late to relinquish a project which he so anxiously wished to accomplish: he was therefore compelled to depend upon courage and stratagem, as substitutes for numbers in his ranks.

Colonel Clarke's arrangements had been made so suddenly, and so unexpectedly to the enemy, that he reached the vicinity of Augusta unobserved, and found them unprepared for an attack. On the morning of the 14th of September, he halted near the town, and formed his command into three divisions: the right commanded by lieutenant-colonel M'Call, the left by major Samuel Taylor, and the centre by colonel Clarke in person. The centre approached the town by the middle road, and the right and left by the lower and upper roads, at its eastern and western extremities. Near Hawk's creek on the west, major Taylor fell in with an Indian camp: they kept up a desultory fire and retreated toward their allies. Taylor pressed on to get possession of M'Kay's trading-house, denominated the White-house, one mile and an half west of the town. At this house the Indians joined a company of the king's rangers, commanded by captain Johnston. The attack upon the camp gave the first intimation to Brown of the Americans' approach. He ordered Grierson to re-enforce Johnston, and advanced to the scene of action in person, with the main body. The centre and right divisions completely surprised the garrisons of the forts, and took possession without resistance. Seventy prisoners, and

all the Indian presents, were put under charge of a guard, and Clarke marched with the residue to the assistance of major Taylor. Brown and Grierson had joined Johnston and the Indians, and upon Clarke's approach, took shelter in the Whitehouse, and defended it. Several attempts were made to dislodge the enemy, by taking possession of some small out-houses to the eastward; but they failed, from the houses being too small and flanked by the Indians. Finding that these houses furnished little or no defence, they were abandoned.

f

A desultory fire was continued from eleven o'clock until night, but it was found that the enemy could not be dislodged without artillery. The house was situated about eighty yards from the river. The Indians, who had not room to fight from the house, took shelter under the banks, which furnished them with a good breast work; while they were secured by the thick wood between the bank and the waters edge. At the close of the day the firing ceased, and strong guards were posted to keep the enemy in check. Under cover of the strength to his position, works round the house. the weather boards and ceiling, were filled up with earth, to make it proof against musketry: loop-holes were cut out at convenient distances; the windows were filled up with boards, taken from the floors; and defence rendered as formidable as the materials at command would admit,

night, Brown added

by throwing up some The crevices, between

The next morning two pieces of artillery, six and four pounders, were brought up from Grierson's fort, and placed in a position to bear upon the house; but the carriages not being calculated for field service, added to unskilful management, they proved of little use: captain Martin, of SouthCarolina, the only artillerist attached to colonel Clarke's command, was unfortunately killed soon after the pieces were brought to bear upon the enemy. A fire was continued through the day, with small arms, but without much prospect of compelling the enemy eithe either to abandon the house

or surrender.

On the night of the 15th, Brown was re-enforced by fifty Cherokee Indians, who crossed the river in canoes: they were armed, and united in defending their beloved man. On the morning of the 15th, before day light, the Americans drove the Indians from the river bank, and cut off their communication with the water, by which the wounded, particularly, suffered greatly. The dead men and horses which lay about the house, became very offensive. Early in the engagement Brown was shot through both thighs and suffered among the wounded, who were often heard calling for water and medical aid.

The sufferings of the wounded; the want of water; and the nauseous smell of animal putrifaction, it was supposed, would discourage the be sieged, and induce them to surrender. On the 17th, colonel Clarke sent colonel Brown a sum

mons; but the proposition was rejected, and Clarke warned of the destruction his measures would bring upon the western division of Georgia. In the afternoon the summons to surrender was repeated, with the addition that Brown would be held responsible for the consequences of his temerity, and a declared determination to reduce the garrison, whatever might be the requisite sacrifice to accomplish it. Brown replied, that it was his determination to defend himself to the last extremity.

Immediately after colonel Clarke arrived at Augusta, Brown had despatched messengers by different routes to Ninety-six ; informing colonel Cruger of his situation, and the necessity of immediate relief by re-enforcements. Sir Patrick Houstoun, one of the messengers, reached Ninety-six early on the next day, and was the first to communicate Brown's embarrased situation to Cruger, who lost no time in making preparations and advancing to his relief. On the night of the 17th, Clarke's spies informed him of Cruger's approach, by forced marches, with five hundred British regulars and royal militia, to the relief of the besieged. Many of colonel Clarke's men had gone to visit their friends and families, in Burke county, from whom they had long been absent: others, who had been actuated by the hope of obtaining plunder, rather than by motives of zeal in the cause of their country, had decamped, laden with the goods which colonel Brown had received not long before for presents to the Indians.

About eight o'clock, on the morning of the 18th, the British troops appeared on the opposite side of the river. The weakness occasioned by the loss of men in the action and siege, and by the desertion of those who prefered plunder to the honor and interest of their country, compelled the Americans to raise the siege and retreat about ten o'clock, having sustained a loss of about sixty, killed and wounded: among the former, were captains Charles Jourdine and William Martin. William Luckie, a brave and much respected young man from Carolina, was killed early in the contest in a desperate effort to gain the possession of the White-house. Such of the Americans as were badly wounded, and not in a condition to be removed, were left in the town. Captain Asby, an officer noted for his bravery and humanity, with twenty-eight others, including the wounded, fell into the hands of the enemy and were dispos ed of, under the sanguinary order of lord Cornwallis, in the following manner: captain Asby and twelve of the wounded prisoners, were hanged on the staircase of the White-house, where Brown was lying wounded, so that he might have the satisfaction of seeing the victims of his vengeance expire. Their bodies were delivered up to the Indians, who scalped and otherwise mangled them and threw them in the river. Henry Duke,* John Burgamy, Scott Reeden, Jordan Ricketson,

Henry Duke was hanged by order of colonel Cruger, under the charge of violating his protection.