- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Depos[itions of] deserter[s] Mark King [and] W[illia]m Henson, 1782
- Date of Original:
- 1782
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians
Creek Indians
Great Britain. Army
Military deserters
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Indian participation - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, South Carolina, 34.00043, -81.00009 - Medium:
- depositions
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This document contains extracts of the depositions of Mark King and William Henson, both deserters from British military service, dated 1782. King's testimony reveals that he was threatened into British service. He provides information on troop strength and movements in Georgia and South Carolina associated with the Revolutionary War. He also deposes that a body of Cherokee and Creek Indians were recently in Savannah to receive ammunition, ostensibly to support the British cause. Henson reveals that he too was threatened into British service. His deposition furnishes information on British troops and reinforcements and their whereabouts.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- tcc849
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc849
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc849#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc849/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Telamon Cuyler, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 2 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 69, folder 08, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
The Deposition of Mark King a deserter from Savannah, belonging to Major Wrights Corps, he left Savannah
22 Decr. [December] 1781. He is an American born, has been in the British Service about 4 months taken on Ogeechee by Wm. [William] & Henry Cooper below horse creek, his reason for enlisting was that, he was threatened to be put on board a Prison ship and sent to the West Indies...
5 Jany. [January] 1782
A reinforcement has arrived to Savannah from Charles Town
21 Decr. [December] 1781 of the 7th Regiment consisting off [of] about 150 men... He further says Major Wrights corps consists of about 35 men fitting for duty about 40 in the whole... That the Enemy is making every preperation [preparation] for a Siege, they are making two redoubts one at the Spring Hill the other at the Trustees gardens, the Citadel has twenty four guns, of twenty four and twelve pounders,.. Coll: [Colonel] Campbell corps consists of about 36 men 35 of which does constant duty as dragoons.. Coll: [Colonel] Browns corps has about 25 dragoons and about 40 Infantry many [unclear text: invalids ] . Delanseys Corps about 25 men infantry... Coll: [Colonel] Fannings corps about 40 men .. About 300 Hessians commanded by Genl. [General] Proback .. The present commander in Savannah Coll: [Colonel] Clark . . About 200 militia men in Savannah, the commander he does not know. . . About 150 Negroes armed and equipt [equipped] as infantry, commanded by Coll: [Colonel] Brown ... The enemy has eight platforms round the lines of Savannah with 4 guns in each. 12 pounders... About 3 or 4 brigs in the harbour [harbor], 4 row galleys in the River, and but very indifferently manned, they are 0bliged to man them with men from the diffirent [different] Regiments, the men on the return of the Galleys to Savannah repair to their respective Regts. [Regiments] ... The Troops in Savannah in Genl. [General] are very dissatisfied... There was about 5 weeks ago about 100 Indians Cherokees & Creeks in Savannah and returned to the Nation with a large quantity of amunition [ammunition] ... It was reported the time that Ebenezer was evacuated, that a fleet
Page: [2]
was off, but did know what fleet... About three weeks ago a dispatch boat arrived from Charles Town and it was reported she brought news for the Troops to evacuate Savannah . . Beef 6d pr. lb. Pork 1/
The Deposition of Wm: [William] Henson a deserter from Major Wrights corps in Savannah, he says he is an American born, he was taken on Edistoe in So. [South] Carolina about 2 months ago, about 10 miles below Orangeburgh, and says his reason for Enlisting with the British was that they threatened to put him on board of a man of War; he left Savannah
22 Decr. [December] 1781 ... A reinforcement has arrived to Savannah from Charls Town consisting of about 150 men... The Countrymen are daily moveing [moving] into town, a Seige [Siege] being expected by them daily, they are laying in great quantity of Provisions, he says they are a number of Cannon in the Citadel and on the Lines. Three or four Brigs in the Harbour [Harbor] . . There is two small redoubts on the Island of Cockspur, and a post at Ogechee and one at Habercorn consisting of 25 men. In reguard [regard] to the different corps in Savannah, he is entirely ignorant off [of] . . The Troops in General are dissatisfied. Salt one dollar pr. bushel. Pork 8d pr. lb.
[deleted text: Military ]
Report of a Deserter
1782
from the Enemy
1782
File with "Rev: War. [Revolutionary War]