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This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2002 Mar 02 @ 09:00UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
(1746 - 1825) American diplomat and general, an aide to Washington at Brandytown and Germantown, member of the Constitutional Convention and first to report the inflammatory ""XYZ Affair"". Important A.L.S. ""Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Major of the 5th [?] Regt."" 4pp. 4to., Fort Johnston, Jan. 22, 1776, to Henry Laurens reporting on the state of the defenses of Charleston, South Carolina six months before the unsuccessful British attack. In full: ""Sir. The Morning after I had attended the Committee of the Council of Safety for considering a plan of Defense Dr. Oliphant & Mr. Ben. Elliott were so obliging as to offer me a passage to the Fort if I would attend them to Hangman's Point & Sullivan's Island. I with pleasure accepted their offer, but unluckily after we were on the Island our Boat went adrift: The Gentlemen got a passage to Town in another boat, imagining the one we came in would be soon ready to carry me to my station, but they were mistaken, for it remained so fast in the Marsh that I had no means of getting to the Fort till Friday afternoon, which occasioned my absence when the Resolutions of Council & your favor of the 18th arrived. Captn. Cattle has acquainted me with the answer he wrote you & I should join him in opinion respecting the Creek so far as to say it would be a work of labour & time to stop it, if I thought that the Creek be reconnoitered was the one the Council meant should be stopped; that Creek is a very bold & rapid one & runs through the Marsh to a point of Land within about half a Mile of the present Camp; but the Creek that I imagine the Council meant is immediately on the back & rear to Fort Johnston, adjoining the place where the Quarter Guard of our Old Camp used to be kept, partly (I believe) for the purpose of preventing Boats from landing there; and both Capt. Cattle & Capt. Cuckman who view'd this Creek with me, join me in opinion that it may easily be stopped (though not at the mouth) yet so as to prevent Boats from landing there under cover. If I was certain this was the Creek that the Council meant I would immediately endeavor to stop it, & I think it might easily be done by a small fatigue party (without putting the Province to any expense) in about two days. With regard to smoothing the surface of the Wall on the Land side, the whole revetment is so badly built, & the Bricks jut out so far beyond one another that to cut or break them off would be a work of real labour & take up a great deal of time, & I think the surface would after all our pains be scarcely made sufficiently smooth by that means; the most expeditions & effectual way of smoothing it would in opinion be to rough Cast & plaster it, but I am told this would be a very improper season of the year for that work, & the mortar could not now stand. As I presume the intention of the Council in ordering it to be smoothed is to prevent an escalade if they thought if fit to let us have four six pounders instead of two, or two four & two six pounders, (if four xix pounders could not be spared ) and plenty of canister shot, I think we might easily under an attempt of that sort ineffectual. From this you many Sir. I lay aside all thoughts of being surprised as I...persuaded the vigilance both of the officers &...will entirely guard against an event so ruinous & disgraceful. With regard to the Drats Bridge Captn. Cattle has informed me he applied to Mr. Harris the Workman or the new Battery to undertake it, & he says Mr. Verree his Uncle was before the Council on that matter, if the Council contracts with him or any other person, I shall make it my Business to oversee & hasten the work, and in the & in any other matter committed to me, I shall endeavor by assiduity & attention to atone for my wont of ability & experience. I have the honor to be Sr. With great respect..."". A fine insight into the difficulties of preparing the Charleston defenses. Uneven toning, usual folds, otherwise very good condition.
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