In August, the Indians with their tory associates burned 50 houses 1779. and 47 barns at Canijohary, a fine settlement about 56 miles from Albany; and destroyed 27 houses at Schoharie, and two at Norman's Creek.

col. White.

During the siege of Savannah, an enterprise was achieved, Successful remarkable for the address with which it was planned and exe- stratagem of cuted. Before the commencement of the siege, captain French with about 100 men had taken post neat Ogechee river, where were also 40 sailors on board of five British vessels, four of which were armed. Colonel John White, of the Georgia line, with captain Elholm and four other persons, one of whom was the colonel's servant, after kindling at night a number of fires, exhibiting the parade of a large encampment, and using other stratagems, made a peremptory summons to French; who, to save his men from being cut to pieces by a force supposed to be superior, surrendered without the smallest resistance.

take Port

The royal army at Savannah being re-enforced by troops from British atSt. Augustine, the British commanders determined to extend a tempt to part of their forces into South Carolina. Major Gardiner was Royal detached with 200 men, to take possession of Port Royal island; island; but soon after he landed, general Moultrie with the same number of men, 9 only of whom were regular soldiers, attacked and are repulsdrove him off the island. Two field pieces, well served by a ed. party of militia under the captains Heyward and Rutledge, principally gained this advantage. Captain John Barnwell, who commanded a small body of horse, threw himself, during the engagement, into the rear of the enemy, and greatly contributed to their defeat. He took several prisoners.1

The independence of America was declared by beat of drum N. Orleans. at New Orleans, in Louisiana, on the 17th of August.

The garrison and settlement of Batton Rouge, in West Flori- Batton da, commanded by lieutenant colonel Dickson, was invested and Rouge. taken in September, by Don Bernardo de Galvez, governor of Louisiana.

expedition

The Indians having made incursions upon the settlements on Colonel the Susquehannah, expeditions had been undertaken against Clarke's them by the Americans. The preceding year, colonel Clarke to the Illiwent from Virginia with a party of between 200 and 300 men for the reduction of the French settlements planted by the

1 Ramsay, Hist. S. Car. i. 298. Garden, 49. Major Garden says, of Barnwell" taking many prisoners, and striking such a panic, that sauve qui peut became the general pass-word among the disorderly ranks, and the recovery of the boats the universal aim."-Before the close of the war captain Barnwell received a general's commission. "Three brothers, John, Edward, and Robert Barnwell, were alike distinguished by the steadiness of their principles, and exemplary intrepidity, during the most trying scenes of the war."

nois coun

try, in 1778.

Is com

1779. Canadians on the upper Mississippi, in the Illinois country. Having traversed about 1200 miles of wilderness, and consumed all their provisions, they arrived at midnight at Kaskaskias, a well fortified town containing about 250 houses, and took both the town and pletely suc- the fort by surprise. The inhabitants were required to take an oath of allegiance to the United States, and the fort became the head quarters of the victors. A small detachment from this place on horseback, surprised and took three other French towns, lying from 15 to about 70 miles farther up the Mississippi.1

cessful.

ments in

Encourages This success of colonel Clarke's expedition the last year, in rethe settle- ducing the military posts of the enemy, inspired confidence in the Kentucky. country, and in the spring of this year "we witness the first rude embryo of Lexington." A block house was built on the fork of the Elkhorn; cabins were erected there by colonel Robert Patterson; and major Morrison removed his family from Harrodsburg to the new settlement, which, in commemoration of the first battle of the revolutionary war, was named Lexington. In the autumn of this year, Bryan's station was also settled five miles northeast from Lexington. Other settlements rose on the waters of Licking, Beargrass, and Green river.2

Boundary line.

The boundary line between Virginia and North Carolina was run by commissioners appointed by those two States.3

1 Gordon, iii. 191-193. Lond. edit. The governor of Kaskaskias, Philip Rocheblave, was sent to Virginia with his written instructions received from Quebec, Detroit, and Michillimackinac, for setting on the Indians and rewarding them for American scalps.

2 Letter of professor Roche, of Transylvania University, written to the author in answer to an inquiry concerning the first settlement of Lexington. "Several persons," he writes, "have concurred in the truth of the following statement, which I have extracted from a manuscript in the hands of Mr. John Bradfordhimself one of the first settlers of this place, and now [1824] one of its most venerable and useful inhabitants.-Mr. Bradford adds, that he never heard the name of Lexington applied to this town until 1779, in April of which year the first timber was here cut, and the first permanent settlement made.”

3 The following information was communicated to me by professor Roche of Lexington, who stated that he received it in writing from a gentleman of the strictest veracity, who accompanied the commissioners when they ran the boundary line. "He was one of the most intrepid and prominent in all respects of the early settlers of Kentucky, and is yet alive" [1824]. In November, 1779, he commanded the escort of guards to the commissioners, who were Dr. Walker of Virginia, and colonel Henderson of North Carolina. "After we passed the gap of Cumberland Mountain," he says, " Dr. Walker related several anecdotes relative to that party when he travelled that path in the year 1750, particularly that he then named the mountain and river after the Duke of Cumberland, who was conspicuous for having suppressed the rebellion a few years before. When we had come on a mile or two to Yellow Creek, the doctor observed to me, upon that tree' (pointing to a beech across the road to the left hand of the path) Ambrose Powell marked his name and the year."" Incredulous as the narrator was, who "could not realize the idea of any white man's having travelled this path nearly 30 years before, on examining the tree," he says, "I found AMBROSE POWELL 1750 cut in legible letters and apparently that old.

In this and the preceding year, the British corps and recruits, 1779. embarked for North America, amounted to 10,646.

of Pennsyl

The seminary of learning in Philadelphia was placed under University new trustees; and its style changed to that of "The University vania. of the State of Pennsylvania."

Eleazer Wheelock, the first president of Dartmouth College, Deaths. died, in the 69th year of his age; Francis Allison, vice provost of the college in Philadelphia, at the age of 74;2 John Winthrop, professer of mathematics and natural philosophy in Harvard College, at the age of 65;3 and William Henry Drayton of South Carolina, in the 37th year of his age.1

I have no doubt from all the ancient tradition, to which I have paid great attention for 50 years, but that Dr. Thomas Walker was the first white man who ever discovered the Kentucky river, which he called Louisa, and by that name it was known to all the adventurers from the South for 24 years after." My correspondent subjoins: " Daniel Boon was the first white man who cultivated the soil of Kentucky. The first regular Station was Harrodsburgh, erected in 1774." See 1773.

I President Wheelock was educated at Yale College, where he was graduated in 1733. He was ordained pastor of a church in Lebanon, in Connecticut; and was distinguished by his active zeal, pious character, and successful ministry. While at Lebanon, he opened an Indian charity school, in which children of the natives might be educated, and become missionaries to their several tribes. This school he removed to Hanover in 1770. See 1769, " Origin of Dartmouth College." Eliot and Allen, Biog.

2 Rev. Dr. Allison was born in Ireland, where he received an excellent classical education, afterwards completing his studies at the University of Glasgow. He came to America in 1735, and was pastor of a presbyterian church in Chester county, Pennsylvania, until about the year 1753, when he was chosen rector of the academy in Philadelphia. In 1755 he was elected vice provost of the college in that city, and professor of moral philosophy. Beside an accurate and profound acquaintance with the Greek and Latin classics, he was well informed in moral philosophy, history, and general literature. Pres. Stiles, Lit. Diary. Miller, Retrospect, ii. 342. Allen [Amer. Biog.] places his death in 1777.

3 John Winthrop, LL.D. F. R. S. was born in Boston, in 1714, and educated at Harvard College, where he took his first degree in 1732. He was a man of general learning; but pre-eminently distinguished in those branches of science, which he taught as professor in the University. He was inducted into the professorship in 1738. His accurate observations of the transit of mercury, in 1740, were honourably regarded by the Royal Society of London; and recorded in the XLII volume of its Transactions. They are respectfully mentioned also in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris for 1756. Dr. Winthrop was a decendant of the first governor Winthrop of Massachusetts, and was worthy of his descent. The Christian virtues gave lustre to his intellectual powers and scientific attainments.

4 Before the American revolution, Mr. Drayton had been one of the king's counsellors, and one of his assistant judges for the province of Carolina. He began to write in favour of the liberties of his country about the year 1769. He was elected a member of the provincial congress in January, 1775; and in the course of the year was advanced to its presidency, in which he exhibited great boldness and energy. He was afterwards chief justice of the province. Beside his political publications, he left a MS. history of the American revolution, to the end of the year 1778, in three folio volumes. "He was a statesman of great decision and energy, and one of the ablest political writers Carolina has produced." Ramsay, Hist. S. Car. ii. 454-456. Miller, ii. 380.

General authorities for this year: Gordon's Hist. U. States. Ramsay's Hist. Amer. Revol. ii. c. 17, 18, and Revol. S. Car. ii. c. 8; Stedman's Hist. Ameri

VOL. II.

39

Expedition of Sir H.

Clinton against

1780.

No sooner did Sir Henry Clinton receive certain information of the departure of count D'Estaing from the American coast, than he set forward an expedition against South Carolina. The S. Carolina. troops designed for this service, consisting of 4 flank battalions, 12 regiments, and a corps British, Hessian, and provincial, a powerful detachment of artillery, and 250 cavalry, escorted by admiral Arbuthnot, arrived at Tybee, in Georgia, before the end of January. Sir Henry Clinton accompanied the expedition, leaving the garrison at New York under the command of lieutenant general Knyphausen. In a few days, the transports with the army on board sailed for North Edisto; and the troops, making good their landing about 30 miles from Charlestown, took possession of John's Island and Stono Ferry, and soon after, of James Island and Wappoo Cut. A bridge was thrown over the canal; and part of the royal army took post on the banks of Ashley river, opposite to Charlestown. Governor Rutledge, to whom the assembly of the state had recently given extraordinary powers, ordered the militia to rendezvous, and issued a proclamation, requiring such of them as were regularly draughted, and all the inhabitants and owners of property in the town, to join the garrison immediately, on pain of confiscation; but the late repulse at Savannah had produced such a dispiriting effect, that few complied with the order. The defences of Charlestown now consisted of a chain of redoubts, lines, and batteries, extending from Ashley to Cooper river, on which were mounted upward of 80 pieces of cannon and mortars. In front of the lines had been dug a canal, which was filled with water; and from the dam at each end a swamp, filling the intervening spaces to each river, formed natural impediments. Behind these were two rows of abbatis, some other obstructions, and immediately in front of the works, a double picketed ditch. The works on the right and left were very strong, and advanced so far beyond the range of the intermediate lines, as to enfilade the canal almost from one end to the other; and in the centre was a hornwork of masonry, which, being closed during the siege, formed a kind of citadel. On all sides of the town, where a landing was practicable, batteries were erected, and covered with artillery; the works on Sullivan's Island had been strengthened and enlarged;

can War, ii. c. 28-32; Washington's Official Letters; Marshall's Life of Washington, iv. c. 1-3; Adams's Hist. N. England, c. 33; Stiles's MSS. Annual Register; Remembrancer; Thacher's Military Journal; and Bradford's Hist. Massachusetts.

and commodore Whipple with a squadron of 9 sail lay just with- 1780. in the bar.

Charles

General Lincoln, trusting to these defences, and expecting large re-enforcements, remained in Charlestown at the earnest. request of the inhabitants, and with the force under his command, amounting to 7000 men of all denominations under arms, resolved to defend the place. On the 21st of March, the British British fleet marine force, consisting of one ship of 50 guns, two of 40 passes over guns, four of 32, and the Sandwich armed ship, crossed the bar, town bar. and anchored in Five Fathom Hole. Commodore Whipple, finding it impracticable to prevent the enemy from passing over the bar, fell back to Fort Moultrie, and afterward to Charlestown. The crews and guns of all his vessels, excepting one, were put on shore to re-enforce the batteries. Some of his ships he stationed in Cooper river; and the rest, with some other vessels, were sunk across the mouth of it, to prevent the British fleet from entering. On the 9th of April, admiral Arbuthnot passed Fort Moultrie without stopping to engage it. Colonel Pinckney, who commanded on Sullivan's Island with 300 men, kept up a brisk and well directed fire on the ships in their passage; 27 seamen were killed or wounded, and the ships in general sustained damage. As the fleet was precluded from an entrance into Cooper river, it anchored near the remains of Fort Johnston, just without the range of shot from the batteries of the town. The same day on which the fleet passed Fort Moultrie, the first parallel of the besiegers was finished. The town being now almost invested by sea and land, the British commanders sum-Con is summoned general Lincoln to surrender; but the general with modest moned to firmness replied: "Sixty days have passed since it has been surrender; known that your intentions against this town were hostile, in which time has been afforded to abandon it; but duty and inclination point to the propriety of supporting it to the last extremity."

The batteries of the first parallel were now opened upon the town, and soon made a visible impression; but the communication between the country and the garrison was still kept open across Cooper river, through which general Lincoln expected to receive his re-enforcements, and, if it should become necessary, to make good his retreat. To prevent the reception of those re-enforcements, and to cut off that retreat, Sir Henry Clinton detached lieutenant colonel Webster with 1400 men. By the advanced guard of this detachment, composed of Tarleton's legion and

Gen. Lin

but refuses.

Ferguson's corps, the American cavalry, with the militia attached American to them, were surprised in the night of the 14th of April, at cavalry surBiggin's Bridge, near Monk's Corner, 32 miles from Charles- prised near town, and completely routed and dispersed. The British now Corner.

Monk's