believed he burnt but two; one was the house of
Lieut. Dickson, who was with Marion; the other belonged to Nathaniel
Dwight, of Waccamaw neck. Upon a retrospection, Col. Watson's character
appears in a favourable point of view; and, as far as was consistent
with orders, his humanity is undoubted.

On the 18th of April, Col. William Harden, acting under the orders of
Marion, took the British fort at Pocotaligo, with one militia colonel,
one major, three captains, three lieutenants, sixty privates and
twenty-two dragoons, prisoners. He writes, "I wish you would send some
commissions, with your orders. It seems they wait for Col. Hayne, and he
says he cannot act without a commission, and I am sure, if he turns out,
at least two hundred will join him. If so, I am very certain that this
part of the country may be held." Every one has either read or heard of
the subsequent melancholy fate of Col. Hayne; but more of that in the
sequel.

Major John Postell had been pitched upon as the first victim. After
distinguishing himself, as related, he obtained leave from his general
to go with a flag to Georgetown, to obtain the release of his father,
(who was still a prisoner) and of some others. Capt. Saunders, now the
commandant, detained him, and threw him also into gaol, on the plea of
his having broken his parole;* and, in a long correspondence with Gen.
Marion, he and Col. Balfour, the commandant of Charleston, vindicated
the measure, as consistent with the laws of war and nations. It appears
Balfour was the civilian of the British while here in power. He was just
such a minion as would have suited the purposes of Tiberius Caesar. He
had several hundreds of Americans pining in want and misery in loathsome
prison-ships, and in dungeons under the Exchange, damp and noisome,
which he called _his provost_.

* By a copy of Major Postell's parole, preserved in Horry's
correspondence, it appears he was paroled in Charleston;
but, soon after, the British or tories stripped him of all
his property, which was a breach of it on their part. In a
letter to Gen. Marion, 14th Jan. he says, "My honour is all
I have left--my family has been reduced to beg their
bread."

He writes thus to Saunders, concerning Major Postell, "send him by
water," (by land was not safe) "by a fast sailer--under a guard--_be
so good_ as to let him have no chance of escaping." _Be so good_ here,
meant to clap him in irons.