t Tulifinny had then entirely failed.

** 1st Volume Moultrie's memoirs, p. 403-4.

We have for some time lost sight of Lieut. Col. Marion, and the reader
may naturally inquire, was he at Tulifinny? He was not. With the second
regiment under his command, he was in garrison at fort Moultrie. Before
Gen. Moultrie broke up his camp at Black Swamp, he wrote to Gen. Lincoln
to give him advice of the movement of the enemy to Purysburgh, and from
time to time of their progress to Charleston; but Lincoln marched up to
Augusta, crossed over into Georgia, and moved down on the other side
of the river for some time, very deliberately.* However, from Jannett's
ferry, he writes a letter, of which the following is an extract: "If the
enemy should give public evidence of their designs against Charleston, I
think, with your force, as you are in possession of _strong passes_, you
will be able to stop their progress and give us time to come up." On the
10th of May, he again writes to Gen. Moultrie, "We are making, and
shall continue to make, every exertion for the relief of Charleston. The
baggage will be left. The inability of the men only, will put a period
to our daily marches. Our men are full of spirits. Do not give up, or
suffer the people to despair." But the governor and council did despair
already, for a majority of them had finally offered to capitulate, and
proposed a neutrality, during the war between Great Britain and South
Carolina; and the question, whether the state should belong to Great
Britain, or remain one of the United States, to be determined by the
treaty of peace; from this offer, Gen. Gadsden and Mr. Thomas Ferguson
dissented. To carry terms so disgraceful, to Prevost, Col. Laurens
was pitched upon; but he indignantly refused to be the bearer. Cols.
M'Intosh and Roger Smith were then persuaded to go with a flag. The
British commander appointed Col. Prevost, as commissioner to receive
them; and he delivered a message from the general, "that he had nothing
to do with the governor, that his business was with Gen. Moultrie; and
as the garrison was in arms, they must surrender prisoners of war." At
this answer, the governor and council looked blank; and some were
for submitting even to this degrading proposal: but Moultrie cut the
conference short, by declaring, "that as it was left to him, he would
fight to the last extremity." Laurens, who was present, and sitting,
bounded to his feet at the expression, rais