YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

3 9002 06126 5394

Moultrie, General.
Gorrespnodence of Lord Montague witn
General Moultrie.
New York, 1885.

YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

1937

The Correspondence of
Lord Montague with
General Moultrie. 1 78 1.

"He is not dsad, whnss glorious mind
Lifts thins on high,
To live in hsarts we lsavs bBhind
Is not to dis,"
ThBSB TBmarkablB letters betu/EEn Lord Montagjia.. and
Gbr'I Moultrie— of richast historical intBrest for us of
Carolina, and illustrating so vividly the triumph of the
lofty mind and patriotic heart of the prisoner of war ovbt
his captor — were originally publishsd in Moultris's
Mam airs.
For more than two generations they have bEBn out of
print by the scarcity of thasE old volumes, I hava
included this coTTEspondsncB in the historical appsndix
of tho City Year Book of 1BB4, that the high and
patriotic sentiments of William Moultrie may be TEadily
accessible to the prEssnt gEnsration.
This little "Edition de luxe" has basn prepared for
privatB circulation among friands and correspondEnts—
Book Lovers- who ever long to behold the jewels of
thought in the most bacoming sstting of type and paper,
II/, R, C,

Charlsston, S, C, "PalmBtto Day," 1BBS,

This edition, printed June, 1885, consists of two hundred copies
on Holland paper, and three copies on Vellum, all of which are
numbered and signed. This copy is No. fi?,£) ,

Charleston, S. C, 28th June, 1885.

Presented ^....^^^^fcn^=ZZ^tf^_.  ^Z^ffJ^

Engraved by ILdw

MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM MOULTRIE.

The Correspondence of
Lord Montague with
General Moultrie. lySi.

"Where to fttoe sp^elf from flpptelf.'

SDfjisf eDitton in prepareo to commemorate tlje lo^tf)
#nnfoer*ati? of tlje ttticton? at IFort spoultrie,
28TH June, 1776,
2Dtjat a patriot's tijougfit ano utterance m cfjr enbtron*
ment of Defeat, ano tofttle w a prisoner of tear,
ma? be prcrtrbeD to posterity.

-¦

^"' :r. ^^T>^

¦J\J

A '¦':'¦

*lF~ ^
W\M*i
¦' '*&$&¦
vVa
$!&SB
IIP
'il#%-'lf$&1^r^
4]&t
$X
s^ps
IIS* ~skT
•HiSX'SBs-i
•¦••
¦¦'¦Afi!~-W'~i-t-
CORRESPONDENCE.
ZdW Montague to Gen. Moultrie.
Dear Sir
Charlestown, So. Ca.,
February 9th, 1781.
T is a long* time since I
have had the pleasure
of seeing you, but the
length of time has not
effaced the civilities and marks of
friendship I received from you. I
8 Correspondence.
wish much to see you ; you know
I have again returned to this coun
try for a short time.
If it is agreeable to you, I will either
call upon you or be glad to see you
here at No. 57, old Church Street.
I send this by my old servant
Fisher. Your sincere friend,
Charles Montague.
Gen. Moultrie.

Sir:

Charlestown, So. Ca.,
March n, 1781.

SINCERE wish to pro
mote what may be to
your advantage, induces
me now to write; and the
freedom with which we have often
conversed makes me hope you will
not take amiss what I say. My own
principles respecting the commence
ment of this unfortunate war are well
known to you, and, of course, you

i o Correspondence.
can conceive what I mention is out
of friendship. You have now fought
bravely in the cause of your country
for many years, and, in my opinion,
fulfilled the duty every individual
owes to it. You have had your share
of hardships and difficulties, and, if
the contest is still to be continued,
younger hands should now take the
toil from you. You have now a fair
opening of quitting that service, with
honor and reputation to yourself, by
going to Jamaica with me. The
world will readily attribute it to the
known friendship that has subsisted
between us; and by quitting this
country for a short time you would
avoid any disagreeable conversations,
and might return at leisure to take

Correspondence. 1 1
possession of your estates for your
self and family.
The regiment I am going to com
mand, the only proof I can give you
of my sincerity is, that I will quit
that command to you with pleasure
and serve under you. I earnestly
wish I could be the instrument to
effect what I propose, as I think it
would be a great means towards pro
moting that reconciliation we all wish
for. A thousand circumstances con
cur to make this a proper period for
you to embrace your old acquaint
ance — my having been formerly Gov
ernor in this province, the interest I
have with the present commanders.
I give you my honor what I write is
certainly unknown to the comman-

1 2 Correspondence.
dant, or to any one else. So shall
your answer be if you favor me with
one. Think well of me.
Yours sincerely,
Charles Montague.
Gen. Moultrie.

Gen. Moultrie to Lord Montague.

My Lord

Haddrell's Point, So. Ca.,
March 12th, 1781.

RECEIVED yours this
morning by Fisher ; I
thank you for your wish
to promote my advan
tage, but I am much surprised at
your proposition. I flattered myself
I stood in a more favorable light with
you. I shall write with the same
freedom with which we used to con-
X 13

1 4 Correspondence.
verse, and doubt not you will receive
it with the same candor. I have
often heard you express your senti
ments respecting this unfortunate
war, when you thought the Ameri
cans injured ; but am now astonished
to find you taking an active part
against them ; though not fighting
particularly, on the Continent, yet
seducing their soldiers away to en
list in the British service, is nearly
similar. My Lord, you are pleased to
compliment me with having fought
bravely in my country's cause for
many years, and, in your opinion, ful
filled the duty every individual owes
to it ; but I differ very widely with
you in thinking that I have dis-

Correspondence. 1 5
charged my duty to my country
while it is still deluged with blood
and overrun with British troops, who
exercise the most savage cruelties.
When I entered into this contest I
did it with the most mature delibera
tion and with a determined resolution
to resign my life and fortune in the
cause. The hardships I have gone
through I look back upon with the
greatest pleasure and honor to my
self. I shall continue to go on as I
have begun, that my example may
encourage the youth of America to
stand forth in defence of their rights
and liberties. You call upon me now
and tell me I have a fair opening of
quitting that service with honor and
reputation to myself by going with

1 6 Correspondence.
you to Jamaica. Good God ! is it
possible that such an idea could arise
in the breast of a man of honor ? I
am sorry you should imagine I have
so little regard for my own reputa
tion as to listen to such dishonorable
proposals ; would you wish to have
that man whom you have honored
with your friendship play the traitor?
Surely not. You say by quitting
this country for a short time I might
avoid disagreeable conversations, and
might return at my own leisure and
take possession of my estates for my
self and family ; but you have forgot
to tell me how I am to get rid of the
feelings of my injured honest heart,
and where to hide myself from my
self Could I be guilty of so much

Correspondence. 1 7
baseness I should hate myself and
shun mankind. This would be a
fatal exchange from my present situ
ation, with an easy and approved
conscience of having done my duty
and conducted myself as a man of
honor. My Lord, I am sorry to observe
that I feel your friendship much
abated, or you would not endeavor
to prevail upon me to act so base a
part. You earnestly wish you could
bring it about, as you think it will
be the means of bringing about that
reconciliation we all wish for. I wish
for a reconciliation as much as any
man, but only upon honorable terms.
The repossessing my estate, the offer
of the command of your regiment,

1 8 Correspondence.
and the honor you propose of serv
ing under me, are paltry considera
tions to the loss of my reputation ;
no, not the fee simple of that valua
ble island of Jamaica should induce
me to part with my integrity. My
Lord, as you have made one pro
posal, give me leave to make another,
which will be more honorable to us
both ; as you have an interest with
your commanders, I would have you
propose the withdrawing the British
troops from the Continent of Amer
ica, allow the independence, and pro
pose a peace ; this being done, I will
use my interest with my commanders
to accept of the terms, and allow
Great Britain a free trade with
America.

Correspondence. 1 9
My Lord, I could make one pro
posal, but my situation as a prisoner
circumscribes me within certain
bounds; I must, therefore, conclude
with 'allowing you the free liberty to
make what use of this you may think
proper. Think better of me.
I am, my Lord, your Lordship's
most obedient humble servant,
Wm. Moultrie.
Lord Charles Montague^

PRESS OF THEO. l. DE VINNE & CO. NEW-YORK.