AMERICA. 
was fo effectually transferred, that the operations there 
became at laft decifive. The fuccefs of general Prevoft, 
in advancing to the very capital of South Carolina, has 
been already dated, together with the obftacles which 
prevented him from becoming matter of it at that time. 
Towards the end of 2779, Sir Henry Clinton fet fail from 
New York with a confiderable body of troops, intended 
for the attack of Charleftown, in a fleet of (hips of war 
and tranfports, under the command of vice-admiral Ar- 
buthnot. They had a very tedious voyage ; the weather 
was uncommonly bad; feveral of the tranfports were loft; 
and an ordnance-fhip foundered at fea. Having arrived 
at Savannah, where they endeavoured to repair the dama¬ 
ges, they proceeded, on the 10th of February, 1780, to 
North Edifto, the place of debarkation which had been 
previoufly appointed. They had a favourable paffage 
thither ; and, though it required time to have the bar ex¬ 
plored and the channel marked, the tranfports all entered 
the harbour the next day ; and the army took poffeflion of 
John’s Illand without oppolition. Preparations were then 
made for palling the fquadron over Charleftown-bar, where 
the high-water l'pring-tides were only nineteen feet deep ; 
but no opportunity offered of going into the harbour till 
the acth of March, when it was effected without any ac¬ 
cident, though the American galleys continually attempt¬ 
ed to prevent the Englifh boats from founding the chan¬ 
nel. The Britifh troops had previoufly removed from 
John’s to James’s Ifland; and, on the 29th of the fame 
month, they effected their landing on Charleftown Neck. 
On the ill of April they broke ground within 800 yards of 
the American works; and, by the 8th, the befiegers guns 
were mounted for adtion. 
As foon as the army began to open their batteries againft 
the town, admiral Arbuthnot embraced the firft opportu¬ 
nity of palling Sullivan’s Ifland, upon which there was a 
ftrong fort, the chief defence of the harbour. He weighed 
on the 9th, with the Roebuck, Richmond, and Romulus, 
Blonde, Virginia, Raleigh, and Sandwich armed (hip, the 
Renown bringing up the rear ; and, palling through a 
fevere fire, anchored in about two hours under James’s 
Ifland, with the lofs of twenty-feven feamen killed and 
wounded. The Richmond’s fore-top-mafl was fhot away, 
and the ihips in general fuftained damage in their marts 
and rigging, though not materially in their hulls. But 
the Acetus tranfport, having on-board fome naval /lores, 
grounded within gun-fhot of Sullivan’s Ifland, and recei¬ 
ved fo much damage, that fhe was obliged to be aban¬ 
doned and burnt. 
On the 10th, Sir Henry Clinton and admiral Arbuthnot 
fummoned the town to furrender ; but major-general Lin¬ 
coln, who commanded in Charleftown, returned them an 
anfvver, declaring it to be his intention to defend the place. 
The batteries were now opened againft the town; and from 
their eftedt the fire of the American advanced works con- 
fiderably abated. It appears, that the number of trbops 
tinder the command of Lincoln, were by far too few for 
defending works of fuch extent as thof'e of Charleftown ; 
and, that many of thefe were men little aecuftomed to mi¬ 
litary fervice, and very ill provided with clothes and other 
neceffaries. Lincoln had been for fome time expecting re¬ 
inforcements and fupp'lies from Virginia, and other places: 
but they came in very (lowly. Earl Cornwallis and lieu¬ 
tenant-colonel Tarleton were extremely active in inter¬ 
cepting thefe reinforcements. They totally defeated a'con¬ 
fide cable body of cavalry and militia, which was proceed¬ 
ing to the relief of the town; and made themfelves maf- 
ters of fome polls, which gave them the command of the 
country, by Which means great (applies of provifions fell 
into their hands. Such was the flate of things, and Fort 
Sullivan had alfo been taken by the king’s troops, when 
general Clinton again fummoned the town to furrender ; 
an offer being made, that the lives and property of the in¬ 
habitants fhould be preferved to them. Articles of capi¬ 
tulation were then agreed upon, and the town furrendered 
on the 4th of May, 1780. A large quantity of ordnance, 
arms, and ammunition, was found in Charleftown ; and, 
according to Sir Henry Clinton’s account, the number of 
prifoners amounted to 5618 men, exclufively of near a 
thoufand failors in arms; but, according to general Lin¬ 
coln’s account, tranfmitted to the congrefs, the whole num¬ 
ber of continental troops taken prifoners amounted to no 
more than 2487. The remainder, therefore, included in 
general Clinton’s account, mull have confided of militia 
and inhabitants of the town. Several American frigates 
were alfo taken or deflroyed in the harbour. 
While Sir Henry Clinton was employed in his voyage to 
Charleftown, and in the fiege of that place, the garrifon 
at New York were not free from apprehenfions for tfleir 
own fafety. An intenf'e frofl, accompanied with great falls 
of fnow, began about the middle of December, 1779, and 
ftmt up the navigation of the port of New York from the 
fea, within a few days after the departure of admiral Ar¬ 
buthnot and general Clinton. The fe verity of the weather 
increafed to fo great a degree, that towards the middle of 
January all communications with New York by water were 
entirely cut off", and as many new ones opened by the ice. 
The inhabitants could fcarcely be faid to be in an infular 
flate. Horfes with heavy carriages could go over the ice 
into the Jerfeys, from one ifland to another, if he paffage 
in the North River, even in the wideft part, from New 
York to Paulus Hook, which was 2000 yards, was, about 
the 19th of January, paflable for the heavieft cannon: an 
event which had been unknown in the memory of man. 
Provifions were foon after tranf'ported upon fledges, and a 
detachment of cavalry marched upon the ice from New 
York to Staten Ifland, which was a diftance of eleven miles. 
The city of New York being thus circumftanced, was 
much expofed to the continental troops ; and it was flrong- 
ly reported, that general Wafhington was meditating an 
attack upon it with his whole force. Some time before 
this, major-general Pattifon, commandant at New York, 
having received an addrefs from many of the inhabitants, 
offering to put themfelves in military array, he thought 
the prefent a favourable opportunity of trying the fmeerity 
of their profelftons. Accordingly, he ilfued a proclama¬ 
tion, calling upon all the male inhabitants from fixteen to 
fixty to take up arms. The requifition was fo readily 
complied with, that, in a few days, forty companies from 
the fix wards of the city were inrolled, officered, and un¬ 
der arms, to the number of 2600. Other volunteer com¬ 
panies were alfo formed; and the city was put into a ftrong 
pofture of defence. No attack, however, was made upon 
New York, whatever deflgn might originally have been 
meditated: but an attempt was made upon Staten Ifland, 
where there were about 1800 men, under the command 
of brigadier-general Sterling. General Wafhington, whole 
army was hutted at Morris-town, fent a detachment of 
2700 men, with fix pieces of cannon, two mortars, and fome 
horfes, commanded by lord Sterling, who arrived at Staten 
Ifland'early in the morning of the 15th of January The 
advanced pods of the Britifh troops retired upon the ap¬ 
proach of the Americans, who formed the line, and made 
fome movements in the courfe of the day; but they with¬ 
drew in the night, and carried off with them about 200 
head of cattle. Immediately on the arrival of the Ame¬ 
ricans on Staten Ifland, lieutenant-general Knyphaufen had 
embarked 600 men to attempt a paffage, and to fupport 
general Sterling; but the floating ice compelled them to 
return. After Charleftown had furrendered, general Clin¬ 
ton ilfued two proclamations, and circulated a hand-bill 
among/! the inhabitants of South Carolina, to induce them 
to return to their allegiance, and to be ready to join the 
king’s troops. Thefe proclamations appear in have pro¬ 
duced fome eff'efl, though they probably operated 'efly 
upon thofe who were before not much inclined to the caufe. 
of American independence. Two hundred and ten of the 
inhabitants of Charleftown figr.ed an addrefs to general 
Clinton and admiral Arbuthnot, foliciting to be re-admit¬ 
ted to the character and condition of Britifh fubjefls; de¬ 
claring their disapprobation, of the doduine of American 
3 inde„ 
