U8 A M F y R I C A. 
the fevered treatment. In a few days, general Moore 
found himi'elf at the head of 8000 men, by reafon of the 
continual fupplies which daily arrived from all parts. The 
royal party amounted only to 2000, and they, were defti- 
tute of artillery, which prevented them from attacking the 
enemy while they had the advantage of numbers. They 
were now, therefore, obliged to have recourfe to a dOpe¬ 
rate exertion of perfonal valour; by dint of which, they 
effected a retreat tor-eighty miles, to Moore’s Creek, with¬ 
in (ixieen miles of Wilmington. Could they have gained 
this place, they expedled to have been joined by governor 
Martin and general Clinton, who had lately arrived with 
a confiderable reinforcement. But Moore, with his army, 
purfued them fo clofe, that they were obliged to attempt 
the paflage of the creek itfelf, though a confiderable body 
of the enemy, under the command of colonel Cofwell, in 
fortifications well planted with cannon, was ported on the 
other fide. On attempting the creek, it was found not to 
Le fordable. They were obliged, therefore, to crofs over 
a wooden bridge, which'the provincials had not time to 
deftroy entirely. They had, however, by pulling up part 
of the planks, and greafing the remainder in order to 
render them flippery, made the pafTage fo difficult, that 
the royalills could not attempt it. In this fituation they 
v.-ere, on the 27th of February, attacked by Moore, with 
his fuperior army, and totally defeated, with the lofs of 
their general, and moft of their leaders, as well as the belt 
and bravert of their men. 
Thus was the power of the provincials eftablifhed in 
North Carolina. Nor were they lefs fuccefsful in tire 
province of Virginia ; where lord Dunnrore, having long 
continued an ufelefs predatory war, was at laft driven from 
every creek and road in the province. The people lie 
had on-board were diflrertcd to the higheft degree, by 
confinement in final! veliels. The heat ot the feafon, and 
tire numbers crowded together, produced a peftilential 
fever, which made a great havock, efpecially among the 
blacks. At fa ft, finding theinfelves in the utmoft hazard 
of perifhing by famine as well as difeafe, they fet fire to 
the lead valuable of their veliels, reserving only about 
fifty for theinfelves, in which they bade adieu to Virginia, 
fome failing to Florida, fome to Bermuda, and the reft to 
the Weft Indies. 
In South Carolina, the provincials had a more formi¬ 
dable enemy to deal with. A fquadron, whofe objeCt was 
the reduction of Charleftown, had been fitted out in De¬ 
cember, 1 775 ; but, by reafon of unfavourable weather, 
did not reach Cape Fear, in North Carolina, till the month 
of May, 1776; and here it met with further obflaclcs till 
the end of the month. Thus the Americans, always no¬ 
ted for their alertnefs in railing fortifications, had time to 
ftrengthen thofc of Charleftown in fuch a manner as ren¬ 
dered it extremely difficult to be attacked. The Britifh 
fquadron confided of two 50-gun fliips, four of 30 guns, 
two of 20, an armed fchooner, and bomb-ketch, under 
the command of Sir Peter Parker. The land-forces were 
commanded by lord Cornwallis, with generals Clinton and 
Vaughan. As they had yet no intelligence of the evacua¬ 
tion of Bofton, general Howe difpatched a vefFel to Cape 
Fear with fome inftruftions ; but it was too late : and, in 
the beginning of June, the fquadron anchored oft Charlef- 
tbvy 11-bar. Here they met with fome difficulty in crofting, 
being obliged to take out the guns from the two large 
fliips" which were, notwithftanding, feveral times in dan¬ 
ger of (ticking faft. The next obftacle was a ftrong fort 
on Sullivan’s iftand, fix miles eaft from Charleftown; 
which, though not completely finilhed, was very ftrong. 
The Britifh "enerais refolved, without hefitation, to at¬ 
tack it; but" though an attack was eafy from the fea, it 
was very difficult to obtain a co-operation with the land- 
forces. This was attempted, by landing them on I.ong 
Iftand, adjacent to Sullivan’s Jfland on the eaft, from 
which it is feparated by a very narrow creek, faid not to 
be above two feet deep at low water. Oppofite to this 
lord, the provincials had polled a ftrong body of troops. 
with cannon and intrenchmcnts; while general Lee was 
pofted on the main land, with a bridge of boats betwixt 
that and Sullivan’s Ifland, fo that he could at pleafure 
fend reinforcements to tire troops in the fort on Sullivan’s 
Jfland. On the part of the Britifh, fo many delays oc¬ 
curred, that it was the 28th of June before they were in 
readinefs to make an attack ; and, by this time, the pro¬ 
vincials had abundantly provided for their reception. On 
the morning of that day, the bomb-ketch began to throw 
ftiells into fort Sullivan; and, about mid-day, the two 50- 
gun fliips and 30-gun frigates came up and began a feverc 
fire. Three other frigates wpre ordered to take their fta- 
tion between Charleftown and the fort, in order to enfi¬ 
lade the batteries, and cutoff the communication with the 
main land; but, through the ignorance of the pilots, they 
all ftuck fall; and, though two of them were difentangled, 
they were found to be totally unfit for fervice': the third 
was burnt, that fhe might not fall into the hands of the 
enemy. The attack was therefore confined to the five 
armed fliips and bomb-ketch, between whom and the fort 
a dreadful fire enfued. The Briftol fuffered exceflively. 
The fprings on her cable being fhot away, file was entire¬ 
ly expofed to tlie enemy’s fire. As the enemy poured in 
great quantities of red-hot balls, file was twice in flames. 
The captain, (Mr. Morris,) after receiving five wounds,, 
was obliged to go below,, in order, to have his arm am¬ 
putated. After undergoing this operation, he bravely re¬ 
turned to his place, where he received another wound,, 
but ftill refufed to quit his fiation ; at laft he received a 
red-hot ball in iris belly, which inftantly put an end to hia 
life. Of all the officers and feamen who flood on the quar¬ 
ter-deck of this veil'd, not one efcaped without a wound,, 
excepting Sir Peter Parker alone ; whofe intrepidity aad 
prefence of mind on this occafion was very remarkable. 
The engagement lafted till darknefs put an end to it. 
Little damage was done by the Britifh, as the works of the 
enemy lay fo low, that meft of the fliot ff.ew over ; and 
the fortifications, being compofed of palm-trees mixed 
with earth, were extremely well calculated to refift the 
impreftion of cannon. During the height of, the; attack, 
the provincial batteries remained for fome time Client, fo 
that it was concluded that they had been abandoned ; but 
this'was found to proceed only from want of powder ; for, 
as foon as a fupply of this article was obtained, the firing 
was refumed as brifkly as ever. During the whole of this- 
defperate engagement, it was impoffible for the land-forces 
to give the leaft affiftance to the fleet. The enemy’s works 
were found to be much ftronger than they had been ima¬ 
gined, and the depth of water erteefually prevented them 
from making any attempt. In this unfuccefsful attack, 
the killed and wounded, on the part of the Britifh, amount¬ 
ed to about 200. The Briftol' and Experiment were fo 
much damaged, that it was thought they could not have 
been got over the bar; however, this was at laft acconr- 
plifiied, by a very great exertion of naval" (kill, to the fur- 
prife of the provincial's, who had expected to make them 
both prizes. O11 the American fide the lofs was very corr- 
fiderable; as moft of their guns were difniaunted; and re¬ 
inforcements had poured into the fort during the whole 
time of the action. 
This year alfo, the Americans, having fo frequently 
made trial of their valour by land, became defirous of try¬ 
ing it by fea, and of forming a navy that might in fome 
meafure be able to protect their trade, and do ellential 
hurt to the enemy. In the beginning of March, commo¬ 
dore Hopkins was difpatched with five frigates to the Ba¬ 
hama I(lands, where he made h'lmfelf mafter of the ord¬ 
nance and military (lores ; But the gunpowder, which had 
been the principal objefit, was removed! On his return he 
captured feveral vefl’eis ; but was foiled in his attempt on 
the Glafgow frigate, which found means to efcape, not- 
withftanding the efforts of his whole fquadron. 
The time was now come, when the fortitude and pa 
tience of the Americans were to undergo a fevere trial. 
Hitherto they had been, on the whole, fuccefsful in their 
operations;- ' 
