1. For the British capture of Charleston, see Duportail to GW, 17 May, n.1.

2. Congress received this information from South Carolina’s delegates and ordered on 23 Sept. that GW “send a flag to General Sir Henry Clinton, and enquire whether such arrests and confinements have been made, and for what reasons” (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 18:851). During GW’s absence from his army, Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, wrote Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene on 24 Sept. with this order (DLC:GW; see also Greene Papers description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends , 6:311, and The Hartford Conference, 20–22 Sept., editorial note). Greene wrote South Carolina delegate John Mathews on 3 Oct. that he had brought the items “respecting your unfortunate friends at Charlestown” to GW’s attention and anticipated “measures will be taken for their safety as soon as possible” (Greene Papers description begins Richard K. Showman et al., eds. The Papers of General Nathanael Greene. 13 vols. Chapel Hill, N.C., 1976–2005. description ends , 6:335–37, quote on 335).

3. Clinton replied to GW from New York on 9 Oct.: “Persuaded it is for the Interest of Mankind that a Correspondence should exist between Generals Commanding adverse Armies, I do, without waiting Your return to applications of an earlier date made on my part on a Subject very interesting to me, answer without delay Your Letter of the 6th Instant.

“I have heard the report you mention, that a number of persons under the Capitulation of Charles Town, had entered into a plot for the destruction of the place where they were protected—and that the Officer Commanding there had found it necessary to interfere; I have this only from common fame, no formal Report has been made to me on the Subject; But as I am well acquainted with Lord Cornwallis’s humanity, I cannot entertain the least apprehension that he will stain the lustre of the King’s Arms by Acts of Cruelty. The friends of those persons, under the description you give of them, need be under no fears for their safety. Lord Cornwallis is incapable of straining the Laws to take away the lives or liberties of the innocent; If any forced Construction be put upon the laws by his Lordship, it will be in favor of the Accused, and every plea their friends can offer for them will be humanely heard and respected” (LS, DLC:GW; LB, MiU-C: Clinton Papers; copy, P.R.O.: C.O. 5/100; copy (docketed “No. 2”), DLC:GW; copy, P.R.O.: 50/11/3, Cornwallis Papers; copy, P.R.O.: 30/11/98, Cornwallis Papers; copy, P.R.O.: 30/55, Carleton Papers; see also Document XV with Major John André’s Capture and Execution, 23 Sept.–7 Oct., editorial note). GW replied to Clinton on 16 October.