making no bold attempt on the town. It was said, that the officer who
means to act on the offensive, where difficulties must be surmounted,
ought to display some courage; and that too much timidity in war is often
as culpable as too much temerity. Great caution he indeed used for saving
his men, for excepting those who fell by the sword in fort Moosa, he lost
more men by sickness than by the hands of the enemy. Though the disaster
of Colonel Palmer, in which many brave Highlanders were massacred, was
perhaps occasioned chiefly by want of vigilance and a disobedience of
orders, yet many were of opinion, that it was too hazardous to have left
so small a party on the main land, exposed to sallies from a superior
enemy, and entirely cut off from all possibility of support and
assistance from the main body. In short, the Carolineans called in
question the General's military judgment and skill in many respects; and
protested that he had spent the time in barren deliberations, harassed
the men with unnecessary marches, allowed them not a sufficient quantity
of provisions, and poisoned them with breakish water. He, on the other
hand, declared he had no confidence in the firmness and courage of the
provincials; for that they refused obedience to his orders, and at last
abandoned his camp, and retreated to Carolina. The truth was, so strongly
fortified was the place, both by nature and art, that probably the
attempt must have failed, though it had been conducted by the ablest
officer, and executed by the best disciplined troops. The miscarriage,
however, was particularly ruinous to Carolina, having not only subjected
the province to a great expence, but also left it in a worse situation
than it was before the attempt.

[Sidenote] A great fire at Charlestown.

The same year stands distinguished in the annals of Carolina, not only
for this unsuccessful expedition against the Spaniards, but also for a