Far the Gazette or the United States.
No. XV.
Mr. Ffnno,
AFTER the long period which has elapsed fmoe
the- publication of my observations on the calumny
aduaucfd agamll thefouthern ltntes,l imagined I had
.done with the fubjeift. »But -a reply, whietf vtfU
have pul.lifhed from the Minerva, venders some fur
ther, remarks neceflary on my part. The writer of
them fays my numbers " soon convinced him, that
1 did not know what 1 was about, and that it was
idle totake any notice of me." Had •he perfilted
in this opinion, he would have spared me some time
and -
I request the readers' particular attention' to "the
ongin of the controverfjrbetween us, in order to
enable him accurately to decide the quediou at if
' file :—
T his wrfter aflTerted that " the -northern states
fought the battles of the southern, during.the late war.
1 Utyfed, cleathed, and supported the army. They
fecund independenceThefeaflertions, which were
advanced without any qualification, limitation,doubt
or exception, I controverted, and adduced the mod
copious and unanswerable proofs, drawn verbatim
from Ramsay and Gordon, that thev were untrue.
I freely avow, that when I began the invediga
tiori, I had no idea how utterly and absolutely un
founded they were, tl fuppofedii not only pofiible
but highly probable, that considerable portions of
the American armies at the southward, might have
■been drawn from the northern states. But the
reader may readily conceive my astonishment, at
finding that there was not even the .moll didant
shadow of foundation for the aTertions ; that the
southern states, in the fulled .and mart unbounded
■latitude of the words, fought their own battles ;
that in those awful " times that tried men's fouls,"
they were almod literally abandoned by the gene
ral government. j. When the invsfion of South
Carolina took place, *' The North Carolina and
Virginia continentals, amounting to 1500 men,
and also two frigates, a twenty gun flrip, and a (loop
of war, were ordered from the Northward, for the
defence of Charleftown. This was sll the aid th.it
tould be expeftedfrom Cingreft." Ramsay's South- 1
Carolina, vol. ii. page ,7. Though Congress
ivns unable to fend either men or money for the relief \
of the southern slates, they did what was equivalent, 1
they sent then a general whose head was a council, (
and whose military talents were equal to a rein- <
forcement." Ramsay s America, vol. ii. p. 229. <
Ard to make the calumny appear the more com- 1
pletely monstrous, that there were more southern
' troops in the battles of Germantown and Brandy- a
wine, than, on the fulled examination, I could dif* f
cover, of northern troops engaged to the southward, J
during the whole war, except at Yorktown. r
1 faall not pretend to aecount for the motives e
that jed to this misdatement; nor is it neceflaryto t
call the reader's attention to its flagitious tendency, ]
particularly at a time when the paflions and p»eju- f
dices of the northern fe&ion of the union, were in- a
dudrioufly and insidiously excited and arrayed a- h
• gaind their southern brethren and fellow citizens, t
by a series of the mad wanton and intemperate a- h
bufe—abufe which, though to the fuperficial, it si
may have the appearance of plausibility, Ido not n
hffitate to paonounee utterly unfounded. Except e
the fcunility lavished on the Scotch in the North a
Briton, I never knew of so indecent an attack f
made on one part of a nation, in the Gazettes of h
another part. It might not be time ill spent to re- h
fl jft on the general degradation' of the American 1
chara&er, in the eyes of the-European world, from u
the diflemination of such black and malignant de- E
fcriptions of so large a portion <if our fellow citi- le
zens. But, unfortunately, this is only one of thou
sands of indances that might be produced of the in- n
efficacy of the tics of patriotism or truth, when put c<
in competition with the accomplifcment of a fa- m
▼orite scheme in politics. in
But this is a digression. To return to the sub- th
jest, I have to observe, that the writer now at- cc
tempts to explain away the obvious and Unequivo* d;
cal import of his own words, in order to make therr bi
wear the appearance, and only the appearance of ta
truth. He tells us with great gravity that, " The ! a
meariing of the adertion, the northern slates fought ' of
the battles of the southern, is, that the northern dales la
made the principal reftjlance—a fa£l, that th? south ni
trn dates themselves acknowledge, -and whieh,dur- pa
ing the war, was never qneditJned-." th
Reader, do you agree to this " meaning ?" Is"
it adjnifiible ? Is it fair, honed, or candid ? Is it br
warranted by the obvious atid-natural import of the an
words I If it be, all my knowledge of the English tin
language is erroneous. A writer aflerts that " the iEi
northern dates fought the battles of the southern," en
His adertion is disputed. Hidory is appealed to. H
Her impartial and conclusive evidence proves that an
the polition is deftiuite of even the semblance of to
f truth. Driven from this pod, and unwilling to ac- St
knowledge his error, he now tells us, that the mean- ta<
ing of the words is, that " the northern states aci
made the principal refittance " As well might he be
assert, that a monarchy is the heft possible form of H
government, and then explain his " meaning" to be ma
a defence of republicantfm. nol
But the fubjeft deterves further ronfideratian. go
Admitting the words ta have the meaning which is -dif
now ascribed to 1 hem, they are dill untrue. The for
northern dates did not make the principal refinance. 60
The reliftance of the southern dates was, to fay no wh
more, equally brave, equally honorable, equally fpi- ( 1
rired. Were f. disposed to increase the irritation for
that has been artfully excited, I might, with per- hat
fed fafery make comparisons, which, though they cor
Would perhaps appear invidious, would speak a ve-! em
ry different language-from that of the prefcut-day- If<
I might draw a «mtraft between thefouthein bat
tles and those fought to the northward ; and that clci
fhamefully, vilified part of the union would not have con
cause ro ftirink from, or hlulh at, the investigation : not
But I wave this. And shall only observe, that the to ;
journals of Congress bear ample tcftimony of the an
glories of Eutaw. At the battle of Cowpena, tire inv<
bald ell and mod fucceftful of the British generals fool
was defeated by iouthern bravery. At Kings wsr
mountain, a motley eollcdtioii of raw and totally bitt
: ihejcperienced militia haflily eolleiltd together, de
>. | felted numbers of veteran troops. In
this batttle the. American forces were only 9JO
men, and they took 810 prisoners, and 1500 Hand
of arms. I might easily add to the glsnous lift.—
I might trace Gen. Greene's army over the bur
ince ning far.ds of North and-South.Carolina, by their
Tiny bloody footftepJ. I Might dwell on the gallant de
had feat of the British armament which attacked Sulli
yofu van's Island, defended by only 374 men. And
fur- shall the laurels of such heroes be tarnished by an
rof anonymous writer in a newspaper ! O (hame !
that where is thy bluth ?
was To corroborate his former aflertjons, he advan-
Ited ces another. " Burgoyne, with an army of deu
ime ble the flrength of that which laid wade three or
four southern dates for two years, marched several
the miles into the country, and maintained himfelf a
rto week or two after leaving the late,before he was com
if- pelledto surrender with his whojearmy."
Are we never to -have done with alfe/tions un
ites supported by truth or the tellimony of hidory ?
var. Phe force under Burgoyne is dated by Gordon
hey at " more than 7000 men." Vol. ii. p. 204.
'ere Ramsay fays, in nearly the fame words " the regu
ubt lar troops, Britifli and German,allotted to this icr
lod vice, were upwards of 7000." Vol. ii. p. 25.
Tim Stedman, a later hidorian, and one wljo had the ex
ue. amination of the orderly books of Burgoyne's ar
ga- my, makes them amount to " 7183 men" exdlulive
un- of the corps of artillery. Vol. i. p. 357. —
ble Now, reader, let us examine if this army be " dou
of ble the drength of that wade the fouth
ave em states."
'I' e Gen. Clinton, when he took Charledon, had an
at army of above 9000 men, the flower of the Britilh
ant troops on the continent. Ramsay's American
the Revolution, vol. ii. p. 155. It will require some
led new arithmetical calculations to prove that 7000
s ; men ate '• double" 9000. Such power of figures,
if properly applied to the public debt, might be
made to produce wonderful effe&s.
ith Lord Cornwallis had at one time " under his
nd orders, above i t,OOO men." Gordon's Ame- j
;n, rica, vol. iii. p. 135. Subsequent to this, he re- I
op ceived a reinforcement of 2000 men, under General ]
he Philips. ibid v 178. This gave him 1
tat At his furrertder, after all his lodes in- killed, pri- i.
h- fouersprevioufly taken, and deserters, of whom the
;fs number was very considerable, his army was 7000
ief llrong. Ramsay's America, vol. ii. 272. Yet
it, we are now affuted, that " Burgoyne's army was
il, double the drength" of Cornwall's. To which
n- emotion shall we yield, astonishment or indignation,
9. at such palpable and glaring aberrations from hifto
n- rieal truth ?
rn Burgoyne " maintained himfelf a week or two,
y- after leaving the lake." The writer's abilities at :
if- fubdradlion und division are equal to those be pof- 1
d, .fefles in addition or multiplication. After having j
made 7000 double 13,000, it, is not surprising that !
88 entire months should be reduced to " a week or
0 two." Let as examine this matter minutely. Gen.
f, Burgoyne took Tieonderoga, the 6th of July
1- from which time to the 16th of Odlober, the day
1- of his surrender, was above fourteen weeks. To
J- heighten New England bravery at the expence of 1
s, that of the southern people—to " build up their ■'
1- house, by pulling down that of their neighbours," I
it fourteen weeks are reduced to one or,two. I do I
>t not deem it neceflary to take much notice of the 1
>t expression " after quitting the lake" for, if it ha 6 '
h any meaning, as applied here, it mud be, that jf- I
k fore that event his (hipping on the lake protected '
>f him from his aflailants ; which is not the fact ; for <
was no ' niolefted for many weeks after he left I
n 1 iconderoga. However, to remove all cavils, let !
n us calculate from the time of arrival at Fort
Edward, which was on the 30th of July—this «
i- leaves a period of eleven weeks. . a
1- As the capture of Gen. Burgoyne's army by the t
- northern dates is blazoned forth, for the purpose of t
t compelling the southern dates to " hide their di- F
. ininifhed heads''—l (hall be pardoned for a (hort 1
invedigation of its caiile«. To lessen the glory of b
- those who performed such an effentral service to their y
- country, in a day when her fun rose in clouds and tl
1- darkness, is not my intention. I acknowledge the «1
branery displayed in it. I acknowledge its impor- o
f tant effedh on the residue of the war. But as, by n
-| 8 perversion of, ideas, it seems to b? the A
t opinion of many, that the reputation of New Eng
-3 .and: cannot be fnfliciently resplendent, without tar- tl
nifhing or annihilating that of the southern states, "
- particularly Virginia, it becomes a duty to place I
this business in a proper point of light. 01
s Geo..Burgoyne, whatever may have been his oi
t bravery, was deficient in some of the mod import- fa
: ant qualifications requilite for the entcrprize he fit
1 •undertook. He was both rash and head ft rang, fit
: Larly in his career, he committed some egregious so
errors, which rendered his subsequent fate inevitable, ca
He harralfed his men by forcing his way through th
; an almott impassable country, indead of returning ca
to I iconderoga, and using the navigation of lake E
St. George..(ip.) When he determined on the at- on
tack of Bennington, he was informed bv a loyatid
1 t,U j n ri Cd r W L ', Ch theeountr y^ that 3000' men would he
be indifpeufibly necessary for the expedition. f Ml ] at
He lent only 6co, and these Tieavy swrned Ger
mans, under Baum, commander, who underdood to
not the language, and who was unable t" didin- tic
gmfh a fnend from an enemy. (12.) When Baum
flilcovered his imminent danger, and sent an express ba
for a "reinforcement, he dispatched Breyman with
600 more Germans, armed like the former, and an
who marched f.xteen miles in twenty four hours.
j(J3,J By Ins error and their dilatorinefs, the rein- th,
forcement under Breymah arrived jud after Baum fer
. had been defeated, and became themselves an easy lar
conned to an enemy ftufhed with viclory. OthtT
errors, almod as fatal, might be pointed out. Bu w,
I fear to be tedious. " Ut
cles B i! d h 8 hk inW P aC 7' , there natural obfla. for
ir, his way, of which the southern invaders cef
! nature ,dM - Tl ' C im
.0 the A™ c °untry gave inedimablc advantages ab<
In lfr r ; C " n CeS ' L Perh3 P S thcre hardly
an untortiued country in the world in k
butercft enemies have never chared him'witW the
de- of induftryr-he advanced very link more than J
In mile & day in his progress from Skeenefborough to
jjo Fort Edward. (14-) And I will venture an affer
iiiid tion, for the truth of which 1 appeal to any man
conversant in tactius, that ten thonfarid men would
,ur- {land a fairer chance of overrunning and subduing
ieir such a level champaign country, as Virginia and
de- the Carolinas, than 30,000 would such a trad as
jlli- lies from Skeene/boiough to Saratoga, where na-
Uid ture has done more towards defence, than the ut
an mod fkilland bravery could afford.
le ! " The principal means of defence were furnifhed
by the northern states. The British bent their force,
an- on that account, agairjl the northern Jlates —and
'»«• a great propoition of the refinance made to that
or force, was,of course, made ia the northers Hates."
rral To this paragraph I can, without any'facrifice of
If a truth, pay the compliment, of declaring it to be
>m- equally true with the others. The British did not
bend their force again/l the riorthtrny Jlates. Except
un- the ill managed invasion of Burgoyne, ahd a few
' predatory incursions, neither intended nor expe&ed
lon to produce any pirmahent effect, the nofthern states,
34. properly -so called, had aimed a total respite for
>u- above fix years of 'he war. The Britilh bent
cr- their force" chiefly against the southern states.
jj. Thither they sent their bravett, mod enterprfing,
sx- and molt experienced Generals—their Cornwallifes,
ar- their Tarletons, their Fergufons, their Rawdong.
ive Thither they were allured by the hopes of plunder
— and ot easy conqucft. There they made by far
>u- the greated exertions. 'To the succour of these
:h- dates, molt invitingly exposed to insult and invasion,
by their numerous navigable rivers, their scattered
an population, their extraordinary number of slaves,
ifh who were tempted to rife againd their mader*—
an Congress, as I have already shewn, was for the
ne mod part of the war unable to contribute.
jo " I will venture another assertion," adds this
;s , writer, " which I btfieve to be the trutb, that
>e the force which ravaged three or four southern dates,
during whole campaigns, could not have remained
lis on the territory of the fmallejl of the eajlern Jlates,
ie. i beyond the reach of their Ihips guns, and exposed
'e- 1 to the force of that Jlate only, for two weeks".
al ] This is as wild and extravagaat an assertion. asanv
Oj | man ever haarsr3ed in~SIa lo.ber denies. General
ri. j Burgoyne's army, as we have already seen, was at
he no time equal to the southern invaders—they were
jo fourteen weeks from their capture of Ticondercga,
et and eleven from their arrival at Fort Edward, in
as the date of New-York, which is certainly as pow
;h erful, at leajl, as one of " the fmallejl of the eajlern
0j Jlates" —they were "exposed" not •'to the force
0 . of that date alone"—but tottha force of all New
England, and even to some of the southern troops.
0, (iS-) Yet we are now told that the force that ra- ,
at j vaged the southern dates could not lemain on the
,f. territory of " the fmalled of the eadem dates for
ig two weeks''—yes, readers, for two weeks! that ,
jt is the precise time fixed for them by a writer, who
, r j has lately assured his readers, that he " Eas always 1
n. | good authority for what he affetis," and that tho' j
_ his " enemies may contradi£t, they can not disprove <
,y his assertions 1"
o It gives me no small pleasure, that I have been 1
>f indrumental in inducing this writer, after theabufe 1
ir which he has so profufely thrown upon the southern e
" states, to break forth at length in fheir praise. He t
0 fays: " far be it from me to derogate from the t
e' honour or merits of the southern troops. They
is were excellent troops, though their numbers were t
.. small and no better ojjicers ever commanded men t
d than those Jlates furnijhed." Had the means of r
r oefence cxifted in the southern states, the brave of c
1 fi= e ' s ment 'oned by Hanington, Morgan, Marion,
t jPiekens, Lee, W. Wafliington, and others would ii
t loon have commanded those means, and expelled v
s the enemy. No better officers ever lived. They £
did all they could do." How their well earned a
e though extorted praises can be made to confid with n
f the idea, that " the northern states secured inde
pendence," it is not my province to demonstrate. n
t ihe " southern troops wert excellenf—and "no ir
f better officers ever lived, than their c.mmvnders," ai
r yet, mrabile diaii! " the northern states fought a,
I their battles." This is only borrowing a little of e<
■ the humbug by which, to gratify the prediledion <r,
. of the Brunfwick family for their continental do- tc
■ minions, the English have. t>een very gravely per- re
: luaued that America was conquered in Germany, vi
• In a former pap<r, « this fame writer" charges ol
he fouthernpeopie with being " knavish" and with m
(porting with property not their civn." (16 ) bt
I cannot pretend to fay whether he fpcaks from his ti,
own experience, »r whether he takes the opinions th
of others or, trust ; but this I can and this I will as
lav, that I have had dealings in Virginia to a con- te
fiderable extent, and that I never had, nor do I de- w
fire better or fairer customers. than they have uni- al
.ormly been. Many of my friends and acquaintance so
can bear the lame teftimoßy in their favour. That th
there are unprincipled, dishonest men among them, P l,
i' t nied ' ® Ut a,e there in New £
England or New-York? « Let him that is with- vil
out fault, throw the firft done."
I (ball now take a final of this writer, unless p °e
he renews the controversy. In these essays, I have an
attempted to prove,
1. That the popular branch of a legiflatore are, fu,
z, b r d - um ' """T
b.niJo h f",v'Lx?r""" did " M %b ' ,hc F
3" That the southern states afforded more assist- nu
ance to th. northern, than they received from them, we
a J\ Tllat tht ; newspaper writers to the south- of'
ab0 7 ut teZsz™ die
t s o """ ,o prod °" •
(i a 9. That a dissolution would be at lead a « r
to and fatally felt by the northern !k, eJ> who are/J
Un andHh < P" hti < editors, as by the fouthm Jt
lan are buyers, and who contribute their full n, 0
m „ < h < r „ T rf . the r t^snr
,n 5 i" undeital ««S J have been influenced hi
...d wifli to promote, as far as a fewdffuhorv
:as promote the general welfare. How fa, I u
na- succeeded, the public will decide. 1 should kT
ut offered some apology for adducing proofs of^
might appear felf-evident. But that the n m '
led of apology is done away- by an examination oft
ve, publications in our papers s O/ s o me iao nth. p ast '
ind which ,t w,l appear, that the mo st obvious -J
hat controvertible maxims maxims rendered f lc ? ed £
s. the uniform support of the wisest and bed men r
of every age and nation, have been, to fcrv. the
be poses of the moment, treated witH as much derifio™
no the fabrications of G.orge Pfalmanazer ohe
:pt ravings of Ri,chard Brothers.
Z M,y, 3 . , n6 . HARR.NGTON. ,
es, io. Ramsay, p. 34,
For 11. Stedman, vol. I. 368.
ent 12. Ibid. 371.
es. Ibid.
ig, 14. Ramsay 11. 34.
es, rj. Among the American forces at the capt„ re
is. of Burgoyne, was the celebrated Morgan', rifiU
er corps, and other troops from the southward. -
ar 16. American Minerva, May 6, 1796.
IfONGRESS^
cd
:s ' HOUSE of representatives
- _ Thurfdy, May 26.
J.IT 7 fa ! d '" h ? ; und « flood Harrrifon,&
Sterret had received information refpe&inu- tU
n. bill of exchange which led them ,0 wist * -
at draw their petition, he should move that the com"
:s, mittee of claims be discharged from the further con! .
-d f,deration of the fa,d petition, and that leave' bt
"j «' Ven ;° , vv,thdraw 'he fame; which was granted
:d accordingly. ° " ca
Mr, T»cy also made reports on the petition. >f
al on the petition of John Marie de 80-de, a«i n fl ,h " '
at petitioner ; which were severally twice r«d in
e ordered to be committed to committees of the whole'
a, to-m®rrow. 0
in He tf lfo reported a bill for the relief of J olm ,
f ,e y™ ' whl = h twice read and ordered to
n be commuted to committees of the whole to-day
he hotife took up the amendments yefterdav
f m a committee of the whole on the bill for
?. fat,|fy,ng certain demands oceaGoned by the -trials
e i°fe M *****
>e pay -to Marshals, Jurors, and Witneffee, and to al.
<r- low a further compensation to thediliridt Attorney
t of Kentucky. They were agrped to, and the bill
was ordered to be ongroffed and read'the third time
n Y? 8 a t f 5 i r ward *- re »«i the third*,'meand
passed. By this bill an additional allowance q£ a
e dollar per day ,s made to marfhajs,, who had before
5 dollars ; of 1-2 dollar to grand & petty jurors, w.Ho
n had before only 50 cents ; of 50 cents to witnesses
e Who were before paid agreeably to the practice of
n each ttate ; and 200 dollar? were allovvfd in addi
e tion to his fees, to the tjiftria attorney of Kert
e tucky. '
y A meffags from the Senate informed the house,
e that the Senate infilled upon their disagreement to
» the bill altering the compensation of clerks. A com-'
t mittee of conference was appointed on the fubiea
pt difagreemeßt.
f . O". motion of Mr. S. Smith, the house formed
1 tie If into a committee of the whole on the bill pro
-1 viding pzflports for ships and vessels of the United
) States, which was agreed to without amendment.
1 and ordered to beengroffed for a third reading to
-1 morrow.
After {ome debate upon the propriety of post
poning the business till next session, the house went
» into a committee of the whole on the bill ma.ki.ig
an extra allowance to certain clerks of public offices
and the widows of such as are decesfed, who remaid^
cd in Philadelphia during the Yellow-Fever,-toge-'
gether with the report of the committee of claims,
to whom the bill had been referred thereon. The
report ft*ted that the objects of the present hill di
vided themlelres into three clafles, viz. the widows
oi such clerks as died in the calamity ; such as re-.
mained to tranfaft business which was neeeffary to
be done and could not tranfatted at any other (
jime 4 and, such as remained to do business, which,
though of some importance, might have been.ddne- 1
afterwards. With refpctt to the firft, the commit
tee had no doubt asto the justice of their claim;
with refp'eft to the latter two clafles, they were at
a loss how to discriminate between them, and there
fore had reported in favor of the whole, and yet
they were aware it would be introducing a princi
ple thai would extend itfelf to New-Yoik, Baltl.
more, Norfolk and New-Haven, which had been
visited by a similar calamity and consequently bring
forward a considerable number of claimants. The
perlons included in this bill were between 60 and 70,
and though a hundred dollars each was only propo
sed to be allowed, it would make a considerable
sum in the whole.
Mr.. Swanwick advocated with all his force, the
cause of these men.who ( had remained he said at their
llations, wheij their superiors fled from the pefli
lence which threatened them, and which swept a
number of clerks away, whofc widows and orphans
were now left to lament their temerity. Mr. Ku
therford also plead their cause. Mr. Heath and
Mr. S. Smith opposed the bill, as establishing too
broad a principle, whilst they had been obliged to
turn a deaf ear to the diftrefTed widows and orphans
of foldier3, and that, as these had no real
claim upon them, they ought to bejufl
were generous. At length on motion of Mr. Coit,
the firfl fed ion of the bill was agreed to be struck
out 35 to and the other parts of the bill so al
tered as to include the widows of such perforisas
died during the fever. Mr. $• Smith approved of
this measure, as being analogous to the relief grant
ed to wounded soldiers or their widows j but Mr. /
Swanwick denied the analogy of the two cases.—
When a loldier enlilted into the army he knew h*
had to run, his business was to meet danger;
but these clerks entered jntp the service of govefn-