being anxious to make a movement as soon
as there was any chance of activity, had put myself in communication
with the ex-Governor Martin, of North Carolina, whom I proposed to join,
with three or four of our Virginian gentlemen, officers of that notable
corps of which we only wanted privates. We made no particular mystery
about our departure from Castlewood; the affairs of Congress were
not going so well yet that the new government could afford to lay any
particular stress or tyranny upon persons of a doubtful way of thinking.
Gentlemen's houses were still open; and in our southern fashion we would
visit our friends for months at a time. My wife and I, with our infant
and a fitting suite of servants, took leave of Madam Esmond on a visit
to a neighbouring plantation. We went thence to another friend's house,
and then to another, till finally we reached Wilmington, in North
Carolina, which was the point at which we expected to stretch a hand to
the succours which were coming to meet us.

Ere our arrival, our brother Carolinian Royalists had shown themselves
in some force. Their encounters with the Whigs had been unlucky. The
poor Highlanders had been no more fortunate in their present contest in
favour of King George, than when they had drawn their swords against him
in their own country. We did not reach Wilmington until the end of May,
by which time we found Admiral Parker's squadron there, with General
Clinton and five British regiments on board, whose object was a descent
upon Charleston.

The General, to whom I immediately made myself known, seeing that my
regiment consisted of Lady Warrington, our infant, whom she was nursing,
and three negro servants, received us at first with a very grim welcome.
But Captain Horner of the Sphinx frigate, who had been on the Jamaica
station, and received, like all the rest of the world, many kindnesses
from our dear Governor there, when he heard that my wife was General
Lambert's daughter, eagerly received her on board, and gave up his
best cabin to our service; and so we were refugees, too, like my Lord
Dunmore, having waved our flag, to be sure, and pocketed it, and
slipped out at the back door. From Wilmington we bore away quickly to
Charleston, and in the course of the voyage and our delay in the river,
previous to our assault on the place, I made some acquaintance with
Mr. Clinton, which increased to a further intimacy. It was the King's
birthday when we appeared in the ri