The South-Carolina & American general gazette — Charlestown [S.C.], 1777-05-15 00:00:00, page 2

SIR, , . . ,
I INCLOSE to you a paper which Lieutenant Colons
Walcott delivered,efterday to Lieutenant Colonel Har
rison, and which Lieutenant Colonel Harrilon did not then
think proper to receive. I am, Sir, with due refpeft, your
most obedient humble fervent, ; CORNWALLIS
General Washington, &c. &c. &c. (Copy.)
Demand, &c. by Lieutenant Colonel Walcott, April 2, 1777'
of RETURN of PRISONERS.
TYTHEREAS General Washington did, in his letter to
VV General Howe, bearing date the 30th day of July,
1776, declare that he was authorized to propole, and he
did in the said letter accordingly propose, a general ex
change of al prisoners of wir, in the manner and upon the
terms following, viz. " officers for officers 0 equal rank,
soldier for soldier, and citizen for ct zen" To which pro
posal his Excellency Gen. Sir William Howe did, in his
answer of the firft of Auruft following, accede and agree.
And whereas, in pufuance of this agreement, Gen. Sir
William Howe, relying upon the honour and good faith of
Gen. Wafoingtop for,the due and pundual performance
thereof on his part, hath, at several times, sent and de
livered over to Gen. Wafhirigton, as will fully appear from
the lifts with them transmitted, a number of officers on
their parole, and upwards of two thousand two hundred
privates, of the enemy, hjs prisoners; and who, as well
officers as privates, are ftiil to be considered as such until
they fhdl beregularly exchanged, officers for officers of
equal rank, and the privates by a like number of those now
in the possession of Gen. Wafhmgton ; some of whom,
having been taken before, or about the time of concluding
the agreement, have, in o'red violation thereof, been
detained as prisoners for full eight months, and others
taken in the lattet end of December and in the beginning 01
January last, have been in the Ike condition of prisoners
for three months; none, or very few of whom have hi
therto been sent in, in return or exchange of re number
of prisoners sent by Gen. Howe to Gen. Waffiinrton. I
Lieutenant Colonel William Walcott, Vetted with fail
powers for this among,other purposes, do therefore, in the
most positive and peremptory manner, require and demand
of General Waffiington the full and due per ormance o'
the agreement above recited : and consequently, the speedy
and immediate relcafe of all prisoners of war, whether
Britifb, Hessians, Waldeckers, Provincials or Canadians,
as well officers as soldiers, now in his possession, or so far
as they shall or may go towards the exchange of those sent
and delivered over to General Waihington. And whereas
there are still in the possession of Geri. Sir William Howe a
very considerable number of officers, and a number of
privates of the enemy, prisoners, unexchanged ; I do far
ther require and demand of General Wafhmgton, that so
soon as he shall have completed the exchange of those al
ready delivered over to him, agreeable to thy requ fition
and demand for that pitrpofe, he shall proceed to the ex
change pf these last mentioned officers and privates, ip con
formity to the agreement of the 30th of July and xft of
August, 1776; to the execution of which the groundless
and unprecedented objections offered, on the part of Gene
ral Washington by Lieut. Col. Harrison, cannot with any
'degree df reason, or confidently with common sense, be
allowed or a netted as obstacles. The one. that “ the
Whole of the prisoners contained in the Comm^ry's 1 fti,
and delivered over to Gen. Washington ; should not be ac
counted for, because many of them died on their return
to the place of their, destination, and many immediately
zfter their arrival." Posterior therefore, confeffedly, from
the ofjedVon itfeffas stated, to their being delivered over
to Gen. Wafhingten. All bfwhbm therefore must be, arid
all o c whom, this objection notwithstanding, Ido again re
quire and demand to be exchanged, according to the ex
press terms of the agreement, “ soldier for soldier," for
every man delivered over to the person who received them
for and on the behalf of Gen. Warrington: The other,
“ The case of Lieut. Col. Lee," whole release Gen.
Washington might with greater propriety demand, when
ever within the terms of the said agreement, “ officers for
officers of equal rank," he shall have in his possession an
officer of rank equal to the reputed rank of the gentleman
in question ; but until that happens, the demand and ob
jedion upon this fubjed are at least premature. I do more
over expert and demand, that an immediate and catego
rical answer shall be given to these just and reafonabie rc
quifitions and demands. Given at the house of the Rev.
Mr. Beech, in the township of Hillsborough, the second
day of April, one thousand seven hundred and seventy
facn. W. WALCOTT, Lieut. Col.
To General Washington, &c. &c. (Copy.)
SIR, , Morriflown, April 9, 1777.
I TAKE the liberty of transmitting you a copy of a paper
addressed to me by Lieut. Col. Walcott of your army,
which came inclofed in a letter from Lieut. Gen. Lord
Cornwallis. It is with peculiar regret lam constrained to
observe, that this illiberal performance of Col. Walcott is
obviously calculated to answer a less generous purpose than
that of merely effecting an exchange contains a gross
misrepresentation of fads, and is a palpable deviation from
that delicate line, which I expected would mark his con
duct as a man of candour and ingenuity..
That gentleman has censured two articles inlifted on by
me through Lieut. Col. Harrison, at their meeting on the
10th tilt, as groundless, unprecedented, and inconsistent
with any degree of reason, or common sense, though found
ed, as I conceive, in the cleared principles of equity and
justice.—Nor contenting himfelf with this, which would
have given me no concern, he has affirmed the privilege of
mutilating and miftating those articles, in such a manner
as to change their meaning, and to adopt them to the un
fair cor.cli fions he wished to eftablilh.„
Having premised these things, and being charged in di
re& and positive terms by Col. Walcott, who adted under
your authority, with a violation of the agreement made
Between us for the exchange of prisoners, and called upon
for a performance of the fame ; I think it necessary to ex
plain the motives of my conduft, and the grouadson which
those articles or objections stand.
In refped to the firft, I freely repeat, that I do not hold
myfeif bound either by the spirit of the agreement, or by
the principles of justice, to account for those priEners,
who, from the rigour and severity of their treatment, were
/In so emaciated and languishing a state at the t me they
came out, as to render their death almost certain and
inevitable ; and which, in many inftanees, happened while
they were returning to their homes, and in many others
after their arrival. You must be fenfiblc, that our engage
ment, as well as all others of the kind, though in letter it
expresses only an equality of rank and number, as the rule
1 of exchange, yet it ncceffarily implies a regard to the gene
Co', cf a Letter from Lord CORNWALLIS to General
' MUSHINGIDN, dated Brunswick, April 3, 1777.
PHILADELPHIA, April f 5.
ral principles of mutual <mpenfaticn and advantage. This
is inherent in iHs natureis the voice of reason, and no
stipulation, as to the coition in which prisoners should
be returned, was requ fit Humanity dictated, that their
treatment should be fuc as their health and comfort de
manded, and where heiaws have been duly refpefled,
their condition has been generally good.—Nor is th 8 the
hnguage of humanity x>nc—juftice declares the fipe. ;
The oije& of every ca:el, or limilar agreement is thel
benefit of the prisoners hemfelves, and that of ffi^ con
tending powers—on this Doting it equally exacts, that they ,
ihoud be well treated, a that they should be exchanged :,
the reverse is therefore , evident infradion, and ought /
to fubjed the party on whom it is chargeable, to all the
damage and ill coofeqnert 1 resulting from it. Nor can it
be expected, that those unfitted for future service, by ads
o' severity in direct violaton of a compact #e proper sub
jests fa an exchange. Ii such case, 10 return others not
in the fame predicamert, wou'd be to give without re
ceiving an equivalent, ant would afford the greatest en
couragement to cruelty aid inhumanity. The argument
drawn from the mere cinumftahce of the frifoners having
been received, is of no validity. Though from their
wretched situation, they <ou!d not at that time be deemed .
proper for an exchange, )ur humanity required that they
should be permitted to reurn arising us. It may perhaps
be fairly doubted, whether an apprehension of their death,
or that of a greatpart of them, did not contribute fomc
what to their being sent out when they were. Such an
event, whiift they remained with you, would have been
truly interesting, because it would have destroyed every
Ihadow of claim for the return of the prisoners in our
hands, and therefore policy, concurring with, humanity,
dictated that the meafare Ihould be adopted. Happy had
it teen, if the expedient had been thought of before these
i 1-fated men were reduced to such extremity, ,t is con
feffed however on all lides, that after their delivery they
lil continued your priferiers, and would be so, till regu
l:rly exchanged, I acknowledge that I should be, and I
have been, always willing, notwithstanding this concession,
to account for every man who was in a proper condition,
and fit to be exchanged at the time 1 ey came out, so far
as the proportion of prisoners with us Would extend—With
what propriety, or upon what foundation of justice, can
more be demanded ? This has been proposed, or what is
the fame, was most cleared implied in the firft article, or
0 jedion, made by Lieut. Col. Harr fob, and illiberally
rejeaed since as inconsistent with any degree o' reason or
common sense. Painful as it is, lam compelled to cnn
filer it, as a fad not to he questioned, that the titage of
our prfoners wh'lft in your possession, the privates at least,
was such as coud not be justified. , Thia was proclaimed
by the concurrent testimony of all who came out—their
appearance fandtified the afferlion—nd melancholy ex
perience, in the speedy death of a large part of them,
stamped it with infallible certainty. . —
In refpebt to the second article infilled on. —Your dis
criminating Major General Lee from other captive officers
belonging to the American army, demanded my particular ;
attention. I wag authorized to conclude from your laying
him under particular restraints, and from yopr letter of the
23d of January last, that you considered him in a singular
point of view, and meant to exclude him from the com
mon right of Exchange, stipulated for all officers in gene
ral terms. This diftinftion, the more injurious find un
warrantable as you never excepted him, though you kl§:w
him to be an officer in our army atthe time, and long be
fore, the agreement was entered into, made it my duty
to assert his right in an explicit manner, and to endeavour
to ptit the matter on so unequivocal a tooting as to insure
his enlargement, whenever an officer of equal rank, belong
ing to your army, should be in our power. This was at
tempted by the article, and nothing more—nor is any other
inherence to be drawn from it —lt is true a proportion
was made since his captivity, to give a certain number of
officers of inferiour rank in exchange for him, but it was
not claimed as a matter of right. What name then docs
that proceeding merit, by which it is suggested that the
immediate relcafe of Gen. Lee had been demanded, with
out having an officer of equal rank to give for him? The
fuvgeftion cafiMot be Supported by the most tortured ex,
position, nor will it have credit where candour is deemed a
virtue, and words preserve their form and meaning.
As to the charge of delay in not returning the prisoners
in our hands—thi ;ditperfed situation of those taken at a
more early period df the war, through the different States,
arising from the circumstances of their captivity, and a re
gard to their better accommodation, made their detention
for a cons iArable time unavoidable. When the agreement
subsisting between us took place, the speediest dire^ions
were given to have them col'eded, that an exchange might
be effected. This was done in part, and at a juncture
when motives of policy opposed the me+fure, but were
made to yietd to rigid maxims of good faith. We were
pursuing the exchange, ,and continued our exertions to
accomplish it, till the miferabte appearance, indicating an
approaching cataftropte; of those sent out by you, made
it improper. For feeing that a difficulty might arise, and
that it might be txpededl should account for the who'e of
them, which I by no means thought equitable, it became
necessary that the matter should be adjusted, and the due
proportion fettled, for which I ought to be refponfjble,
before any thing farther could be done on my part. Upon
this ground stands also the detention of those who have
been since captured.
Added to these confederations—the discrimination jet np
in the instance of Gen. Lee, is to be regarded as utterly
irreconcilable to the tenouf of our agreement, and an ih
furmountable obstacle to a compliance with your demands.
Thus, Sir, have I explained the motives of my conduft,
and, I trtfft, vindicated myfclf, in the eye of impartiality,
from the improper and groundless charge wh : ch you, and
the gentlemen anting by your authority, have been pleased
to alledge against me.—ls in doing this, I have departed in
the smallest degree from that delicacy, which I always
wished should form a part of my character, you will remem
ber I have been forced into recrimination, arid that it has
oecome an aft of necessary justice.
I shall now declare it to be my ardent wiffi, that a ge
neral exchange may take place on generous and liberal
principles, as far as it can be effected, and that the agree
ment subsisting between us for that purpose should be in
violably observed; and I call upon you, by every obliga
tion of good faith, to remove all impediments on your part
to the accomplish ment of it. If however you do not, I
console myfeif with a hope, that those unfortunate men,
whose lot it is to be your prisoners, will bear their fuffer
ings with becoming fortitude and magnanimity. I am, hit,
with due refpe&, your mhft obedient humble servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
His Excellency Gen. Sir William Howe. (Copy.)
Published b, Order of Centrefi,
CHARLES THOMSON, Sectary.
Extras of a letter from L^i/tozun, April CT 1777-
~'f Gentlemen, Yefterd^y f owning, the fh;p Morris, Capt.
Anderson, was chafed into the mouth of our bay by a .fri
foe' ;the Roebuck, laying in the ro^', mice fail a ter her.
Captain Anderson run his flrp on ffiore about half a mie
from the Light. Houfe', the two ihips continually firing at
him, and he returned the fire for near three hours, in the
most brave and gallant manner. The fh ; ps then fentthree
boats, which were beat off by the Morris Captail, Anderson
landed his packet for. the Congress, which I have sent up
by two French Gentlemen; When finding be could de
fend her no longer, he laid a train, and b ew the ship up,
and I am sorry to tell you, that fo.brave a man has fallen
in the attempt. .The mate and 'ourteen of the crew are
fa'e cn shore. The feene was horrible to behold. The
cargo is in part blown cn here, v'z, guns, clothes, gun
locks, &c. &c. &c. We have a number of men employ,
ed, infaving the cargo. The Roebuck is now in the road,
and two frigates at anchor upon the lower part of the
Brown. There has been 2 lecond flag from.the Roel tick.
The officer lays, they expert their whole squadron in fhortiy
and should they arrive, I will give you the earheft advice
in my power. I am, Gentlemen, your bumble servant,
HENRY FISHER.
" P. S. After writing the within, the two ships that I?y
at the Bfown.are making up the Bay, the wind at N. N.
E. therefore sent the alarm. H. F."
The following, intelligence was received cn Monday, as
serted by Hero yFdher, and an express sent to Bombay Hook,;
to Benjamin Brooks, and from him tc James Cameron, at
Port Penn, certifying, that there are nine of the enemies
ships of war in Delaware, vz. three in Whore Kiln road ;
three in the middle ; three at the Narrows, Signed, BEN
JAMIN BROOKS, JAMES CAMERON. April 14 1777-
N. B, The alarm guns being just fired, give us notice
that a fleet of transports appear off the Capes.
Extraß of a letter from bead quarters, April 14. -,
" The enemy came out early yerte day morning from
Brunswick, with an intent to fuiprife Generl Lincoln, at
Bound Brook, and had like to have effeded tbeir dciign by
the carelessness of a militia guard upon one of the fords on
the Rariton, but the General got notice of tteir approach
time enough to withdraw himfelf and most o f his men to
the mountain just in the rear of the town. Our chief and
almost on y lois was two pieces of artillery, and with them
Lieutenants Turnbull and Ferguson with about twenty
men of Col. Frodtor's regiment. A party of horie war
pushed so suddenly upon them, that they could not possibly
get off. The enemy staid about an hour and an half, and
Extr: ft of a letter from Phtf^rg, feted Mareb 24.
"I mult inform you, that matters h.ave a very gloomy
afpedt here. Darnel Sullivan has returned from the Indian
country, and brings accounts of Indians being affembied,
in order to attack §he K ttanning and this post, and of
Ever&l other things too tedious to mention —A few days
go the Indians k Led one Andrew Simpson, and took or
killed a brother of Captain Moorhead's, near Kittanning.
.They scalped Simpfeh, and left a tomhawk and war belt on
him, and, a p'ece of writing in his shot pouch, dated
Niagara, &h Febumy, 1777, called a meflage from the
Chiefs of the Moh wks, Onondagoes, Canyng-8, Senecas,
Tufearoras, M'fffyago^s, and Chippawas,,to the Virginians
aid Pf nnfyjvani ns, now at Varyngo, the purport of which
% that we have wrong ully fettled their, 1 rids on the Ohio
and Sulquebanna, ano ordering us to quit them jmmedi
at^y^ or abide by the CQnfequences—that we have no foun
dation lor our presence (as they call it) of Colonel Butler's
coming against ps, as we know he has no army with Lira;
they therefore think that our design is agamfcthem, but
whether or not, they jplift on our quitting their lands im
meci.tely, and not make any extufe, by pretending to ac
quaint our Congress, &c. of their behaviour. ._
" In confcquence of the before mentioned intelligence
and depredations, a Council of ,War was held at th s phe
this day, in which it was determined that it would be most
advisable, for Col. Crawford', battel on, and two com
panies of Col. Wood's battalion, at Fo t Pitt and Wheel
ing, not to march till further orders, and that 100 men
should be immediately sent to the Kittanning, and 25 men
to attack the following places, Logg's-Town, Holiday's,
Cove arid Cox's."„
The Honourable the Continental Congress have pro
moted Co 1 - »- —▼— Learned, of Maffachufett's Bay, Col,
George Clinton, of New York, Col. Edward Hand of
Pennfylvauia, and Col. Scott, of Virginia, to the
rank of Brigadier general. _ , -
Extract from a General Order, issued Mareb 27, 1777-<,
, The General, having directed, that all Surgeons who
have the superintendency of Military Hospitals, should fend
al fo'diers whom they difeharge, under the care of proper
officers to join their refpe&iin; regiments'; making report
to the Coannanding Officer o : each regime nt of the number
of men fo'micharged, belonging to his corps ; —defires th#
the Commanding Officer in the department nearest any
Hospital from which they are to be difm fcd, will, upoq
application oi the Surgeon thereof, furnifh an officer, or
officers, for the occasion, proportioned to the number of
men to be committed, to his or thpr care." ,
It is desired that the above wil be inserted in the dif
ferent papers on this continent.,
. April I'6. We hear that Joseph Re'<id, Efa; has declined
accepting of the . tyef .uftic^'s feat in this state.
Extras of a letter from London, January 24. , .
.. "J do not know how I am to 1 ve, when bankruptcies
,#e frying round me every day., 7 wo hetifes in the Wert-
India trade have broke for near t,kco bool., and many o
thers have gone; in fbort, difirefs is,almoft universal, for
since the famous 177% po fuch.bankruptcies h-ve been
known as within these four months part, and things fcem.
to look worse every day. None but contractors and trea
sury men are likely to live. Be firm and persevere to the
last I beseech you ; nothing ja wanting to cafure success to
the good and glorious cause, but unanimity perfeycrance
and firmnels, since this year will prove the last dying
Struggle with ris." .
A party of armed tories lately made their appearance near
Newark,when they were, attacked by the Militia, who killed
a captain and two privates, arid put the , rest to flight.
,The Honourable Congress have ordered 3 Monument to
be ereaedrin the town bf^&ftpnjn honour of the late
Major General Warren, arid .another to be ereded in
Virginia, in honour of the late Brigadier General Mer
cer, as a testimony pfthefe ilhiftrlous virtues, and of the
gratitude of their country., . J hey have like wife ordered
the eldest son of the former of those gentlemen, and the
youngest son of the latter to be educated at the expence of
the publick..., ~,.,.,,. ^
We hear that the leein dure of Maryland, in oruerto
encourage, the recruiting service in that State, $" V * P a ssed
a law, in which recruiting officers are allowed to enlist all
apprentices and servants who h^ve no longer than a year
and an half to serve, provided they pay their masters sixteen
pounds, part of which is deducted from thq bounty .money'.