To John Jay from Edward Rutledge, 20 July 1776
From Edward Rutledge
Philada. July 20th. 1776.
My dear Jay
I am much obliged to you for your friendly Letter of the 6th1 which did not come to Hand until a few Days Ago, and I have been so much engaged since that I really had no time to acknowledge the Receipt of it. But I can no longer delay it, when I have it in my Power to communicate a piece of Intelligence which I am sure must afford you (who are interested in the Happiness of my Countrymen) the highest Satisfaction—By Express which arrived Yesterday we learn that the British Fleet has been repulsed with very considerable Loss—2 Two 50 Gun Ships have received so much Damage that it is thought they will never be able to go to Sea again—another the Actdon of 28 blown up,3 the remainder considerably injured—the Captain of the Experiment kill’d, the Captain of the Bristol lost his Arm—Sir Peter Parker wounded—4 104 Seamen & inferior Officers kill’d & about 64 wounded several of whom have since died of the wounds—the loss on our side is—12 kill’d & 24 wounded—all privates—the Battle lasted near 12 Hours during the whole of which time Genl. Lee says our Men were as cool & as determined as ever he saw Men in his Life—this is the more to be wonder’d at when I tell you, that their Number was but 500 and that but one of that Number had ever seen a battle. At the Time that the Ships lay before the Fort, Genl.: Clynton attempted to land about 2000 of his Forces on another part of the Island—they were in 35 Flat Bottom Boats, but they were twice repulsed by Colonel Thompson of our Rangers,5 commanding 300 Men with considerable Loss on their Side, but none on ours—
It is thought that they would make another Attack with their Land Forces, but Lee says they may do in that as they please—he is confident we shall repulse them as often as they attack with as much Honour to ourselves as we have done already—Remember me to Morris—6 I am in very great Haste—shall answer some Queries in your Letter in a day or two—God bless you—my dear Friend I am sincy & affectionately yours
E. Rutledge
ALS, NNC (EJ: 7086). Addressed: “John Jay Esquire at the Congress at New York.” Franked: “Free.” Endorsed. Tr, NN: Bancroft (EJ: 1098).
1. JJ to Rutledge, 6 July 1776, above.
2. British forces under General Henry Clinton attacked Charleston, S.C., on 28 June 1776. American troops under General Charles Lee turned back the amphibious assault.
3. The Actaeon, a twenty-eight-gun vessel, ran aground during the battle and was fired by her crew when they abandoned the ship. The Bristol and Experiment, both fifty-gun ships, were also damaged in the engagement.
4. Sir Peter Parker (1721–1811), commander of the British squadron that had sailed from Dublin to participate in the Charleston campaign, suffered minor injuries. Captain Alexander Scott of the Experiment lost his right arm in this action.
5. Lieutenant Colonel William Thompson of the South Carolina Rangers.
6. This may be a reference either to Lewis Morris, then Rutledge’s colleague in the Continental Congress, or more likely to his half brother Gouverneur. In his letter to JJ of 29 June 1776, above, Rutledge had written, “Compliments to Livingston and G. Morris.”