To George Washington from Major General Johann Kalb, 29 June 1780
From Major General Johann Kalb
Camp Hillsborough [N.C.] June 29th 1780.
Sir
The Scarcity of Provisions together with the Difficulties the Commissary’s Departement Labour under to procure any for want of money, and want of Exertion in the States, have rendered my march very tedious, and disagreeable, We live from hand to mouth, and get very little, but what is collected by Detachments, and brought in with our Baggage Waggons, the Scatter’d few farms in this part, and sending the Corn to Mills occasion great loss of time, nor is there any better prospect. I have ordered the ration of ½ lb. of Meal and ¼ lb. of Meat, to be only one lb. Meal (for flour is not to be had) and the same quantity of ¼ lb. of Beuf, that a quarter more of that shall be Isued in lieu of the ½ lb. of Meal, if thought necessary (but this non desired) and that they shall have full allowance again after the harvest, or as soon as Circumstances will permit.
I wrote my Situation to Governeur Nash, observing with how many inconveniencies this Mode of Subsisting an Army must be attended to the inhabitants, the Officers sent out not being able to do justice to them, in regard to the due proportion, as well as might be done by the Civil authority, and that the Consequences are a great deal worse in respect to the service.1 it being next to impossible to Oppose the Enemy’s when all the troopes must be employed in hunting Provisions trough a vast extent of Country.
I am to march to morrow with the Maryland Division, the Park of Artillery (to which I have added a Virginia Regiment of State Artillery) towards Haily’s [on] Peedee River I agreed with Major General Caswell to form a junction with him at Coles Bridge on Druning Creek.2
I had a head of Me to fall in with the above troops, Lt Colonel Porterfield Virginia State Regt and Major Nelsons Light horse3 but on very urgent application from the Militia of Guilford County to support them against the Tories Collecting in large Bodies, as it raported from all parts, I have ordered them there, I expect the Tories will disperse or retreat whenever they will find any opposition, for I do not thing, they are Supported by regular troops of the Enemys.
the last Accounts I rec’eived agree that General Clinton and General Lesle’e are embarked for New York with 5000 Men, that Lord Cornwallis is at Cambden, with 2000; about 500 of the 71st Regt under Major M’arthur4 are on the Cheraw hill west side of Peedee 15 Miles below Haily’s, a post of 40 Man at the long Bluff 15 Miles below the Cheraw, where they collected all the boats on Peedee River, Some Provision and Arms, that there are about 600 inlisted Tories under the Commend of a Colonel Harisson5 another Post of Brittish troops 400 at hanging Rock.6
I also understand that the south Caroline Militia are forced to take Arms and to Repair to Charles town probably to enable Lord Cornwallis to draw out of his regular Troops.
I am quite in the dark as to all eternal News from the South as well as from the East. should be very happy in rec’eiving Orders and Instructions from your Excellency and the Bord of War.
I will do all in my power to protect this State if there is no possibility of Recovering a part of South Carolina. The forces in this Departement consist in the Maryland Division, which by Discharged, Desertion, Sick, and the Rec’ruts not so Numerus, by far, as was promissd reduced to
| Rk & files | |
| 1278 | |
| Colonel Harrissons Regt of Artillery | 140 |
| Lt Colonel Edmunds Virga State Regt of Artillery7 | 175. |
| Lt Colonel Porterfield Virga State Regiment | 80. |
| Major Nelsons two Compys of Virga State Light horse | 55. |
| Col: Armands Corps now at Crass Creek with General Caswell where I have ordered them from Willmingtown, horse and foot I suppose to be about | 200 |
| the Regiments of Col. White’s and Col. Washingtons Light horse I had ordered also if they were fit for Service to join Genl Caswell, did not receive my Lettres in time,8 I hear they had left Willmingtown before, for want of Provision, and are actualy at Halifax and unable to take the field as yet; I am ingnorant of their number. | |
| Col. Buford hath brought bak about 100 of his own and some other Regiments. I was unwilling to let them return to Virginia, but they having neither Arms nor Cloathing, and the Colonel promissing to provide them there with in the State, and to march them on again in a fourth night, I agreed to | 104. |
| Capt. Lytle of the North Caroline Brigad has Collecteed | 36.9 |
| Some officers of S. Carolina & Gorgia expect some more, there are actualy | 20. |
| they all promiss to join, I will Consider what form I may give them. | |
| General Caswell does not mention the number of his Militia, but as the Governour in his Lettre to Me, Supposes that instead of 4000 Voted by the Legislature,10 there will be 3000., I think i may Suppose only | 2000. |
The Virginia Militia ought to be 2500., to Rendez vous here, B. General Stevens who Commends them expects about 2000. i can say nothing on the Subject, till now there are 7 Compaynies amounting to 250, they are to wait for their Arms &c. to be send from the State; General Stephens does not think to get them before a fourthnight or three Weeks I am apprehensive, I shall not see them in the Army at all.
This is the true State of the troops under my Command. If I am to Continue therein I wuld wish, to have some necessary Staff Officers, such as Surgeons, D. Qr M., Pay M., forrage Master, Commissarrs of Provision & of Isuen, with their appointements either filled up or Blank to be filled up by me, in case none of those before employed in their Departements should make their appearance.
The Virginia State Artillery had four Brass Contl Field pieces, and a havy one belonging to the State this last i have send bak to Taylors ferry on Roanok River, where I had left my two Hauitzers and the Shells, under a Guard of a Compaynie of said State Artillery,11 So my Park is 14 Pieces, out of which I have annexed two to each Brigade of Maryland and possibly I may give one to each Brigade of Militia if I think it Safe.
I have served the Bord of War with a Copy of this Lettre.12 With great Respect I have the hounor to be Your Excellencys Most Obiedient and very humble Servant
The Baron de Kalb M. Gl
LS, DLC:GW. GW replied to Kalb on 8 Aug. (NHi: Gates Papers).
1. Kalb’s letter to North Carolina governor Abner Nash has not been identified.
2. Drowning Creek, now known as the Lumber River, flows southeast in south-central North Carolina before turning southwest and entering the Little Pee Dee River about ten miles south of the South Carolina border and fifty miles due north of Georgetown. The headwater of the Lumber River in Scotland County, N.C., is still known as Drowning Creek.
Cole’s Bridge was located near the mill of the same name on the upper reaches of Drowning Creek and about sixty miles east of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Haley’s Ferry across the Pee Dee River was about twenty-five miles west of Cole’s Bridge. Once across Haley’s Ferry, Kalb could march into South Carolina unobstructed by large rivers.
3. Maj. John Nelson took sixty-two volunteers from his Virginia state cavalry regiment into the Carolinas in March 1780 as part of Col. Charles Porterfield’s command.
John Nelson (c.1754–1827), of Mecklenburg County, Va., joined Maj. (later Col.) Theodorick Bland’s Virginia Dragoons as a captain in June 1776 and retained his rank when the regiment became the 1st Continental Dragoons the following November. Nelson resigned in February 1777 due to ill health, but he accepted a Virginia state commission as major-commandant of a three-troop regiment of cavalry in May 1779. Nelson left the Virginia service in February 1782.
4. Archibald McArthur served with the Dutch Scots Brigade before joining the British army as a captain in the 54th Regiment. He was promoted to major in the 71st (Highlander) Regiment in November 1777. McArthur was taken prisoner at the Battle of Cowpens, S.C., on 17 Jan. 1781. After his exchange, he became lieutenant colonel of the third battalion of the 60th (Royal American) Regiment in April 1781.
5. John Harrison (born c.1751), a South Carolina Loyalist, was major-commandant of the South Carolina Rangers. Although Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis authorized Harrison to raise a regiment of 500 Loyalists, the unit never exceeded 76 men. He later served as a captain with the South Carolina Royalists.
6. The British outpost at Hanging Rock, S.C., was located about forty miles west of Cheraw, S.C., on the upper reaches of Little Lynches Creek in present-day Lancaster County.
The “long Bluff” extended for three miles along the west side of the Pee Dee River near present-day Darlington, South Carolina.
7. Elias Edmunds (d. 1800), of Fauquier County, Va., joined the Virginia State Artillery Regiment as a captain in August 1777 and became its lieutenant colonel in June 1778. Edmunds subsequently commanded the portion of the regiment not captured at Charleston, S.C., in May 1780.
8. Kalb’s letters have not been identified.
9. William Lytle (c.1753–1829) joined the 9th North Carolina Regiment as an ensign in December 1776 and received promotion to lieutenant in April 1777. Upon disbandment of the 9th North Carolina Regiment in June 1778, Lytle transferred to the 1st North Carolina Regiment. He became a captain in January 1779. Lytle transferred in February 1782 to the 4th North Carolina Regiment and served to the close of the war.
10. Kalb is referring to “An act for granting an aid to the state of South Carolina, and other purposes” passed by the North Carolina assembly at its April session. The act called for the voluntary enlistment of 4,000 men from the militia to serve for three months (, 14–15).
11. See Kalb to the Board of War, 20 June, and n.13, printed as an enclosure to Kalb to GW, that date.
12. This copy has not been found.