condition, the French doubtless thought that it would fall an easy conquest before a regularly appointed and well organized force. A plan of operations having been concerted in Havana, Monsieur le Feboure sailed from that port in a French frigate, accompanied by four armed sloops, for the purpose of taking and destroying the capital of Carolina. Having received orders to touch at St. Augustine and take on board an additional supply of troops, he accordingly stopped at that place, and embarked a considerable reinforcement of Spanish forces. Here he received intelligence of the presence of a fatal epidemic in Charlestown, which prevailed to a great extent, and had destroyed a large number of the inhabitants. Judging that the prevalence of this distemper would prevent the militia of the country from rallying to the defence of the town, through fear of the fatal infection, he hastened his preparations for departure, and, having finished his embarkation, set all sail for Charlestown.

As the enemy's ships appeared upon the coast, five separate fires on Sullivan's Island warned the inhabitants of the proximity of danger, and telegraphed to them the number of vessels which composed the hostile fleet. In a short time after receiving the news, the citizen soldiers had completed their preparations for the coming fight. The militia were ordered under arms, and Lieut. Col. William Rhett, taking command, dispatched a messenger with the intelligence to Gov. Johnson, who was on his plantation, a number of miles from the city; and orders were sent to the captains of militia in the country, to hasten to the assistance of the town. The day following, the enemy's fleet crossed the bar, and, favored by wind and tide, stood directly for the town, but, upon discovering the fortifications, they cast anchor a little above Sullivan's Island.

The governor, on account of the prevalence of the epidemic, held his camp about half a mile distant from the city. Upon observing the enemy's approach, he advanced with his whole force to meet them at the water's edge; but, finding they had anchored in the harbor, he called a council of war, in which it was determined to place some great guns on board such merchant vessels as were lying at the wharves, in order to attack the enemy upon his own element. Col. Rhett received a commission as vice-admiral, and raised his flag on board one of the gallies which composed the little Carolina fleet. The enemy, perceiving the citizens making

ready for battle, sent up a flag of truce to the town, summoning the governor to surrender. The flag was received at the Granville bastion, and the messenger conducted blindfolded into the fort. The governor, in the meantime, had drawn up his men to the greatest advantage, and, having placed himself at their head, received the French officer with great formality. After a few courteous expressions had passed on both sides, the messenger was conducted by the governor, by a circuitous route, to another fortification, where they found the same men, who had arrived by a shorter way, drawn up again in imposing array; and the Frenchman expressed his surprise at finding a well garrisoned town, where he had anticipated seeing but a few sickly and enfeebled citizens. The governor, then, with a contented and self-satisfied air, requested to know the purport of his message. The officer stated that he had been dispatched by Monsieur le Feboure, admiral of the French fleet, to demand a surrender of the town and country, and the persons of the inhabitants prisoners of war, remarking, at the same time, that his orders allowed him no more than one hour to receive an answer. Gov. Johnson replied sternly, that there was no occasion for a single moment to answer that message. He said "that he held the town and country from the queen of England, that he could rely upon his men, who would rather die than surrender themselves prisoners of war, and, as for himself, he was determined to defend the province to the last drop of his blood against the boldest invader, and that Monsieur might acquaint the French admiral with his intention as soon as he pleased."

This bold answer, together with the unfavorable report of his messenger, seems to have intimidated Monsieur le Feboure, for, instead of making an immediate attack upon the town, he contented himself with some petty depredations upon the neighboring islands. Upon the day following the interview, a marauding party landed upon James Island, and burnt the houses upon one plantation. Another party, consisting of one hundred and sixty men, landed upon Wando Neck, and were gloriously employed in destroying all the "live stock" of the neighborhood. A party of militia, in company with a few Indians, were sent by Gov. Johnson against the French on James Island. Capt. Drake, who had command of this detachment, came up with the hostile party in the woods near the beach, but the Indians, with their

accustomed impetuosity, dashed through the woods, and succeeded in driving the Frenchmen to their boats, before the Carolinians had fired a single shot. Capt. Cantey, at the head of one hundred picked men, was no less successful against the enemy on Wando Neck. Having surrounded them in the night, he commenced the attack about daybreak, and, having completely surprised and defeated the party, he destroyed a large portion of their force and took the rest prisoners of war.

Inspirited by these successes on land, the Carolinians determined to try their fortune by sea. Accordingly, William Rhett set sail with his few small vessels, and moved towards the spot where the formidable French fleet rode at anchor, but Monsieur le Feboure, perceiving the Carolinians bearing down upon him, immediately spread his canvass to the breeze, and escaped over the bar by the superior sailing qualities of his vessels.

Great was the joy which prevailed in Charlestown, upon the happy termination of this much dreaded siege. Every citizen was justly proud of the active part he had taken in defence of his beloved city from the presence of a hated foe, and every colonist felt grateful for the happy deliverance of the province from the imminent danger which threatened her very existence, and acknowledged that another link had been added to the chain of national pride which bound him to the home of his adoption.

Great preparations were being made by the citizens of Charlestown to celebrate the victory they had achieved, when their joy was somewhat dampened by the intelligence reaching town that a large man-of-war was anchored in Sewee bay, and that a number of armed men had landed from her at that place. Upon an examination of the prisoners, the governor learned that the French expected a ship of war, having on board their General, Monsieur Arbuset, with about two hundred men, who were coming to their assistance. Immediately upon receiving this intelligence, the governor dispatched Capt. Fenwick with a party of militia, with orders to march against the enemy by land, while Rhett, with two armed sloops, was sent around by sea to attack them in the bay. The Carolinians under Fenwick, animated by the brilliant success which had attended their former efforts, by a rapid march came up with their wellposted enemies, and after a warm conflict, by a gallant

charge succeeded in driving them to their ship. Here they were attacked in a spirited manner by the naval force of the province, consisting of two small sloops. The French ship surrendered without firing a single shot; and the broad ensign of England, sustained by the chivalry of Carolinians, floated, for the first time in this quarter of the world, above the tri-coloured banner of France.

Thus ended the formidable invasion of Carolina, commanded by Monsieur le Feboure, reflecting as little credit and honor upon himself and his followers, as it increased the military fame and martial glory of the chivalrous little province. Out of eight hundred men who came against the colony, and with which force the French admiral boasted he could crush the province at a single blow, three hundred were killed,-Monsieur Arbuset, the commander-in-chief of the land forces, and several naval officers of distinction, were taken prisoners, and Monsieur le Feboure himself, with the remainder of his forces, sought safety in ignominious flight. The provincial militia received the public thanks of the governor, for the unanimity and courage which they had shown in repelling the invaders; while he in turn received the hearty congratulations and well-merited compliments of the proprietors, upon the happy success which had attended his efforts for the defence and protection of the colony.

Sir Nathaniel Johnson was succeeded in office by Colonel Edward Tyne, in the year 1708; and upon Tyne's death, which occurred shortly after his appointment, Charles Craven, brother to the Lord Palatine, received a commission from the proprietors, investing him with the government of the province. Under his administration, the colony enjoyed but a short respite from the attacks of foreign and domestic foes. In the year 1711 or 12, an insurrection broke out in North-Carolina among the Tuscarora Indians, in league with the Corees and several other tribes. Historians are at variance both as to the cause of the quarrel and the exact time when the insurrection took place; for, while some contend that it originated in the fraudulent impositions of the white traders upon these tribes, and date the outbreak in the year 1712, others maintain that it was occasioned by the encroachments of the settlers upon the hunting grounds of the Indians, and name the previous year as the time when it occurred. Perhaps both these causes had their influence upon the minds of the vindictive and excitable savages, and

when once aroused, they determined to strike a signal blow at the existence of the colony, and destroy or expel the white invaders from their shores.

John Lawson, the surveyor-general, having given some offence to the Tuscaroras, he was immediately seized and put to death. This was the first act in the bloody drama which was to follow. After having fortified their principal town, they sent out small parties into all parts of the settlement. The Indians who composed these parties, were to enter the houses of the settlers under the guise of friendship, and, at a stipulated time, the work of destruction was to begin. The change, or full of the moon, was the time agreed upon for the onslaught; and upon that fatal night, one hundred and thirty-seven persons fell a sacrifice to the vengeance of the savages. The Indians followed up the advantage they had gained by the first fatal blow, and the whole colony was in danger. As soon as the news reached South Carolina, Governor Craven hastily collected a body of militia and Indians, and dispatched them to the assistance of the distressed North-Carolinians. Six hundred men, under Col. Barnwell, together with about four hundred Indians of the Cherokee, Creek, Yemassee and Catawba tribes, who had joined the expedition, took up the line of march for the Tuscarora country.

The difficulties which the forces under Barnwell had to encounter upon the road, were of the most appalling character. A wild and unbroken forest, deep morasses, tangled thickets, miry swamps and swollen torrents, impeded their progress; and yet an hour's delay might prove fatal to the lives of many of the poor settlers to whose assistance they were hastening. The nature of the wilderness through which they had to pass, precluded all attempts towards carrying a sufficient quantity of provisions for the journey, and the troops were compelled to subsist upon the scanty game which their Indian allies killed by the way. But, successfully struggling against every difficulty, Barnwell at length succeeded in reaching the territory belonging to the Tuscaroras, and in his first engagement with the enemy killed about three hundred, and took one hundred Indians prisonThe savages then retreated to their fortified town, which Barnwell surrounded, and after destroying a large number of the warriors, forced the remainder to sue for peace. The suit was granted; and a treaty of peace being

ers.