ces. Brigadier General Ashe was surprised in his camp and utterly
defeated, and the British army not only penetrated into Georgia, but
made its appearance at Beaufort in South Carolina. Here it was met by
Moultrie in a spirited encounter, which resulted in a drawn battle.
Meanwhile, General Lincoln found the militia refractory. They refused
to submit to the articles of war, and desired to serve only under those
laws by which the militia was governed. Chagrined with this resistance,
Lincoln transferred the militia to Moultrie, and, at the head of
about 2000 troops of the regular service, he marched up the country to
Augusta, proposing by this course to circumscribe the progress of the
enemy in that quarter. Taking advantage of this movement, by which the
regular troops were withdrawn from the seaboard, the British General,
Prevost, immediately crossed the Savannah with the intention of
surprising Moultrie, who, with 1200 militia-men, lay at Black Swamp.
But Moultrie, advised of his enemy, retired to Coosawhatchie, where he
placed his rear guard; his headquarters being pitched on the hill, east
of Tuliffinnee, two miles in advance, and on the route to Charleston.
Here the rear-guard, under Colonel Laurens, engaged the enemy's
advance, and was driven before it. Moultrie gradually retired as Prevost
advanced, and the contest which followed between the two, seemed to be
which should reach Charleston first. The defenceless condition of that
city was known to the British General, whose object was to take it by
'coup de main'. Moultrie erred in not making continued fight in the
swamps and strong passes, the thick forests and intricate defiles, which
were numerous along the route of the pursuing army. His policy seems to
have been dictated by an undue estimate of the value of the city, and
the importance of its safety to the state. But for this, even an army
so much inferior as his, could have effectually checked the enemy long
before the city could have been reached. Moultrie continued in advance
of Prevost, and reached Charleston a few hours before him; just in
season to establish something like order, and put the place in a
tolerable state of defence. The fire from the lines arrested the British
advance. The place was summoned, and defiance returned. Night followed,
and the next morning the enemy had disappeared. His object had been
surprise. He was unprepared for the assault, having no heavy artillery,
and his departure was ha