Letter from John Rutledge, December 8, 1780.

Letter from John Rutledge, December 8, 1780.

1780-12-08

Letters from John Rutledge, President of South Carolina, to the state delegates in the Congress of Philadelphia. Topics include the fall of Charleston, Thomas Sumter's victory at Hanging Rock, patriot and British troop strengths in South Carolina, battle of Eutaw Springs, execution of Isacc Hayne, John Laurens diplomatic activities in France, and election of J. Matthews to succeed Rutledge.

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Ms. 140, John Rutledge letters, 1780-1788.

English

ms140_let06

Charlotte
Dec'. 8th, 1780

At Salisbury, I wrote to you, a very long Letter, beg9. abt. the 20th. & end. abt. the 27th also

& deliv. it, on that day, to Mr. Baird, who was just then setting off for Lancaster. He promised, if he went, instead - from thence, to Philada

to deliver it, if not, to send it (by) Express, so that, I presume, you will receive it, in a few days from this Date - The enclosed will give you our latest News from C:Town, & an Acct. of Genl. Sumpters Engagemt. with Wemyss & Tarleton, of Col. Marions with some Tories, & of L:Col. Washingtons success ags. Rugely

but, what do all these things avail, towards the grand point of reg9. our Country? The distresses of which I want words to describe on the 29th also I went to Col. Watsons, in the New Acquisition, (So. Carolina,) abt. 20 Miles from hence, to confer with Gen'. Sumpter, who had been removed Hither - it was really melancholy to see the desolate Condition of poor Hills Plantn.

& the Situtation of his family - all his fine Iron Works, Mills, dwelling House, & Buildg $. of every Kind, even his Negroe Houses, reduced to ashes, & his wife & Children in a little Log-Hut - I was shocked to see the ragged, shabby, Condition, of our brave & virtuous Men, who wa. not remain in the power of the Enemy, but have taken to Arms - This, however, is but a faint description of the Sufferings of our unfortunate Country, for, it is beyond a Doubt, that the Enemy have hanged many of our People, who, from fear, & the Impracticality of removing, had given Paroles, &, who, from Attachmn. to our side, had joined it - nay, Tarleton has, since the Action at Blackstock's, hung one Capt. Johnston, a Magistrate of respectable character - they have also burnt a prodigious No. of Houses, & harried a vast many wounded, formerly of affluent, or, easy fortune wth. their Children, almost naked, into the Woods - Tarleton, at Gen'. Richardson's widows, exceeded his usual Barbarity, for, having dined in her House,
he not only burnt it, after plundering every thing it contained, but having drove into the Barn, a No. of Cattle, Horses, Poultry, he consumed them, together with the Barn, & the Corn in it, in one general Blaze, & this, because he pretended to believe, that the poor old Gen. was with the the Rebel-Army, tho', had he open'd his Grave

before the Door, he might have seen the Contrary many more of the staunch inhabits. of C:T:, (it is said abt 90,) have been sent, abt. a Fortnight ago, to St. AugustR., & others are to follow - I have not been able to procure a List of them - I believe none is published, but, I recollect that Mr. A: Middleton is of the Number - Mr. Gadsden is confined to the Castle, the rest of the first sett are, on parol, in the Town - Col. C:C.Pinckney's family are turned out of his House - In short, the Enemy seem determined, if they can, to break every Man's Spirit, &, if they cant., to ruin Engagemt., of Capitulation & Proclamations, are no Security, agst their oppression & Cruelties - They make a great Parade of Mr. Middleton, “formerly Presidt. of [tear] Cont'. Congress," & also Mr. Manigault having applied to be admitted as British Subjects, wch. they have been - Indeed, I fear many will follow their Example - The in unforte. affair, near Camden, the want of any Support ever since, & the little prospect of any, have affected the Conduct of many, who were well disposed, & whose Hearts may, perhaps, still be wth. us - our last accots. from Virgia., are, that the Enemy, who had embarked on app. of a Fleet, supposing they might be French (probably the transports, from N. York for C:Town, as ment. in the So. Carolina Gazette of 27th. also

) had relanded, on discovering them to be friends, & that, a Reinforcemt. was
expected in Virga. - If so, & the Reinforcemts. expected in C:T. have arrived, or should arrive, (which they probably will, if they have not already,) instead of moving forwards., it is likely that our Maneuvers may be of the retrograde Kind - Indeed, the present prospect is truly gloomy - very different from what you, at Philada. conceive it, if you credit, wch I presume you do, (willing to catch at good News, however improbable,) such Intelligence, as that published in Dunlap's papers of 4th. ult., said to come from Richmond Genl. Green arrived here the 2d. Inst. he left Baron Steuben to command, for the present, in Virginia - If the Baron is to take Rank of Smallwood, he will leave us

However, you will hear from him, on that Head - Genl. Green will establish Expresses from hence, to Hilllsboro. (none having been yet app.) & have all the Expresses, from hence to Philada., put upon the best footing, for Regularity, dispatches so that, I hope, in future, to hear from you, at least once a Week - afterwds., if you have any thing material to communicate - no accot. from C. Town, or elsewhere, respecting the Spaniards going agst. St. Augustine, or Pensacola - your Intelligence, from Havanna, I think must be ill founded - inclosed find, for your Information, & the Information of Congress that I hear (but, it sho. go no further) on accot. of the Enemy's Strength, & Posts in So. Carolina & Georgia, & of our force in So. C. & this State - from which you may readily form a just opinion of Affairs in this Quarter - I have given Gen'. Green, a Copy of this accot. of the Enemys Strength & Post, wch probably he will transmit - I refer you to his acco. of our
Strength, but I believe you will find mine pretty accurate - Genl. Gates in his last Letter to the Board of War, (which pray peruse,) expresses his Sentiments, very fully, respecting Supplies, (or rather the want of 'em) for the Southern Army - I am fully persuaded of your Attention, to every Measure which I have recommended, but it is truly mortifying, to find so much Inattention, in the departments whose Business it is to furnish supplies for the Army very few of the Articles, ordered for the Southern department, have ever reached the Army, what have come are received in Dribbles & exceeding bad order, so as to be of little if any service Such Conduct is shameful - what can you expect from an Army who are in want of every thing - There might be some large Mismanagement, in your executive departments, (which shd be inquired into, & considered.) or this wd. not happen, unless indeed, the Supplies, ordered, can'. be had for want of Money - if that is the Case, it is ridiculous to order a Board of War to furnish Supplies, when they have not the Means of procuring 'em - it is only tantalizing us, & productive of the worst Consequences - but why have they not Money? - I am told every article which is wanted, may be procured in Phila. for Money, or Bills, - why will not Congress draw? – Surely it is our Policy, to draw, for neither France, Spain, or Holland, will
continue howsoever they may threaten, to protest your Bills - How do you expect to carry on the War, without Money? - Taxes, where a Country is attacked, or possessed by the Enemy, can'. be collected, to keep pace with the demands for it - The Presidt. of Congress had transmitted to me, their Resolve of Oct. 30th., on the appointmt. Of Gen'. Green to the Southern Command His Army is to consist of all the regular Regts.

& Corps, raised or to be raised, from the States of Delaware to Georgia, inclusive - This sounds high but, what that Army is, at present, you see - & what it is likely to be, if composed only of such forces, you may judge - I will try what can be done wth. No. Carolina, as to raising a permanent Corps of regulars - Several Gent. think the Measure will go down, when the Assembly meets next M°. - I am not so sanguine, but, even, if it does, when will they be equipt, & embodied, fit for Service? - few: Men will be obtained, in So. Carolina or Georgia, with. Money, or Cloathing, I know not - upon the whole, Gent., it appears to me, that the Enemy in So. Carolina are, or soon will be, reinforced - That the Troops in Virga. under Leslie, will also be reinforced - That it is probable, they will endeavor to effect a Junction, in No. Carolina, &, if they make such an Attempt, in force, they will receive considerable Aid from No. & So. Carolina,
that they will either effect such Junction

or, in attempting it, will ravage & destroy this State, & as I can'. conceive the policy of suffering the main Army, & the French Troops, to remain, in Winter - Quarters, in the Eastern States, (where they can have nothing to fear,) instead of opposing the Enemy', vigorous operations in the Southern - I request, & exhort you to use your utmost Influence, & Endeavors, to obtain, as soon as possible, such aid from the grand Army & from the Forces of his most Christian Majesty, as may not only check the further progress of the Enemy now in this State, but regain every part of So. Carolina & Georgia - & that you will have the proper departments furnished & with the Money necessary for procuring, & forwarding, all the Supplies which are wanted - that you will particularly, press the sending 'em quite on to this Army, (not to be stop., or delayed, in Virga. or No. Carola.,) under the Charge of a trusty person to attend 'em, the whole way - I think Gen'. Washington's preference, for a little while, this way wd. have a very happy Effect - I wish he w. come, & see with his own Eyes, the Importance of doing something, effectual, for So. Carolina, for really, hitherto, every thing has been trifling - He might return before he cd. be wanted at the Northward.
Suppose we cd. raise Troops in So. Carolina, how could they be officicer'd, according to the Resolve of Congress of Oct: 21st. The officers of our Cont. Battalions being prisoners of War - I wish to hear from you, on that point - I do not see how others co. be appointed to command those Regiments & this Circumstance is, therefore, an effectual Bar to any Attempt to raise them - I wish to know, as the Enemy have certainly broke the Capitulation of C. Town, in many Instances, whether Congress wd. approve of the Cont'. Officers, who are on parole, at Haddrells point, coming, or being bro't. off - as I think such a Measure might be effected, if approved by Congress, but, with'. their Consent, it sho. not be attempted - This, however, must be kept a profound Secret, otherwise the Attempt might fail, & our friends be ill treated - I observe Gen'. Green is impowered to make Exchanges of Prisoners in the Southern departmt. but, whom have we to exchange, for our Continental Officers, & Soldiers, in C. Town? - I wish to know the idea of Congress, respecting the Exchange of our Inhabitants taken in Arms, with the Enemy - you recollect, that we have always looked [page torn] the Exchanging 'em as a dangerous precedent [page torn]
does the power given to Genl. Green, of making Exchanges, extend to put persons, whose Lives, Fortunes are by our Laws, of Treason, forfeited? I sho. think not, for if we exchange them, we certainly acquit 'em from the Offence of taking up arms, agst. their Country, & allow the Enemy to recruit their Armies, with Impunity, in our States - but it may be said, if we do not, how are our Militia to be exchanged? I don't know what practice has prevailed, on this point, in the Eastern States, where I presume their Laws, agst their people taking up arms, with the Enemy, are similar to ours - but, there sho. be an uniformity of Conduct, in the Several States, on this Head pray, therefore, be explicit on it & be pleased to inform me, as soon as possible, of the Sentiments of Congress on those several points – also, what Steps are taken, or taking, for relief of the Southern States, & what Certainty there is, of our receiving real, & substantial, aid, & when we may depend on obtaining it - I think you have employed the Eagle Pilot Boat very well, & that she may be continued in the Same Service If the Letters wch. we've intercepted, on the way from Cornwallis's Camp at Charlotte, to C:Town, & wch. Gen'. Gates sent to Congress, are deciphered, pray let me
let me know their Contents - Should any gestures of Peace be made, (tho' I see no Prospect of them at present,) I trust that Congress will never listen to a Treaty of utmst. prejudice, whilst the Enemy held any such of the 13 States

However, it will be best to use your utmost Exertions to recover So. Carolina, as soon as possible lest we sho. be obliged to accept such Terms - I request your Endeavors to effect an Exchange of our Prisoners in So. Carolina, as soon as you can, & your Attention to having 'em supplied, as well as possible, during their Captivity - By return of the 2o. flag, you will know what articles were most wanted, & pray don't fail to send 'em - If a French Force shd. really be coming this way, give us Notice of their Intents. in time for us to make the necessary preparations for them.

I am with great Regard & Esteem,
Gent.
Y'. most obedt. Servt.
J: Rutledge

P.S. Sumpter will not be able to take the field in less than 3 or 4 Weeks - He is brot. up to a House abt. 10 Miles below this place & I shall go down, wth. Gen'. Green, tomorrow, to see him, & converse on many points, on wch, he is well informed.]

I am over

The delegates of So. Carolina in Congress

P.S. Pray communicate those parts of this Letter wch. relates to the Enemy's & our Force this way, & the Enemy's damaging in So. Carolina to the Chevalier - if the Express does not go off too soon I will write to him (the Comd.) & refer him to you for Intellligence

I find the same difficulty subsists with respect to filling the No. Carolina Continental Battalions as does with respect to those of So. Carolina - The No. Carolina Officers being also pris.of War - how can this difficulty be removed? See the Resolve of Congress passed in Oct'. & abovementd.

Gov'. Rutledge
Dec'. 8th. 1780. Charlotte

The Delegates of So. Carolina
in Congress

Pray read this to yourselves before you
communicate any part of it to others