and narrowly escaped capture on the way. Colonel Stephen Heard, who was president of the council, and several of the members, retreated to Wilkes county, where the semblance of a government was still kept up.

Some time after the fall of Savannah, the public records of Georgia had been removed by captain John Milton to Charleston, and deposited in one of the public offices. After performing this service, Milton had returned and joined general Lincoln, in whose suite he acted as an additional aid, and continued with him until a short time before the British took Charleston. Finding that the public records were again in danger, captain Milton applied to Mr. Joseph Clay and Doctor. N. W. Jones, to have them removed to some other place which promised more safety. Application was accordingly made to general Lincoln, who ordered Milton to take charge of them and have them transported in waggons to Newbern, in North-Carolina, and delivered to governor Nash. After this service was performed, Milton was ordered to return to Charleston. When he arrived at Georgetown, and heard that Charleston was surrendered, he joined captain Ogier, and soon afterward he attached himself to the remains of colonel William Washington's regiment of dragoons and with them retreated to Wilming ton, and thence to Hillsborough, where he joined the barron De Kalb and returned to Carolina. After general Gates was defeated at Camden,

Milton joined general Francis Marion and remained with him; he afterwards participated in the active and useful enterprises of that officer, and had a share in all the skirmishes in which he was engaged. When Marion was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, captain Milton was appointed his aid-de camp. When the British army passed through North-Carolina, the Georgia records were removed to Maryland, where they remained until the close of the war. These records, principally belonging to the office of the secretary of state, were almost the only public papers of Georgia, which were preserved. After the treaty between the United-States and Great-Britain, these records were brought back to Georgia under the care of captain Nathaniel Pearre, of the Georgia continental brigade.

The executive reign of governor Howley, was of short duration. In this gentleman's character, there appears to have been a mixture of an uncommon portion of excentricity, with great talents. The same traits of character were combined in the person of his secretary of state; but they very differently directed. While the governor and his council were surrounded with dangers and difficulties on the retreat, the gloomy prospects of the party vanished, under the exercise of the wit and humour of these two gentlemen. The value of paper money was at that time so much reduced, that the governor dealt it out by the quire for a night's lodging of his party; and if the

fare was any thing extraordinary, the landlord was compensated with two quires; for which the treasurer required a draft made out in due form, and signed by the governor.

Brigadier-general Andrew Williamson encamped near Augusta, with about three hundred men. The governor suspected that Williamson encouraged the delay of himself and his numerous train, that they might fall into the hands of the enemy. There were strong grounds to suspect that Williamson concealed his intelligence of the reduction of Charleston, several days after he was informed of that event. His aid, Malcomb Brown, had long given evidences of his attachment to the royal government: Williamson could neither read nor write; and in fact, Brown was the general in every thing but in name. The editor of the Royal Gazette of Georgia, expressed some astonishment at the tardy movements of Williamson; asserting that long ago he had the king's protection in his pocket; and that he had agreed to accept of a colonels commission, while he commanded a brigade in the American service. However, this may have been, he gave every en, couragement to the surrender of his brigade in Ninety-six district, accepted a colonels commission in the king's service, and continued to be a warm advocate for the re-establishment of the government of the crown, until the close of the war.

Colonel Elijah Clarke had embodied about three hundred men in Wilkes county, and not

suspecting the disaffection of Williamson, anxi ously waited to be informed of his future inten. tions and determination. Williamson remained in his camp, apparently undetermined as to future operations, until the British detachments had marched to the frontier of Carolina, and colonel Brown had taken possession of Augusta. Wil. liamson then called his officers together, and after expressing an opinion that further resistance would be vain and ineffectual, recommended to them to return to their homes, accept the proffered protection, and yield obedience to the British government.,

Several of the patriots in Georgia, to the southward of Augusta, had been busily engaged for the first four months of this year, in getting off their families and a little property to support them in the northern states. Some had stopped in South-Carolina, who were obliged again to pack up and proceed farther north. Many who wished well to the American cause, foreseeing the distresses to which their families would be reduced by the want of the common necessaries of life and a total loss of property, yielded and took protection. Others, who were regardless of every other consideration, but that of freedom and independence, and whose families were too unwieldy to be removed; determined to leave them and their property to the mercy of the enemy. Colonel John Jones of Burke county, and colonel Benjamin Few of Richmond, commanded two detach

ments of this description. They retreated to Wilkes and joined colonel Clarke. About this time the defection of Williamson was understood. Colonel Brown had despatched emissaries into the country, with authority to give protections and administer the oath of allegiance to the British crown. One of these parties, commanded by captain Corker, entered the house of colonel John Dooley, at a late hour of the night, and murdered him in a most barbarous manner in the presence of his wife and children. At the commencement of the war, this officer had accepted the commission of a captain in the Georgia continental bri. gade: the murder of his brother on the 22nd of July 1776, produced a determination to avail himself of the first opportunity, to take vengeance on its perpetrators; and for this purpose, he meditated an attack upon a party of Indians, then at Galphins. Propositions had been made to the Indians by the government of Georgia, to enter into negociations for a treaty of peace; but the demands of the Indians could not be complied with on the part of the state, and no prospect remained of peace being effected. Captain Dooley's scheme of revenge was discovered soon after it was formed, and himself and a lieutenant who joined him in the plan, were arrested by the civil government of the state. Colonel Elbert was directed to order a general court-martial for their trial. Dooley requested permission to resign his commission, which was granted, and he was soon