection, much lefs of indulgence.

The Dutch war prevented the fending of the second French naval divifion to the affiftance of the United States of America as at firft intended; and put the court of Versailles upon the plan of augmenting their fleet in the West Indies, fo as to fecure it a fuperiority over the British. Accordingly count de Graffe failed Mar. from Breft toward the end of March, with a fleet of 25 22. fail of the line, the Sagittaire of 54 guns, 6000 land forces, and a prodigious convoy, amounting to between 2 and 300 fhips; the whole compofing one of the largest and richest fleets that ever failed from France. Of this formidable armament, five fhips of the line under Mr. de Suffrein, with part of the land forces, were destined for the East Indies; with a view likewife of intercepting commodore Johnstone's fquadron and convoy on their way; the last failed from Spithead on the 13th of the fame month, in company with the British grand fleet under adm. Darby.

The East India company received advice, about the middle of April, that in July of last year, Hyder Ally entered the Carnatic in different places; that fome of their troops were afterward attacked and defeated; that Sir Eyre Coote left Calcutta and failed with a reinforcement to Fort St. George, where he arrived the 5th of November, two days after Arcot had furrendered to Hyder. Their affairs in that quarter have but a threat

1781. ening afpect; but Sir Eyre is attempting all in his

April

to retrieve them.

power

Mr. John Adams presented to their high mightinesses, the states general of the United Provinces of the Low Countries, a memorial dated Leyden, April 19, 1781. In which he informed them, that the United States of America had lately thought fit to fend him a commiffion (with full powers and inftructions) to confer with them concerning a treaty of amity and commerce; and that they had appointed him to be their minifter plenipotentiary to refide near them. Similar information was communicated at the fame time to the stadtholder, his ferene highness the prince of Orange. Mr. Adams meant to conciliate the affections of all parties; that fo they might unite in fupporting the measure he wifhed to obtain.

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ORD Cornwallis having croffed the Deep river, gen. Greene refolved on carrying the war without delay into South Carolina; thereby to oblige the enemy to follow him, or to endanger their pofts in that state. He expected that if the former took place, North Carolina would not continue the feat of war; if the latter,

that

that they would lofe more than they could gain in this 1781. last state; and that did he remain in it, they would hold their poffeffions in both. He discharged all his militia; refreshed his regular troops; collected a few days proApril vifion; marched on the 5th of April toward Camden; 5. and in the morning of the 20th, encamped at Logtown within fight of the enemy's works. On this march lieut. col. Lee, with his partizan legion, was detached to join gen. Marion with a few volunteer South Carolina militia on a fecret expedition. To fecure the provisions that grow on the banks of the Santee and Congaree rivers, the British had erected a chain of posts in their vicinity. One of the most important was on Wright'sbluff, and called Fort Watfon. To the furprise of the British it was closely invested on the 15th. Neither Lee nor Marion had any other means of annoyance or defence but mufketry. The ground on which the fort ftood was an Indian mount, 30 or 40 feet high: the befiegers however erected, in a few days, on an unusual plan, a work much higher. From thence the American rifle-men fired into the fort with fuch execution, that the befieged durft not fhow themselves. On the 23d, the 23. garrison of 114 men surrendered by capitulation.

Camden was covered on the fouth and east fides by the Wateree, and a creek which empties itself into that river on the western and northern by fix ftrong redoubts. It was defended by lord Rawdon with about 900 men. The American army confifted of 843 continental infantry, befide 56 cavalry and 31 difmounted dragoons; together with 254 North Carolina militiawho had joined them by the 25th. It was unequal to the task of carrying the place by storm, as alfo of comVOL. IV. pletely

G

1781. pletely investing it. ligence, that lieut.

On the 21ft Greene received intelcol. Watson, who had made an incurfion to Peedee, was on his return to Camden with 4 or 500 men: upon which he fent his baggage and artillery, which could not follow him, under a guard of militia, to a fecure pofition, and threw all his regular troops below the town, where appearances indicated more forcible hoftilities against the garrison; and frequent skirmishes evinced the enemy's apprehenfions of danger upon that quarter: but the principal defign of Greene, to intercept Watson, was prevented by his de- . lay, and a report of his having croffed the Santee.

April

25.

. On the 24th the army returned to the north fide of the
town, orders being previously fent for the artillery and
baggage to rejoin it at Hobkirk's hill, about a mile.
from Camden. The army took post on the hill, the
better to improve the opportunity that any. fortie might
afford; and by its being more remote than the pofition
formerly occupied, to imprefs the enemy with an idea
of the Americans beginning to be apprehensive of their
own danger. The precaution of calling the rolls often
was taken; notwithstanding which, one Jones, a drum-
mer, eluded the attention of the officers and the vigi-
lance of the guards, and got fafe into town.
thing was apprehended from that circumftance, as the
army was well posted, and desired nothing more than a
field action.

But no

On the morning of the 25th this order was issued "The troops are to be furnished with two days provifion, and a gill of fpirits per man as foon as the ftores arrive." The provisions were iffued; but the fpirits being in the rear of the baggage train, did not arrive at

the

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