God bless you my dear Sir! In December early I shall see you; & till then I bid you an affectionate adieu.

It was not till this morning, Sir, that I had the pleasure of receiving your letter of the 13th ulto. and I lose not a moment in expressing my regret at the cause which you are so obliging as to assign for not writing sooner, together with my hopes, and wishes that, long e'er now, it may have been intirely removed.

I beg you to accept my thanks for the favourable sentiments which you are so good as to express on my subject, and for the candid and friendly style of your communication throughout. Were my opinion respecting Colo. Manning & Major Sining less favourable than it certainly is, I could not but find it natural and proper that you should decide in favour of those persons whose qualifications you deem the best, or are best acquainted with.

But I trust, Sir, that you will pardon me for remarking in the same spirit of candour which I have always respected and admired in your character, that I considered the reference made to you by the Secy. at War, in a light somewhat different from that wherein it seems to have appeared to you yourself. He proposed to me, of himself, the rank of Colo requesting only to know whether I would choose to be considered as of So. Carolina or Pennsylvania. This rank I had declined when the former provisional army was in contemplation: at least when it was

* Robert Goodloe Harper (1765-1825) U. S. Senator, and a leading Federalist, was born near Fredericksburg, Va., graduate of Princeton, member of Congress from South Carolina, major-general of militia in war of 1812, U. S. Senator from Maryland, married daughter of Chas. Carroll, of Carrolton. The letter here printed seems to conflict with the statement in the Congressional dictionaries that Harper was a member of Congress from South Carolina from February, 1795, to March

proposed to me by the Secy. at War, I told him that I would not accept it; because I considered it as inadequate to my reasonable expectations, and to another situation wherein he had intimated to me that I should be placed, in case of active service. On the late occasion I did not agree to accept it, but claimed the rank of Brigadeer; adding that I had no doubt of being able, in case of actual war, to raise a Legionary Brigade in the upper country of South Carolina and Georgia, and that I thought myself entitled, and adequate, to the command of such a corps; but would, most readily, yield to any person, who to the advantages, for bringing forward the people of that country, which I was known to possess, might add that of military experience.

In this, I confess to you, Sir, that I had a view to another sort and degree of experience, that I conceive can be acquired in the rank of a Lieutenant or Captain.

The Secy. replied that there might be difficulties respecting the latter object; and that he wished me to look, equally at least, to the former, about which there could be none. He con

cluded by saying that he would write to you on the subject, and put the matter in a proper train. The next day he shewed to me the letter which you have received, and it was considered as proper that I should accompany it by one from myself. Combining this letter, as it was natural for me to do, with the preceding conversation & circumstances, I regard it as directory in whatever related to the rank of Colo. which the Secy. had proposed to me; and as consultatory in that part only which respected the rank of Brigadeer. Had I then known the instructions to you, which the Secy. did not communicate to me till sometime afterwards, I might have understood the matter differently; and should have requested him to be more explicit, or have picked a different course myself.

Such was my impression; whether right or wrong need not be discussed and under this impression, and this alone, I consented to write, and did write. My letter, accordingly, was directed to the object which alone I considered as desirable, or doubtful. Having retained no copy, I cannot answer for its particular expression; but its tenor, I conceive, will be found accordant with this representation.

I will add, that I intended my letter as applicable rather to the utility of drawing a Brigade from that part of the country, and the propriety of giving the command of it, as well as the care of forming it, to some person who possessed the means of aiding the service by his personal influence and connections; than to my own pretentions in particular: which, however, as they had been brought into view by the Secy. at War, it was, in some sort, necessary to mention incidentally. For as to them, although I could not be otherwise than extremely flattered and gratified by your suffrage, I should not have thought of soliciting the recommendation of any person whatever, conceiving myself to be exempt from the necessity of coming to the government of this country supported by any recommendations other than those of my own character.

I have entered into these details, Sir, with a view of explaining to you some circumstances, which, on a simple comparison of the letters in question with the Secys. former instructions, might have appeared to you somewhat inconsistent. Be assured that had I desired the rank of Colo. of Infantry, I should not think of standing in the way of officers so meritorious as the gentlemen whom you wish to place in that situation. Whatever may think of the general principle whereon you seem to rest your preference, I have too much respect for your particular choice, too high an opinion of their merits to interfere with your views or their wishes. It happens, however, that neither of the stations in the army which would appear desirable to me, can clash with the prospects of those gentlemen.

I

I would, most willingly, name some officers to you, in compliance with your intimation on that point, had I any authority for saying that the gentlemen on whom my choice would fall, wish to engage in the service, on any other footing than that which I proposed to them, when last in Carolina; that of a Legionary Brigade, on the volunteer establishment, to be placed on regular establishment in case of actual war, But I have no doubt that a sufficient number may readily be found in that part of the country, should your lists not be already made up.

As the Secy. at War has received a copy of the letter whereto this is an answer, I hope you will not consider me as acting im

properly in forwarding to him a copy of this likewise.

sentiments of the highest respect,

I have the honour to be

Sir

your most obt.

(signed)

The Honble. Genl. Pinckney.

Very Hble. Servt.

With

ROBT: G: HARPER.

VI.

(Confidential.)

CANTONMENT AT HARPER'S FERRY, March 20, 1800. Dear Sir, I think with you that the opinion of the Attorney General in the case of Capn. Devin was given rather in haste-I do not think it a sound one--" --The President may if he thinks proper dismiss an officer he has power so to do; our Commissions are during his pleasure, but this pleasure should be guided by sound discretion & ought never to be exercised but on important occasions, & when circumstances appear to require-such an unusual interference of Presidential Authority, & seem to imprint it with the stamp of propriety. But in the present case no affidavit is produced but the one made by the Accuser. The certificates of the Justices say that they believe the facts stated in it to be true, but they do not say they believe it contains the whole truth.-Col. Parker of the 8th Regiment informs us that on his return from his journey to the North Western Territory he heard many reports relative to the business. They in general amounted to this; that Rhodes was not only very busy in preventing as many as he could influence from inlisting, but exerted himself diligently in endeavouring those who had inlisted to Desert. Capn. Devin did not pursue the legal remedy in such case provided, but very improperly took the law into his own hands, & inflicted a species of punishment, which even the Law would not have inflicted, & for which he will undoubtedly be himself punished. But before we say determinately that he is guilty, for justice sake let him be tried.

Let us hear what he has to say in his defence, or in miti

gation. We all exclaimed against the Treaty of the 18th of fructidor for justifying their nefarious prescription and transportation of Barthelmi and a number of the Members of the two Councils to Cazembe without trial under the sophism, that trial. was merely to ascertain guilt and if you were convinced that a party was guilty, that then trial was nugatory and an impediment to prompt & vigorous justice-Altho I do not mean to palliate the crime committed by Capn. Devin, I yet hope he will be tried before he is punished and that the President will not be inattentative to the maxim of Seneca.

Qui statuit aliquid, parte inauditâ alterâ, Aequum licet, statuerit, haud Aequus fuit.

Yrs truly

CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY.*

His Excellency James Mc Henry Esq.

CENSUS GLOUCESTER COUNTY, 1782-3..

FREE AND SLAVE, GLOUCESTER COUNTY.

Communicated by EDWARD WILSON JAMES.
(CONCLUDED)

There were in Gloucester county, in 1782-3, leaving out Abington parish, the report of which is missing, 2,540 white persons, making 490 families, a fraction more than five persons to the family.

*Chas. Cotesworth Pinckney, of South Carolina, then Major-General, U. S. A.