Letter from John Rutledge, November 11, 1780.
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from John Rutledge, November 11, 1780.
Creator
Date
1780-11-04
Subject
Description
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.
2023-05-11
600 dpi, 16-bit depth, color, Epson Expression 10000XL, Archival masters are tiffs.
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Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Charleston Library Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Special Collections Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Charleston Library Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Format
image/jpeg
Type
StillImage
Source
Ms. 140, John Rutledge letters, 1780-1788.
Language
English
Identifier
Ms140_Let3
Text Item Type Metadata
Transcription
Gent.
Hillsborough, Oct. -4- 1780
Our last accots., from the Westward, are, that the Enemy entered Charlotte, in force, this day Week - our Troops skirmished with, & killed some (of their) advanced party, but, finally, retreated to, & are on the East Side of, the Yadkin, except ab1. 250 Horse, (Militia,) left at Salisbury, to go downwards, & watch the Enemy's Motions - Inclosed is on acco1. of the Enemy's strength, transmitted by Gen'. Sumner, who collected it from some prisns.
Genl. Smallwood & Col°. Morgan will march Tomorrow, towards Salisbury, with abt. 180 Regulars, the former to command the Militia - the latter a Corps of Rifle-Men,
to be picked out of them not a Virginian is yet arrived here - when Genl. Gates will send on, or march with, the rest of the regulars, now here, (many of whom he says are still unequipped,) or, when We shall receive any considerable reinforcements, I know not - the present prospect is truly disagreeable, for every thing goes on slowly - We wait, wth. impatience, to hear of something important done, as soon intended, for us, by the grand Army & our Allies - I wish our hopes may not be - [in] vain.
October 4th 1780
A Wm. McGraw, from Newbern, informs me, that he read, at that place, a So. Carol. Gazette, of Aug. 20th, whch mentions that Chris". Gadsden, Hugh Rutledge, Edwd. Blake, & 26 Men, whose names he can't recollect, were put on Board a Vessel to be sent to England -
Gen'. Gates says he has again wrote to Congress, to make Morgan a Brigad. Gen. - I can see no objection to this appointment, but, many good Consequences will, certainly, arise from it - I therefore can1 avoid Seconding Gen'. Gates' application, & requesting, that you will use your best Endeavoring to have Morgan, immediately, promoted, to that Rank -
P.S.
I am Gent.
Yr. most obedt. Servt.
J. Rutledge
All the Cavalry, who are now on the March from Hallifax, & will be here Tomorrow, or next day, fit for Service do not exceed Ninety- By acco. from the Westward, we learn, that on the 1st. Instant, the Enemy were seen on the March, ab1. 3 miles above Charlotte wth. 600 Men, & 2 field pieces - equipp. to be Endeavoring to join Ferguson who was in Burke County, but going down to meet this party, in order to attack our forces to the Westwd. of Catawba - Colo. Sumpter says Mr. Ferguson & Mr. Edwards are among the Number of Gen'. shipped off & it is said they are sent to St. Augustine Oct - 5-1780-Thursday A.M. - pray have Morgan's promotion dispatched, immediately - it will be very injurious to a Man of his Experience & Bravery to put him under the Command of the Militia Brigad's. — I desire that you will make a point of obtaining this Rank for him --
The Delegates of South Carolina
Hillsborough, Oct. -4- 1780
Our last accots., from the Westward, are, that the Enemy entered Charlotte, in force, this day Week - our Troops skirmished with, & killed some (of their) advanced party, but, finally, retreated to, & are on the East Side of, the Yadkin, except ab1. 250 Horse, (Militia,) left at Salisbury, to go downwards, & watch the Enemy's Motions - Inclosed is on acco1. of the Enemy's strength, transmitted by Gen'. Sumner, who collected it from some prisns.
Genl. Smallwood & Col°. Morgan will march Tomorrow, towards Salisbury, with abt. 180 Regulars, the former to command the Militia - the latter a Corps of Rifle-Men,
to be picked out of them not a Virginian is yet arrived here - when Genl. Gates will send on, or march with, the rest of the regulars, now here, (many of whom he says are still unequipped,) or, when We shall receive any considerable reinforcements, I know not - the present prospect is truly disagreeable, for every thing goes on slowly - We wait, wth. impatience, to hear of something important done, as soon intended, for us, by the grand Army & our Allies - I wish our hopes may not be - [in] vain.
October 4th 1780
A Wm. McGraw, from Newbern, informs me, that he read, at that place, a So. Carol. Gazette, of Aug. 20th, whch mentions that Chris". Gadsden, Hugh Rutledge, Edwd. Blake, & 26 Men, whose names he can't recollect, were put on Board a Vessel to be sent to England -
Gen'. Gates says he has again wrote to Congress, to make Morgan a Brigad. Gen. - I can see no objection to this appointment, but, many good Consequences will, certainly, arise from it - I therefore can1 avoid Seconding Gen'. Gates' application, & requesting, that you will use your best Endeavoring to have Morgan, immediately, promoted, to that Rank -
P.S.
I am Gent.
Yr. most obedt. Servt.
J. Rutledge
All the Cavalry, who are now on the March from Hallifax, & will be here Tomorrow, or next day, fit for Service do not exceed Ninety- By acco. from the Westward, we learn, that on the 1st. Instant, the Enemy were seen on the March, ab1. 3 miles above Charlotte wth. 600 Men, & 2 field pieces - equipp. to be Endeavoring to join Ferguson who was in Burke County, but going down to meet this party, in order to attack our forces to the Westwd. of Catawba - Colo. Sumpter says Mr. Ferguson & Mr. Edwards are among the Number of Gen'. shipped off & it is said they are sent to St. Augustine Oct - 5-1780-Thursday A.M. - pray have Morgan's promotion dispatched, immediately - it will be very injurious to a Man of his Experience & Bravery to put him under the Command of the Militia Brigad's. — I desire that you will make a point of obtaining this Rank for him --
The Delegates of South Carolina
Collection
Citation
Rutledge, John, “Letter from John Rutledge, November 11, 1780.,” Charleston Library Society Digital Collections, accessed November 3, 2024, https://charlestonlibrarysociety.omeka.net/items/show/1463.