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Hugh McDonald Papers, 1776-1777

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5/ and burn them every one, then struck one of them 5 between the shoulders with all his force. He turned and looked at him and said Old man you are no object of my revenge. This company of horsemen went on with us considering us their prisoners, when we came to Smith's Ferry this small party of horsemen were reinforced by about 500. When our waggons and and all the ammunition taken they found with us. We all got passports and were permitted to go to respective houses, except our officers, who were taken prisoners and sent to Philadelphia. This expedition took place about the first of Feb'ry 1776. We then returned and repaired our fences, and prepaired to raise a crop the ensuing summer, about the first of June a report was circulated that a company of light horse was coming into the settlement, this report arose from the fact that Col. Alston had sent 4 or 5 men to warn all in the district to attend muster at Henry Eagles on Bear Creek. (as a guilty conscience wants no accuser) every one thought, they were after me, upon wich our poor deluded people took shelter in the swamps. These men came to the field where my father was ploughing word came to him that they were coming he left the horse standing in the plow and fled giving me orders to take the horse out of the plow and follow him, but before I had done this five men rode up to the fence and told me that I must go with them to pilot them through the neighbourhood. I told them I durst not or my father would kill me, but they forced me to go, and went with them next day to the muster, and went with the same company of Horsemen the following tuesday to Fayetteville where I enlisted into the United States ^or Collonies Service under captain council on the 10th day of June, 1776, in the 14th year of my age.

We continued in fayetteville untill the middle of July when we went down to Wilminton, where the Brigade was made up, under the command of General Francis Nash consisting of six regiments, the first regiment was commanded by ^Col. Thos. Clark, John Mebane Leu't Co. the 2nd regiment by Col. Alexander Martin Leut Col James Patton. 3rd regiment by Jetrhro Sumner Leut Col. Wm Davidson. 4th regiment by Thos Polk, Leut Col. J D [Thackston] 5th regiment by Col. Buncomb Eaden

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The 6th regiment commanded by Col. Lillington, who from old 6 age was compelled to resign, when Leut. Col Lamb took command [strike - Leut] Capt. Archibald Lytle was promoted to the Leut Col's place, he was vrom Hillsborough,

When the Brigade was made up, each regiment had eight captains in the 6th to which I belonged Archibald Lytle was the 1st captain, Griffin McRae the 2nd, George Daugherty the 3rd, a full Blooded Irishman, much of a Gentleman and brave soldier, about 70 years of age. ^the 4 Philip Taylor from Orange. A Raw Buckskin, destitute of Grace, mercy or knowledge, filled with pride arrogance and ignorance Tillman Dickson the 5th from Edgecomb, a dirty Bucckskin and Gambler, Jeremiah Pigue, the 6th from Onslow, who was a smart officer and a guardian of his soldiers. David Williams the 7th from Duplin, a gentleman who was his Soldiers friend & protector, Benjamin Sharp the 8th from Halifax, who was a very smart officer.

When the Brigade was embodied at Wilminton they consisted of nine thousand four hundred. On the 1st of November we received orders to march to the North to join the grand army under Gen'l Washington, about the 15th of November and proceeded to Roanoke River, where we lay about three weeks, when we received orders to turn back and go to meet the British at Augustine in Florida to prevent them from entering Georgia. We proceeded to Wilminton where we stayed two days and then went on to Charleston, S.C. Here we received orders not to go any furhter towards Augustine.

We then marched back accross Cooper River to Haderals point where we lay the remaining part of the winter untill the 15th of March 1777, when we received orders to march to the north and join Washington's Grand Army. We returned to Silminton, from thence to Halifax, and Richmond in Va. We marched on to the Potmac River we were halted and all the Doctors were called upon to inoculate the whole Brigade from the Small Pox, we then crossed the Potomac, and near the place where the cith of Washington now stands we got houses and staid there till we were well of the small pox, it was remarkable that not one died with the disease except one who though he was well and went swimming in the River and was dead the next morning from about the last of June we started for Philadelphia we crossed Schuylkill the 1st of July 1777 Schuylkill we marched on the 3rd of July to the Rising Sun between Philadelphia and Germantown where we joined the grand Army under Gen'l Washington, and was received with the salutation of 13 Cannon fired each 13 times, beside musqutry

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The order of the day for the 4th of July, 1777, was for 7 every man to wash himself, put on his best apperil, Power his hair, Black his shoes or Boots, and be ready to fall in rank at 8. oClock, which was done, and we with Grand Army marching to the Commonw of Philadelphia where we were formed into platoons of 16 in front and marched to & fro in the streets of the city untill about 11. oClock, when we were brought to order and commenced firing, and fired 13 rounds for every State in the union, at every round our arms were ordered hats pull off and three cheers given. Huzzaw Liberty or Death. After the firing was over we were marched back to commons and formed into a line and dressed, when the members of Congress marched out of Philadelphia dresssed in drabb coloured clothing with their hair craped & powered, beginning at the right wing marched in front of the Army with their hats off, untill they passed the left wing and left us. We then marched back to the camp.

I cannot proceed without observing that on our march through the streets of Philadelphia Passing by the jail, I saw through the grates of the Window the visages of my old officers of my first campaign at Moors Creek Bridge near but had no chance to speak to them till the next day when I appeared before the window and held a parley with them for old acquaintance sake, wich had like to have cost me my life at a future period, when they got me in their power. After seven days rest in camp we got inteligence that a British fleet [strike - of] with thirty thousand soldiers on board commanded by Gen. Howe on the floating Bridge and down towards Wilmington where we lay waiting some time before they appeared at length five ships of the line came sailing up the river with a lively breeze from the South, a seventy four engaged Mud Fort with her heavy metal, but missed her aim, the commander of the fort knowing that they would throw their Bombs, let in water by a flood gate which drowned their Bombs. Sever Red hot Balls were exchanged, at length a shot from the fort struck her magazine and sent her deck so high in the air that it appeared no bigger to us than a small table, as it went up the men were droping from it [strike - as] like crows into the River the hull bursted lay floating on the water. This disappointment caused the rest to fall back down the River. The next day we saw ten sail, a sloop of war ^of 22 guns in front which did not stop to answer the fort untill she got opposite the upper side of the fort wwhen she turned & gave it a broad side and tore about 30 feet of it down level with the ground

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They still continued firing untill they tore up half the fort, the men in the fort then retreated through the mud, and many were swallowed up in their precipitate condinued their course up the river 5 miles higher to Red bank fort. This fort and the chevaux de frize and a large chain across the river prevented their progressing any higher up the Delaware, they then fell back into the bay, and came up the southside of the bay within 15 miles of Wilminton and landed there at a creek called the head of Elk, where the light infantry fro N.C. were on the shore firing at them every opportunity and killing some but being defended by their Shipping firing over them, we could not do them much damage. In the evening our commander Col. Parker of the Virginia line ordered a retreat, which our Brave N. Carolinians refused, Saying they wished to waste what amunition they had and kill some more of them before they would bring their arms through the land of liberty, but the Col. insisted on letting them alone that night and meet them in the morning then we retreated and left them landing and [strike - left] went about five miles towards Wilminton and Camped about daylight next morning, we returned to the place where we left them, but they were not there, nor did we know which way they had gone, at length we were informed that they had marked for Swedesford on the Brandywine, we then pursued them and joined the ground Army next morning, the cavelry of N.C. commanded by Capt. Martin Phifer, and Col. Lee of the Mariland cavelry, with a party of Pensylvania Militia, we met them on the north side of Brandywine at Swedesford. And caused them to stop until the Grand Army came up and began to cannonade. The engagement began a little after sunrise and continued all day incessant till sunset with musquetry and artilery. They made seven or eight attemps to charge upon us wtih Bayonet thro the ford but our accute marksmen at every atttempt filled the ford with corpses, about dark General Washington ordered a retreat, leaving the artillery cannonading untill about midnight, they overtook us next morning about sunrise. The British then went to Philadelphia. Gen'l Washington marched toward Bethleham, and after 5 or 6 days we came to a place called long Oaks about 35 miles from Philadelphia, during our continuance here we killed many of the British, parties came out of the city to Robb and plunder the people about Philadelphia. We would be in parties watching our opportunity and often took them by surprise, when they thought no danger near

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November 9th 1777. We received the news of Burgoines defeat by Gen'l Gates, which caused great rejoicing shouting and firing all day, about dark, orders dame for the N Carolina troops to advance to the right, we marched on in quick step untill about day break, when our advance Guard was fired at by the British picket guard and one man killed and another mortally wounded, we still pursued our course to a place called Duchtown where the regiment was stationed, to which the picket guard belonged that had fired on us, this regiment gave us one fire and retreated to Biggartown where there was another regiment there they gave us two fires, and then retreated to Flowertown where there was a third regiment where we got three fires from thence they retreated to Chestnut hill, where were another regiment where they gave us four fires, from thence they went to the suburbs or Germintown and stood and gave us five fires, they being reinforced by another regiment, they retreated into the heart of Germintown, and passed Governor Penns house which was filled with Dutch of Hessian solders and six field pieces from which they poured their grape shot upon us in volleys sometimes firing over our heads and at other times striking the ground in front of us, we poured our artillery into the windows untill we had killed the greater part of the men that were in it, and took their artillery. In the course of our chase from Dutchtown to Germaintown we never lost a man except by the first shot from the picket guard untill we got before Governor Penns Palace then we lost our Gen'l Frank Nash from N. Carolina by a cannon ball which struck his horse behind his left thigh and passing through cut off his Right thigh all but a small piece of skin which was cut off before he was put in the carriage, this gallant and brave officer lived untill the next day and died leaving us to reap the benfits of his brave achievements.

The 16th regiment of the Virginia line having advanced too far were nearly all killed or taken prisoners, upon which General Lee, the Lieutenant General of the Continental Army ordered a retreat, this gentleman, through bare envy was doing all he could to disgrace General Washington, untill he was detected at the battle of Monmouth, Gen'l Stephens commanding 5000 men, being drunk ordered his men to retreat by these means our design of driving the British from Philadelphia that day, we continued our retreat, and in running I fell in company withsix of our N.C. officers, whose name I will

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