Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-10-28
Needed Plunder.

Join their northern army anu oNei-
whelm General washington's forces.
y Needed Plunder.
The second reason for this transfer
of lighting to the south was, as al
ready stated, an economic reason. The
south had as yet suffered little from
the ravages of contending armies. The
scenes of Washingtons' battles were
far from its borders. Consequently
her people had still sown and har-
vested. Internal commerce had been
quickened. not ruined. Not only
were the current years products In
hand, but. as English ships had kept
up fairly effective blockade of her
ports, there was large storage OF
the very products England needed
rice, indigo, grain, tobacco, naval
stores. These would make rich booty
for a conduering army. If Savannah
and Charleston should fall to their
armies, they would have ample port
facilities.
..a lndF.eSIOn dt nCT StcdtSShs
Charleston at that time was one Of
the most important seaports OF Ameri-
ca. Ramsay states that shortly before
the Revolution, South Carolina export
ed 1,107 $50 pounds of indigo and 142.-
900 barrels of rice. Most Of this, of
course, went through Charleston. OIL
yer Ellsworth, speaking in the Con-
necticut Convention for the considera-
ton OF the Constitution in 1888, said:
zone hundred large ships are every
year loaded with rice and indigo from
the single port of Charleston" Simms
says: "In 1777. 177S, sne (Charleston)
was the mart which supplied with
goods most of the sister states south
of New Jersey. An extensive inland
traffic spranS into existence between
her and the northern towns in conse-
quence of the British fleets along the
coasts of New York and Virginia. In
this traffic more than thousand
wagons were necessarily employed"
McCrady adds: "From the victory of
the 2Sth of June 1776, Charleston had
become the storehouse of merchandise
and the retreat of privateers, and into
its harbor were brought their prizes
for condemnation" No wonder, then.
as commerce went in those days, South
Carolina and other southern states
were alluring objects of conquest.
= Patriots Overpowered.
In pursuance of this new policy Of
southern invasion Sir Henry Clinton,
who had succeeded Sir William Howe
as commander in-c chief of the British
forces in America, ordered Col. Archi-
bald Campbell with $500 regulars to
sTnbark |. for Sayappah. At the same
time, qer Rrevost, !, the Britisls com,
mandef sdn Taorsde, Z, was ordered ~ 70
join Campbell and to take command
of the combined British force. Sir
Henry himself was to follow with ad-
ditional sea and land forces and take
chief command in the south as soon as
he could arrange to occupy Gen.
Washington's army during his absence.
COL Campbell arrived at Savannah or
Dec. 2S, ITS, and without waiting for
Provost, speedily defeated the seven
or eight hundred troops stationed there
under Gen. Robert Howe Of North
Carolina. Campbell then moved up to
Augusta as Gen. Provost crossed into
Georgia and made his conquering way
to Savannah. Then Georgia, in the
words of Fisher, was declared by
these commanders as "out of revolt"
and the way was clear for them 10
prepare to fall on South Carolina. In
what condition was the state to re-
pulse the forces surely gathering to
crush her? Let US see.
In September FITS, congress ordered
Gen. Benjamin Lincoln OF Massachu-
sets, who was second in command to
Gates at the Saratoga victory over
Burgoyne, to relieve Gen. Howe in
command of the department of the
south. Gen. Lincoln, so slow Wis
travel in that day, did not reach his
new command until just before the
fall of Savannah in December. On
his arrival he found, as McCrady puts
ii, "a department but no army to
Two fruitles'yl expeditions
towards Florida and oth'yr service had
reduced the six South Carolina Cont
pcntals to about 1,000 men. Only $50
of the Georgia Oontinentals were
ready for duty. Some militia were
under orders to re ort to him, and the
staunchest remna It's Of Howe's army
were making Their way to his head
quarters.
Congress- He'd Given Little Help.
In addition to the pitiful smallness
of his army, Lincoln found great dis
content among the people. This arose
from the fact that appeals to the Con-
tinental Congress for aid had brought
the discoTraging answer that Wash
ington's army was then too small to
spare any men. Beginning now and
continuing for nearly two years Brit
ish emissarics spread the report that
in spite of South Carolinas efforts for
the general welfare OF the country,
she was now to be left to her fate by
congress. This dissatisfaction and