— MEMOIRS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, dFROM ITS COMMENCEMENT TO THE YEAR 177^) INCLUSIVE A3 BELATING TO THE STATE OF SOUTH-CAROLINA AND OCCASIONALLY REFEUING TO THE STATES OF NORTH-CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. BY JOHN DRAYTON, L.L.D. AUTHOR OF "a VIEW OF SOUTH-CAROLINa" AND A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF SCIENCES OF GOTTINGEN. the Prince who intrisrufes with forei^neri -ag'ainst hi People, does it, at the peril of his Crown. Dalrympk'i Mtiiioii:, revocate animos, moestumque timorem 3Iittite: forsaii et htec olim meminisse juvabit. ^n.I. V. 20P.207. L\ TWO VOLUMES. VOL I. CHARLESTON: PRINTED BV A. E. MILLER, 120, BROAD-STREET. 1821. /-^^,^A.w^^ — THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 168061 ASTOR, LENOX 4ND TILOEN FOUNDATIONS. 1900. District of Soutk-Carohna, to wit: *COCO* BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the fifteenth day of May, Anno Domini, f) one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, and in the foity-fifth year of {) SEAL. Q the Independence of the United States of America, the Honorable John Dray- Q ton. District Ju<lge of the United States of America for South-Carolina Dis- •i'CiOOOcr trict, deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author and proprietor, in the words following, to wit: "Memou-s of the American Revolution, from its commencsment to the year 1776, inclusive; as relating to the State of South-Carolina; and occasionally refering to the States iof North-Carolina and Georgia. By John Drayton, L.L. D. Author of "A View of South- Carolina," and a Member of the Royal Society of Sciences of Gottingen. the Prince who intrigues with foreigners against his people, does it, at the peril of his crown. Dalf rympWs Memoirs. revocate aniraos, moestumque timorem Mittite: forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit. JEn. I. v. 206, 201. In two Volumes." In conformity with the act of Congress of the United States, entitled " An act for the EncouraL'ement of Learning, by securing the Copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to the act entitled "An act supplementary to an act, entitled, 'An act for the encouragement of learning', by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints." ^ ^ JAMES JERVEV, Ckrk of the Distria of South-Carolina. : TO THE HONORABLE, THE SENATE, AND THE HONORABLE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OP SOUTH-CAROLINA: Gentlemen, WHEN a Leg Mature so respectable, as that, of which you are the component parts, thoughtJit to encourage the publication of the following, pages, and to extend towards them your beneficent patronage / 1 did not farther weigh the cost, or the responsibility hut immediately determined on placing the same, into the hands of the printer, with all possible dispatch For, as they treat of matters mntimately connected, with the liberties we enjoy, and the interests over which you preside : it became peculiarly obligatory on me, to present them to your consideration, at as early a momentf as opportunities tcould permit. j^ DEDICATION. You will find tJierem, many revolutionary matters hrougM into view, which occasioned much anxiety at the periods when the^ happened ; and, which a lapse of thne had nearly obliterated from the tablets of memory. The patriots of those days, with one or two exceptions, have left the scenes of life, for happier destinies; hitf their actions have thrown a radiance behind them, which will serve to direct the course of the Statesmen and the youth, who are ardent to tread in the honorable and useful steps of their progenitors. To many of you. Gentlemen, I would appeal, as to the truth of this assertion ; in the exciting feelings you experience, when recollect' ing the virtues of your fathers or relations—whose names, adorn the pages of these Memoirs. And wJien you refect, that when they are no more, you are obeying the calls of your country, and are urging your course in the same road to fame, along which they have passed—your breasts will warm, to deeds of honour and celebrity; and your actions will tend, towards your country^s glory. TJiat you have already deserved the public approbation, your actions at your last and former Sessions will prove; by the many laws you have made, for the dissemination of knowledge—the establishment of schools throughout the State—the support and protection of your State College—the surveying the various dis- tricts of the State, and thence producing a beautiful and authentic map of the whole—the opening of internal navigation—the ameliQgi ration of the public roads, and the passes across the mountains— and the remunerations which you have given, to the war-worn soldier—and to the widow—and to the orphan : where their hits- DEDICATION. y hand's, their father*s, or their relation's services, were freely given, and their blood was shed, for the lUerty which is now enjoyed. To a Legislature, which has done, and will continue to per- form these exalted acts, I now beg leave, to present the product of my labours—to its patronage, I respectfully offer the Memoirs, which 1 have written. And, if having marlted any periods in their proper character—or, having brought forward men, or measures, into public notice, that otherwise might have passed away unob' served andforgotten, I have employed my timefor the public good •^I shall flatter myself, it has been usefully employed, as I trust it ever has been, in supporting the honour and the independence, ofm^ native country. With profound respect, Gentlemen, I sid)scrihe myself, Your most obliged, And grateful Fellow-Citizen, JOHN DRAYTON. — PREFACE. HEN my father, William Henry Drayton, died at Philadelphia in Septew- ber 1779, he left many valuable papers in manuscript; some of them were original, but most of them were copies from Congressional documents, which during the year 1779 he had prepared, as necessary for a history of the Ameri- can Revolution, in which, he was about to engage. The Gentleman (a mem- ber of Congress) who managed his affairs at Philadelphia after his decease, did not think it proper these papers should fall into the hands of his family ; as containing, many secrets of State : and they were consequently destroyed. Some. few, however, escaped this general ruin; accompanied by a book, in which Mr. Drayton had written several passages on various subjects, to be incorporated into his contemplated history, as they might apply ; and these, came into my hands. Beside these papers, vvlien he departed from this State in March 1778, on his delegation to Congress, he left a manuscript in two volumes, written by him- self; from the latter end of the year 177.3, to near the close of that of 1776; as well grounded on his own knowledge of passing events, as of that derived from the many high and important official stations he filled, in a series of public services—also, a variety of original letters, among which were some, from the Earl of Dartmouth, one of the King of England's principal Secretaries of State, to the provincial Governors of North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia and from Sir James Wright, Governor of Georgia, to General Gage, and Admi- ral Graves—Council of Safety's, and Secret Committee's papers—and other documents, supporting the narration in his manuscript—all of which, have remained in the possession of his family, unseen by any one. As these books and papers contain matters relatuig to the early part of the American Revolution in the Southern Colonies of the Union, which have not been published in any histories hitherto written, I have been induced to submit them to the public, under the form of Memoirs ; that being the only mode which would permit me to use my father's manuscripts and papers, with any —— y\\l PREFACE. satisfaction to myself. For his manuscript volumes, being written hastily as events occurred ; were collections of facts, neither sufficiently digested for history, nor distiibuted into that order, which, had he lived, would have been done, before presentation to the public eye. They were besides, more calcu- lated for a general histoiy of the American Revolution; and were not suffi- ciently connected, to have appeared as proceeding from his pen. For these reasons, I determined they never should appear, but under my control, through my hands, and in my own language, except some parts which are in my father's words: being of opinion, that if I took on myself to give them publi- city, I alone should be answerable for any faults of the composition. And I bope this explanation will be received, as an apology to those of my friends, who, placing a high value on original and authentic manuscripts, have wished I should publish them without alteration or defalcation ; as thereby giving a better insight of the feelings and transactions of the times, to which they relate, than could be conveyed by any narration which was not contemporaneous. As to publishing them without alteration or defalcatiori, I could not allow my- self to be the means of spreading before the public manuscripts written in haste ; where many blanks occurred, which it was not in my power to supply, vith the matter intended. And as to the narration not being contemporaneous, I was generally with my father, until the last year of his life ; when I was placed at Princetown in the Jerseys, under the care of Dr.