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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC00110 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1780 |
| Title | Henry Laurens to William Ellery expressing fears on the British approach to Charlestown |
| Date | 14 February 1780 |
| Author | Laurens, Henry (1724-1792) |
| Recipient | Ellery, William |
| Document Type | Correspondence; Military document |
| Content Description | Written by Laurens, previously President of the Continental Congress. Laurens left his Congressional seat in November 1779 and returned home before departing from Philadelphia for the Netherlands to negotiate a loan in August 1780 (he was captured by the British on that journey). To Ellery, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as a Continental Congressman from Rhode Island. References Ellery's letter of 24 December 1779. Expresses fears on the British approach to Charlestown (after 1783, Charleston). General Sir Henry Clinton's expeditionary force had landed in South Carolina on 10 February 1780 and would capture Charlestown on 12 May 1780. Quotes a passage from the third chapter of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, which stress encouragement through faith despite hard times. Says he prays for Ellery and for all his friends in Congress. Two tears where seal was removed. |
| Subjects | Revolutionary War Military History Continental Congress Religion |
| People | Laurens, Henry (1724-1792) Ellery, William (1727-1820) Clinton, Henry, Sir (1730-1795) |
| Place written | Charlestown, South Carolina |
| Theme | The American Revolution; Foreign Affairs; Government & Politics |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | France's entry into the Revolution in 1778 altered the entire nature of the conflict. No longer was the Revolution simply a conflict between Britain and the United States; the war quickly expanded to include a number of other major European powers. In 1779, Spain joined France, hoping to regain Gibraltar and the Floridas. And in late 1780, Britain declared war on the Netherlands, partly in order to cut off war supplies that were flowing to the Americans from a small Dutch island in the Caribbean. Having failed to suppress the Revolution in the North, Britain redirected its attention to the South, which it believed would be easier to conquer. The British plan was to secure the major southern seaports at Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, and to use these ports as bases for inland campaigns and for rallying southern loyalists. In December 1778, a British force sailed from New York City and easily captured Savannah. Within months, the British army controlled all of Georgia. A joint French and American operation in October 1779 failed to drive the British from Savannah. Early in 1780, British forces landed near Charleston, South Carolina. This letter by Henry Laurens was written as British forces approached the city, which they captured in May, forcing the surrender of about 5,500 American soldiers. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |
| Transcript | Show/hide |