To George Washington from John Mathews, 24 March 1780
From John Mathews
Philadelphia March 24th 1780
Sir,
Mr Kinloch One of the Delegates of South Carolina arrived here yesterday in Twenty three days, from that place.1 He says the British troops, were in the same position as on the 25 of February, (as your Excy has already been informed).2 Genl Hogan had arrived with the No. Carolina Brigade.3 Genl Woodford on the 11 Inst. was 380 miles distant from Chs Town Genl Scott, had at last proceeded for that place alone. The troops that were under his Command remained at Petersburg without the least appearance of moving.4 The lines of Chs Town were compleated, & the harbour well secured by a respectable Naval armament, & wanted nothing to render it almost impregnable, but a larger body of men, than they then had, or had any prospect of soon obtaining, for it’s defence. It was the general opinion when he came away, that the enemy had met with material losses at Sea, either in men, or some of their capital Store ships, which caused their inactivity, as they had been possessed of the principal part of the ground they then occupied For twenty one days. Genl Lincoln commanded in Chs Town, & Genl Moultrie at a post—24 miles from the town (Bacon’s bridge, an important pass on Ashley river)5 with a body of between 400 & 500 horse, & a few Infantry.
The inactivity of the enemy in So. Carolina & the arrival of the Roebuck, with the transports from thence, at New York, seems to countenance the opinion, of the enemy’s being unprepared for an attack, & which may probably not take place before the return of those Ships from N: York.6 In this event it will give time for the Virginia troops to get up, which will be a most fortunate circumstance. I thought it advisable to give Your Excy this information as it may lead to your obtaining some usefull intelligence from a certain quarter. I have the Honour to be with great respect Yr Excys most Obedt servt
Jno. Mathews
ALS, DLC:GW.
South Carolina delegate Mathews wrote Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates from Philadelphia on 14 March: “I have very little hopes of stimulating them [Congress] to any acts that will tend to the salvation of those devoted Countries. Were an angel from heaven to perch on the back of the Presidents Chair & proclaim the immediate annihilation of the southern states, unless something vigorous, & effectual was done, & even point out the mode, I sincerely believe, as soon as he had taken his flight, & the surprise had subsided, they would just sink again into the same torpid State in which he found them. … In the beginning of this war, whilst the efforts of the enemy were pointed to the reduction of the Northern States, men were drawn from every State in the Union (except So. Carolina & Georgia, whose local circumstances you well know would not admit of it) for the defence of those States in danger, & some of the people of the Southern States, undertook a march of 1000 miles, & underwent the fatigues of it with cheerfulness to effect so laudable & so desirable a purpose, & those that did not send men contributed their aid of money &c with great good will, & an affectionate zeal, & would have with alacrity done any thing in their power towards the support of the common cause. How the Scene is changed. The war is most evidently transfered from the Northern to the Southern States, & in my opinion their conquest there, are meant to be solid & permanent. Then have not those States, now the theater of war the same right to expect, the support of the United efforts of the other states? Should not the Grand army be now employed there, as it has heretofore been here? It may be said the enemy have still a formidable force at N. York, it’s my belief they will be much obliged to us, to let them alone, if so, they will not disturb us, besides are not the troops of Six States sufficient, with the powerful Militia these Countrys afford, to keep the enemy within their lines” (, 14:500–502).
1. Mathews anxiously anticipated the arrival of Francis Kinloch when he wrote Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln from Philadelphia on 19 March because no authoritative news had arrived from the southern department “since the 29th Jany. announcing the appearance of the enemy off our coast” (, 14:517–18). For the British expedition against Charleston, S.C., see Philip Schuyler to GW, 12 March, n.7, and John Laurens to GW, 14 March.
Francis Kinloch (1755–1826), born in Charleston and educated at Eton College in England, began study in Europe for a legal or diplomatic career during 1774. He returned to the United States in 1778, served in the Continental army, and held a seat as a representative in South Carolina before his selection as delegate to Congress in 1780. An extensive rice planter, Kinloch supported ratification of the Constitution in May 1788 as a delegate to the state convention. Kinloch authored Eulogy on George Washington, Esq. deceased, Late Commander in Chief of the American Armies, and some time President of the United States (Georgetown, S.C., 1800).
2. See Samuel Huntington to GW, 19 March, and notes 1 and 2 to that document.
3. Two North Carolina regiments under Brig. Gen. James Hogun’s command had been the first reinforcements sent to the southern department from GW’s army (see GW to Thomas Clark, 19 Nov. 1779, and notes 2 and 4 to that document).
4. For the slow progress of reinforcements from Virginia, including troops from GW’s army now under the command of Brig. Gen. William Woodford, and troops recruited and outfitted in Virginia under the command of Brig. Gen. Charles Scott, see Lincoln to GW, this date, and notes 5–7 to that document. Scott reached Charleston by early April (see Woodford to GW, 9 April).
5. Bacon’s Bridge, which crossed the Ashley River northwest of Charleston near the market village of Dorchester (now Summerville), originally was called Steven’s Bridge. The structure received its enduring name after Michael Bacon purchased the surrounding property. Brig. Gen. William Moultrie oversaw construction of a redoubt to defend the bridge in 1780 after the British advance into South Carolina.
6. Mathews probably is alluding to the recent arrival in New York City from Georgia of the British warship Russell, which carried New York royal governor Maj. Gen. James Robertson (see Robertson to Lord Amherst, 10–25 March 1780, in , 73–80). The British frigate Roebuck remained in southern waters through the spring months.