Documenting the American South Logo
Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Henry William Harrington to Horatio Gates
Harrington, Henry William, 1747-1809
October 10, 1780
Volume 14, Pages 683-684

GEN. H. W. HARRINGTON TO MAJOR GENERAL GATES.

Camp near Cross Creek, 10th Octor., 1780.

Dear Sir:

I had the honour to acquaint You on the 6th Instant of my return to this Post, & that Colo. Taylor had joined me. Colo. Kenan joined me on Sunday, but his number is so reduced by sickness that at present they have not more than 28 fit for duty besides the Officers. Colo. Wade will inform You, Sir, of the Retreat of the British & Tories from Peedee to Cambden, & that Post might be yet taken there to advantage, which would effectually preserve the Mills, Grain & Stock on the upper parts of the River. I moreover learn, Sir, that the People were most heartily disposed to join me, & have reason to flatter myself that, had I gone on, my Brigade would have greatly strengthened, and that the Force I should have collected in the South would have enabled me to have kept possession of all on the Northside of Santee, & perhaps been formidable enough to have alarmed the Enemy in Mecklenburgh, & thereby caused a diversion in favor of

-------------------- page 684 --------------------
that part of the Country. But, Sir, as You have a View of the whole Scene, You certainly know where to employ my small Brigade to the most advantage, and I shall with the greatest cheerfulness pay the most implicit obedience to and think myself honoured by your Commands.

I have the pleasure to inform You, Sir, that Bladen County is entirely free from Tories, I mean Insurgents. Col. Marion sent some Prisoners here the other day; some of them are, or rather were, wealthy Inhabitants ofSo. Carolina. They want to be paroled, which I tell them I cannot do. They say they were obliged to take up Arms, or go to the Provost Guard. From them I have two News-papers, which I send with this, as they will serve to show the increase of the Converts to The Royal Cause in Charles Town, and that a Lieut. Colo. is Commandant there.

I have the honor to be, Dr. Sir,
Your most humble and most obedt. Sert.,
H. W. HARRINGTON.