The British general in Savannah received information of passing events to the south, and or dered a force, which he deemed competent to the object, to proceed to Ogechee and disperse the Americans collected in that quarter. This detachment was commanded by captain Conklin of the first battalion of Dulaney's corps, consisting of two subalterns and sixty-four men. Conk lin marched from Savannah, at three o'clock, on the morning of the 4th of April, and reached Ogechee ferry about ten. He met with some negroes, who informed him of the number and position of the party he was directed to disperse. He was suffered to pass over the river without interruption. He ordered ensign Supple with fifteen men, to file off and gain the right flank of his adversary. Pickens and Twiggs discovered the enemy as they were passing over the river, watched their motions, and were aware of the design of this manœuvre, and accordingly ordered the main body to be concealed from the view of the enemy, and take an advantageous position to cut off their right flank, and to encourage the advance of the enemy, by exhibiting only twenty militia dragoons, under the command of captain Inman. This plan was well calculated to draw the enemy into close action, and cut off the probability of a retreat. Pickens and Twiggs having taken their positions on the flanks, waited the approach of the enemy, who advanced with apparent confidence. Captain Inman was too precipitate in the attack,

which compelled the flanks to engage before the enemy had got off the causeway. In the first part of the skirmish, Conklin received a mortal wound. Lieutenant Roney finding his situation critical, resorted to the bayonet, with which he made a desperate charge, and was also wounded. Ensign Supple's detachment was pressed closely by captain Iman's dragoons, and compelled to retreat through the swamp in a rice field, where he knew the dragoons could not carry the pursuit. He re-joined his party, and ordered the wounded to be carried to the boats. He kept up a retreating fire until he reached the river, which he re-crossed. Of the enemy, two privates were killed and seven wounded, among the latter were the first and second officers in the command. Captain Conklin died the next morning. Governor Wright's barn, containing three hundred and fifty barrels of rice, was burned to prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy, who were then employed in collecting supplies at Savannah. On the 27th of the preceding month, one of the American detachments fell in with a party of the enemy in Liberty county, consisting of white men and Indians; four of the former, and six of the latter, were killed, without sustaining any loss on the American side, except one man slightly wounded.

As he appearance of things at this period strongly indicated the subjugation of South Carolina to the British crown, every exertion was made

by the republican refugees from Georgia, to remove their property northwardly to places which promised safety. The principal object contemplated by the expedition of Pickens and Twiggs, was to favour this design. While the owners were collecting their property, the scouting parties of the enemy were driven within the limits of the strong hold at Savannah. Among the American parties thus employed, one under the command of captain John Bilbo, was fired upon from a house near Cherokee hill. Bilbo received a mortal wound, and was carried off by his men to another house in the neighbourhood, from whence he was removed the next day by the enemy to Savannah in a cart, where he died on the 8th of May. The vehicle in which he was conveyed, and the roughness of the road over which he had to pass, at least hastened if it did not occasion his death.

The small pox had not been in the country for thirty years, and the distresses of the people were greatly increased by its having been generally spread over the southern states by the enemy. Every effort to keep it out of the American camp had failed. This disease, more destructive to the human species than the sword of the enemy, was justly dreaded by the militia, when confined to camp in a warm climate. Superstition prevailed for a considerable time, against its introduction into the human body by inoculation. Experiments at last, overcame these fanciful.

whims, and the disease was introduced into the camp and country, and passed through both with very inconsiderable loss. It was afterward divested of its terrors, and placed upon a level with common diseases.

Finding that the impressions made upon the northern states were but transitory, the British generals turned more of their attention to those in the southern district. The late repulse of the allied armies before Savannah, gave encouragement to these views, and in December 1779, an army embarked at New-York, under the command of Sir Henry Clinton, escorted by a fleet, commanded by admiral Arbuthnot. They had a tedious and boisterous passage, which prevented their arrival in Savannah until the 11th of February, where they remained but a few days to digest the plan of operations against South-Carolina. A strong detachment of the British army was ordered to pass over the Savannah river, at Purysburg, and march along the sea-board through the eastern part of the state, while the main body of the army and the fleet, commanded by Sir Henry Clinton in person, passed round to Stono inlet, and dis-embarked on John's and James' islands. General Patterson marched through the country with but little interruption, formed a junction with Clinton on the south side of Ashley river, and advanced to Charleston on the 1st of April. Charles. ton was invested, and saps of regular approaches were opened on the land side; while it was closely

blockaded by sea. As the detail of the siege and subsequent reduction of Charleston, more proper. ly belongs to the history of South Carolina, and has been given in detail by the venerable Doctor Ramsay; it is only noticed here to connect subsequent events in Georgia. The siege and the defence were conducted with military skill and enterprise, until the 12th of May, when the works were considered no longer tenable, and it was surrendered by general Lincoln to the British army and navy. By the fall of Charleston, general M'Intosh with the remnant of the Georgia brigade, all the other continental troops in the southern department, several thousands of the militia, and the residue of the ordinance and military stores, in the southern states, fell into the hands of the enemy.

Proclamations were issued by the British gen. eral, offering peace and protection to the inhabitants who would yield obedience and submission to the crown; and vengeance was denounced against those who continued to resist the royal government. Strong detachments of British troops were marched to the most populous towns, to establish military posts; and the militia were required to meet by regiments, surrender their arms and ammunition, and take protection..

So soon as the surrender of Charleston was made known to the governor of Georgia, at Augusta, he retreated with part of his council, and a number of the civil officers, to North-Carolina,