Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-03-09

and the country was unhealthy. Sickness
set in, and the soldiers died at fearful rate.
Howe saw that it was, under the circumstan'
ces, impossible to advance; hence it was de-
termined by the officers to retreat. Pinckhey,
with what remained Of his regiment, returned
by water to Charleston. Howe had under
his command, when be set out on the expedi-
ton, about eleven hundred men. Sickness
and death had reduced the number to three
hundred and fifty. With these he marched
to Savannah Thus ended the second expe-
dition against Florida. 1t was q complete
failure. More than half the army was lost
and not gun was fired. ,yfq ,q}rqq
On whom the blame should be placed for
its failure, it is hard to say. At the time,
General Howe was severely censured by Ger
tain individuals. Chief among these was
Christopher Gadsden. In letter written by
Gadsden, the failure Of the enterprise was
ascribed to Howe. Howe demanded of
Gadsden either that be would retract or apol-
ogize. Gadsden refused to do either, but de.
clared that his mind had undergone no
change. Howe sent challenge to Gadsden,
which was accepted. Bernard Elliott acted
as second to Gadsden, and Charles Cotesworth
Pinckney acted the same part for Howe. On
the 18th of August, ITS, shey met near Cam.
den and fought with pistols. The only dam
age sustained by either party was a scratch
upon Gadsdens ear. Gadsden did not aim
at Howe at all; but fred his pistol in a diff.
fsrent direction. From all the facts in the
case, it is almost certain that Houstoun and
Williamson we're the cause Of the failure Of
this second attempted expedition against St.
Augustine. ..,, ,..r
The subsequent course of Williamson would
seem to favor this conclusion. Christopher
Gadsden was an impetuous man. A true pa.
triot as be was, he no doubt censured Howe
without cause His after course justi6es
this conclusion. When required to retract or
apologize, he would do neither; but still he
would not shoot at Howe. Not only so, but
after the duel was over and Howe was salts
fed, he and Gadsden were good friends.
So far as the actual result was concerned,
it matters not who was censurable; the ex.
pedition was an absolute and disastrous fail.
ure. Emboldened by the failure Of Howe, a
party Of British regulars and loyalists made
raid into Georgia. The garrison at Sun.
bury was commanded by Lieutenant John
Mcintosh. The enemy advanced toward the
fort in two divisions; one commanded by Col.
Fuser, and the other by Mark Provost: Fuser
sent message to Mcintosh demanding the
surrender of the fort. McIntosh's laconic re-
ply was, "Come and take it." Fuser was nom
plussed by this bold reply, and concluded that
it was safest to let the fort alone. Fuser had
in his command six hundred regulars, and
could have taken the fort without much diff
Guilty, but the defiant reply Of Mcintosh chill
ed the ardor of his spirit. The division under
Provost, now strengthened by a band of tories
commanded by McGrith, commenced to skir-
mish with the Wings. Having abandoned
the idea of capturing the fort at sunbury, they
proceeded until met by Col. Elbert, with two
hundred men. Baf1ed in their purposes, they
wheeled about and laid the country waste
through which they passed. Nothing escaped
them. Dwelling houses, barns and churches
were burned to ashes. ..:' =. ....,a.
Upto this period, the war had been carried
on mainly in the northern and middle States.
More than three years had elapsed since the
first blow had been struck for independence.
Battle after battle had been fought, and the
rebellion was more formidable now than ever
before. It was now determined by the British
to change the field of operations. The failure
of the Wings to invade Florida, encouraged
the British to hope that they might be more
successful in the South than they had been in
the North. Savannah, the capital Of Georgia,
was regarded the weakest point or it may be
they had not forgotten their defeat at Fort
Moultrie, and hence determined to make an
attack upon Savannah. Near the end Of No
vember, 1778, Sir Henry Clinson sent out Col.
Campbell with more than two thousand troops,
consisting of the list regiment, four battalions
of Provincial troops, two battalions Of Hes
slams, and detachment Of artillery. Sir Pc
ter Parker accompanied these land forces With
a part of the British feet. Orders were sent
to General Provost to march, with all bis
available force, from Florida to Savannah
When the news arrived in Savannah of the
approach of the British from the North under
Campbell and Parker, and Of the British,
tories and Indians from Florida, under Pre-
vost, Howe was encamped at Sunbury:. He
had only about seven hundred men with which
to meet the formidable army of the invaders
Immediately, he went to Savannah and made
all the preparations the limited time would
permit. On the 23rd of December the Aaet
arrived at Tybee Island. On the 18th, the
troops were landed three miles below the city.
Howe had less than nine hundred men, whilst
the British numbered more than two thousand.
By some means, Howe was mistaken with
regard to the actual strength Of the enemy.
By some mistake he supposed that bis own
force, which amounted to less than thousand
men, was equal to that of the enemy, or so
nearly so that be could defend the town. The
town was almost entirely without Notifications;
hence one party possessed as much advantage
as the other. When Howe learned more accu-
rately the number of the enemy, he called
council of war Tha British we're at this mo-