Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-06-17
MAJOR MAJoRIBANks.

Lord Fitzroy Somerset. Gen Hamilton transmit
ted t, the Duke Of Wellington a black cypress
board, which b I'd been placed at the head of tho
grave of Dfi,i.h officer who died in South Caro-
lima during the war of the revolution. containing
the following inscription :-"John Majorihanks,
Esq, late Major of The 10Th regiment Of Infantry,
and commanding Flank Battalion ofhis Msjes,y's
armv. Obiit Esd Oct. 1884,"
With this memorial, which had l,tcly fallen to
the ground from decay, and for which more
durable one is to be substituted Ivy the owners Of
the estate which i, stood, cont aiming the same
inscription, Gen Hamilton Transmitted a letter from
Mr.. Ravenel, one Of those owners, reliting some
incident. in he life f the deceased officer accom-
panied with interesting narrative drawn up by
him elf. The following extract from the nsrra-
( tive recitcs the Of hi. death
/ History generally takes sufficient care of the
renown Of great commanders but il is often the
grateful office of rCcorctons, essentially pri-
vate to preserve the repue Of a gallant soldier,
perhaps less elevated by rank than by merit, which
serves to embalm his memory, f,r the pride and sf
fiction Of his frends, if no, for the ostentaiious
glory Of his country.
From every record and tradition in South Caro-
lima, i, would appear England has seldom sen, on
her service abroad a more ripe md accomplished
soldier than Majoribanks unquesonably was.
There is little doubt he saved the British army
from enue annihi'aion at the battle Of "Eut,w
Springs" which took place in the Parish Of Johns
Berkeley, South Carolina on the 9Th of September.
l,.; Y "a
Cornwas in the CAro!inas and Virginia.
In Colonel Tarlion's history Of this campaign
you will find the following account, of this battle
'the right wing of the army being composed of,he
, f,nk battalion Of Major Majoribnnks, who having
repulsed and driven back every thing ,ha, attacked
him, he made rapid movement on the left Of tn,
euemy, and attacked them in flank, upon which
they give way in all quarters, aving two brass sir
FOUNDERS and upwards Of two hundred killed on
the field of action, and about 500 prisoners, among
whom was Colonel Washing to Major
Maarihanks and the flank battalion under hi.
command, the honor cfh, dayi greatly du-.'
:. A. happen to be an Americ n, am you,
# grace will pardon my saying that although every
man in both armies probably prepared to nd.
nit the g,llantry and matchess service of M'i,ri.
banks ye, in relation To the victory Of Col. Tar
ton claimed, for His Britannia Maesty's Army
T. there were conempnraneously two opinions enter
,aiaed ha, subject. I, is undoub edly that
Col. Stewart, who commanded his M,jcsty's forces
% on the occasion ed his title TO victory Wills.
General Greene, the American comm ,nder. was not
4. the less pernacous in claiming this dis nction fl
Of his troops
a General Greene, in his official accnun, o. this
E. battle, sa That he Ief picket the field the
lie night Of the ergag meni that the enemy retired
e. having seventy OF their wounded besides thou.
snnd .iand of arms. We took five hundred pri
rj soncr.. They had five hundred killed and woun l..
T. cd. Nothing but the brick house and their str
H. po,; at the Eu,aw Springs hindercd the rem,ins
u the British Army from falling into our hands
think we owe the vIc,nry we have gained to tn
od brisk use made by the Maryland and vircini.
hv l. vies with the bayone,. cannot forbe,r prasin.
lar the courage and ccnluc of all my troop.'
Perhaps a, Ibis la;e day it may he just 10 hc,l
IS sides to admit that /, a drawn hattie, whcl
s. apprrhend, will he usually the case, when hos,
=" NEE, who are of the blood and come from
30 common stock and that all things being equal il
number and m,tersl, either party would be rrr,
= ar, TO get rs good as they gre BE this it may
u there was hu, one opinion of the conduct Of Ma
ne ir Maj ,rih1nks which was gracel during the hot
e test Of the battle by an ncen, highly iIlustrl,'
=" of the chvalry of his character.
=" General Green perceiyng that the fate Of III
"' day depended upon his disoging Majorbsnks, OF
" lcrcd Colonel " ashington (ihan whom brave
s'' soldier never drew sicel) to pass the America
lift aud charge the right Of his Maj je'ty
army. Colonel Washington executed this orde
ne with consumac skill and CALAMITY: Ma sjorhank
ay' received Washiugions cavalry with.uch dead
e' and well directed fire, that many of his horses an
men were wounded and brought to the GROUND
Every officer was wounded eycrp, two. Colon'
ck Washington had his horse killed under him, an
rr> such was the mpcuosiy ofhs charge. that he wa
we thrown wounded into the ranks Of the English al
no. nv where, according to the same writer, he wa
orr, in the &C, of receiving The bayonet from the han
,m of private Of the BRUSH army, when his life wa
for saved 10y the interposition Of British officer
one This officer Majaribanks.
for After the battle. the British army reirealed I
as Wantoot, plantation belonging TO the late DAM
on. Ravencl Esq, abou, twenty miles below Euta
de- Springs II WAS in this plantation that Major VI