In the midst of this general movement, governor Campbell arrived in the province, who, notwithstanding the public agitation, was received with the attentions due to his rank. He conceived the idea of employing the militia, as a counterpoise to the regiments on pay, which had been levied by the convention or congress of the province, and to oppose against the convention itself, the provincial assembly. He hoped by this management to divide the patriots, and overturn their projects. Accordingly, of his own authority, he issued commissions to the officers of the militia, and convoked the assembly according to ancient forms. But in both these measures he failed of success; the militia continued firm in the cause of the people, and the assembly refused all his propositions so rigidly, that he was necessitated to dissolve it. He appeared disposed to remain peaceable for some time; but it was known that he maintained a secret intelligence with the loyalists, who were very numerous, and principally upon the frontiers, towards the mountains and lakes. To unmask him, the patriots resorted to the agency of a certain Adam Macdonald, captain in a provincial regiment, a man entirely devoted to their interests. He presented himself to the governor under the name of Dick Williams, and in the character of an emissary of the loyalists, commissioned to protest their fidelity, and receive his orders.

The governor, delighted at this overture, answered with unrestricted confidence. Macdonald came to make full report before the general council; the agitation was vehement. The council deputed to the governor some of its members, and with thein Macdonald himself, to request that he would show them the despatches he had received from England. Campbell firmly refused. A motion was made to arrest him, but it was not adopted. The governor became intimidated, and retired on board a corvette at anchor in the port. He took with him the seal of the province. The council sent a message, entreating him to return; he would not. Thus ceased the royal government in South Carolina; all public authority was transferred from the ancient administrations, to the provincial convention, the committee of safety, and other popular establishments, to whose power the people fixed no other limits, except that they should protect the republic from all detriment.

But in the meantime, governor Campbell was not inactive. He knew the royalists were numerous in certain parts of the province, and he hoped that by exciting them, and erecting a standard, round which they could rally, he should be able to profit essentially by their succours. In the interior of the country, there existed a set of men called regulators. They had arrogated, in 1770, the right of executing the laws against malefactors; and they exercised their functions so openly, that of their own authority they inflicted corporal punishments upon such as incurred their animadversion. Lord Montague was sent to repress so odious an enormity, and his severity effectually re

established the authority of the laws among this unruly generation. But the regulators had not forgotten the chastisements their unlawful conbination had drawn down upon them, nor would they ever consent to adhere to the Congress and other popular administrations, which they deemed equally as irregular and illegal. In the same places were found many Dutch and Irish, who held their lands from the bounty and liberality of the king. Either out of gratitude, or the fear of losing their estates, if they should join the patriots, they stood firm in their loyalty, and were strenuously opposed to the new government. Their number was increased by certain other Irish, who had retired from the disturbances in the northern provinces, into this.

Governor Campbell had it in mind, to employ these individuals for the accomplishment of his designs. He circulated among them that the American colonies were altogether too feeble to resist the power of Great Britain; that the whole question turned upon a trivial duty on tea, which they were not accustomed to use; that the inhabitants of the coast opposed this impost, in order to have tea at a low price, without regarding that their obstinacy deprived the inhabitants of the upper country of a multitude of articles the most necessary to life; that the single expense of maintaining the provincial regiments, greatly exceeded the amount of all the taxes imposed by the parliament. The ill humor of these foreigners was still increased by the violences of the patriots, who insisted, whether willing or not, that they should accede to the confederation. And thus a great number that would have remained neutral, were constrained to throw themselves into the opposite party. In no part of the province were the loyalists so numerous, as in the space comprehended between the Broad and Saluda rivers. They refused to execute the resolutions of Congress, to subscribe the league, and to make levies of soldiers. The patriots, desiring to proceed peaceably, sent into those places two men of the greatest authority, William Henry Drayton and William Tennent. All their efforts and arguments, to dissipate the suspicions which had arisen among these people, produced little effect, if any. The rivalship between the two parties became every day more rancorous. At length, they flew to arms; and they were soon encamped, the one in front of the other. The wiser citizens interposed, to prevent the effusion of blood; and, after some days of negotiation, a compact was concluded, by which the loyalists pledged themselves to remain neuter. But these hopes of tranquillity were soon destroyed, by a certain Robert Cunningham, a turbulent spirit, and one of the most influential leaders of the loyalists; he industriously scattered the elements of discord. From all parts they rushed to arms anew. The Congress, wishing to smother these first sparks, ordered major Williamson, commanding the militia, to march against the seditious; but the latter were superior in number. The moment was critical; the Carolinian congress, having in front a Bri

tish fleet and army, and a party of disaffected citizens in rear, could have no hope of victory. Nevertheless, to disconcert the plan of their adversaries, they marched towards the suspected places detachments of militia and of troops, under the command of colonels Richardson and Thompson; who were joined by colonels Rutherford and Polk, at the head of the militia of North Carolina. The loyalists, scattered, without a ralying point, and without leaders of reputation, transacting every thing with fear and hesitation, were forced to receive the terms of their conquerors.

This first expedition kept them quiet for a long time; they made no further movement until the English arms acquired the superiority in Georgia and South Carolina.

The inhabitants of the latter province being totally decided for war, all their attention was given to making the preparations that might enable them to carry it on with success. They resolved, in the first place, to provide themselves with powder, of which they were almost entirely destitute. They knew that an English vessel, laden with a great quantity of it, was then at anchor upon the bank, called the bar of St. Augustine, upon the coast of East Florida. Some fearless patriots, accustomed to the sea, made for the ship with extreme celerity, boarded her, and became possessed of fifteen thousand pounds of powder; which, with equal good fortune, they transported safe into Charleston. This acquisition was of singular utility in their great need. They supplied, from it, the militia of Massachusetts, as well as the army which soon after undertook the expedition of Ca

nada.

But, there was still in the power of the king, fort Johnson, erected upon James's Island, which is situated in front of Charleston; this fortress, therefore commanded the city. Colonel Motte having landed upon the island in the night with a strong detachment of new levies, occupied the fort without obstacle; the garrison, as too feeble to resist, had retired on board the ships of war.

The chiefs of the people prohibited all persons whatsoever from supplying water or provisions to the ships of the king, otherwise than from day to day. The English blockaded the port, and made a great number of prizes, to the infinite prejudice of the city. This induced colonel Moultrie to occupy Point Huddrel, with a detachment of provincial troops. He planted there a battery of heavy cannon, which constrained the English to retire from this position and gain the open Thus the city was liberated for the present, from the blockade of the British squadron. But to prevent its renewal, it was resolved to erect fortifications upon Point Huddrel, which defends the entrance to Charleston, by the channel of Hog Island; and to strengthen the works of fort Johnson, which secures the port on the side of James's Island. A new fort was also constructed in this Island, west of fort Johnson; then another upon Sullivan's Island, which received the name of Moultrie.

sea.

The provincial militia exercised, and the regiments upon pay increased their numbers every day. In all parts of the province preparations were made to repulse the attacks of the enemy.

However sincere was the zeal of the inhabitants to defend their country, it was stimulated, also, by the resolutions of the general Congress. They had resolved, that if Charleston was attacked by the English, three regiments of infantry should be maintained in the province at the expense of the Union; that if the convention or committee of safety should judge it necessary to seize or destroy any vessel whatsoever, it might do so, and rely upon the approbation of Congress. They recommended also, the erection of forts and batteries, in such places as should be thought most suitable.

Some agitation also began to manifest itself about this time in North Carolina, a province in which the loyalists were perhaps more numerous than in any other, with the exception, however, of New York. The governor, Martin, was an active man, who studied continually to devise new expedients to increase the party of the king. The patriots were especially solicitous with respect to the inhabitants of the upper countries of the colony, all Scotch and Highland emigrants, with whom it was ascertained that the governor held continual correspondence. The Congress had not neglected to take all proper measures to disconcert these projects. They had exhorted the partisans of liberty to form themselves into corps of militia, which, in case the provincial convention should see fit to order levies, should be considered as making part of the general army, and received into the pay of the Union.

The desires of the Congress were accomplished, if not with unanimous consent, at least with all requisite promptitude. A provincial convention was formed, which assumed the authority of the ordinary assembly of representatives. The committees of safety, and other popular institutions, were created as usual. The governor took umbrage at these measures, although he was not intimidated by them; and, in order to be able to sustain a first attack, and to give time, in case of emergency, for the loyalists of the upper parts to come to his assistance, he fortified, and furnished with artillery, his residence at Newbern. The people rose and seized six pieces of these cannon; the governor then fled precipitately for refuge to fort Johnson, upon Cape Fear river. The provincials, fearing he might fortify himself, and rally his forces at this point, in order to keep an open communication for the troops which should be sent against the colony, resolved to dislodge him. It also appears that they were apprehensive, lest the governor should proclaim the liberty of the negroes, in order to employ them for the reestablishment of the royal authority. Time was precious. They assembled their forces at Wilmington, an important city of the province, and gave the command of the expedition to colonel Ashe, who had passed from the

service of the king, into that of the people. They marched immediately to fort Johnson; but the governor, not choosing to await so formidable an attack, had retired on board a ship of war. The following night, colonel Ashe entered the fort and reduced it to ashes. He afterwards ravaged the country, that it might furnish nothing to his adversary. The governor was declared an enemy to America, and accused of a design to raise the blacks against their masters. This imputation was not without foundation. He answered with a writing of excessive length, which he caused to be circulated in the province. But the provincial Congress pronounced this proclamation an infamous libel, and caused it to be publicly burnt by the hand of the executioner.

They drew up, about the same time, a long address to the people of Great Britain, full of the usual protestations. All these events singularly agitated the people; but a new incident soon carried their fury to extremity. In the garden and cellars of the governor, it was discovered that he had secreted arms, powder, balls, and other munitions. The provincial Congress decreed a levy of one thousand regular troops, and another of three thousand minute-men. They created bills of credit for their support. The general Congress, wishing to give more stability to their authority, and knowing of what importance it was to propitiate the regulators and mountaineers that inhabited the upper countries, sent them two ministers of the gospel, to expound the nature of the present controversy between Great Britain and the colonies. The chiefs of the people neglected no means proper to forward their cause. Arms and money were provided, soldiers were exercised, the militia were organised, the torpid or lukewarm were stimulated and encouraged. The popular leaders in this province, surrounded by enemies, manifested an activity always increasing with the obstacles they had to surmount.

In Pennsylvania, affairs were transacted with greater moderation; either because the character of the inhabitants was more pacific, or that the governor was endowed with greater prudence. However, the provincial assembly, which continued to sit in Philadelphia, and all the inhabitants generally, appeared not to want activity, in their preparations for defence; the militia were exercised with great diligence and success. It was perceived that the breadth and depth of the Delaware, which bathes the walls of Philadelphia, exposed the city to imminent danger. The English ships might come thus far up the river, and cause infinite mischief not only to the city and province, but even to the entire confederation. It was therefore resolved to obstruct the passage, by sinking in the channel a construction of heavy timber, called a chevaux-de-frise. It consisted in two immense beams, laid across the bed of the river, parallel-wise, and at a suitable distance apart; they were locked with traverse timbers; and upon their upper surface, rose, with a certain inclination towards