A Contemporary Draft Of General Benjamin Lincoln’s Articles Of Capitulation Of Charleston. Not All Were Accepted By The British, But Lincoln Requested That His “Garrison Shall At An Hour Appointed, March Out With Shouldered Arms, Drums Beating, And Colours Flying To A Place To Be Agreed On, Where They Will Pile Their Arms”

BENJAMIN LINCOLN (1733-1810). Lincoln was a Revolutionary War general and the Secretary of War from 1781 to 1783. (SURRENDER OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA). On April 2, 1780, 10,000 British soldiers under the command of General Henry Clinton sieged 3,000 Continental Army soldiers at Charleston. On May 12, the over-matched forces surrendered, marking the largest Continental Army capitulation of the American Revolution. General Cornwallis was left in charge of British forces, and Lincoln was eventually traded for a British general. After the Charleston surrender, a guerilla war broke out in South Carolina. When the British surrendered at Yorktown, Benjamin Lincoln was there to accept Cornwallis’s sword. D. 2pg. 8” x 10”. 1780. Charleston [South Carolina]. A contemporary draft of General Lincoln’s articles of capitulation for Charleston: “Article of Capitulation proposed by Major General Lincoln – Art. 1 that all acts of hostilities and Work…Between the Besiegers and Besieged Until…of Capitulation shall be Agreed on, signed…Executed, or be collectively Rejected. Art. 2. The town and fortifications shall…[be] surrendered to the Commander in Chief of the…Forces, such as they now stand. Art. 3. The Continental Troops and Sailors – with their baggage shall be Conducted to a Place to be Agreed on – where they will Remain Prisoners of War – until Exchanged – White Prisoners, they shall be supplied with Good and Wholesome Provisions in such quantity as is Served out to the Troops of his Britanic [sic] Majesty. Art. 4. The militia now in garrison shall be permitted to return to their respectives homes, and…[be] secured in their persons and property. Art. 5. The sick and Wounded shall…be continued under the care…Art. 6. The Garrison shall at an hour appointed, march out with shouldered arms, Drums beating, and Colours Flying to a place to be agreed on, where they will pile their arms. Art 7. That the French Consul, his house papers, and other movable property shall be protected and untouched, and a proper time granted to him for retiring to…that may afterwards be agreed upon between…Commander in Chief of the British forces. Art. 8. That the citizens shall be protected in their persons and Property. Art. 10. That a twelve months time be allowed all such as do not choose to continue under the British Government, to dispose of their Effects, real and personal in the State, with out any molestation, or to remove such part thereof as they choose, as well as themselves and families, and that during that time, they, or any of them may have it as their option to reside occasionally in town or country. Art 11. That the same protection to their persons and properties, and the same time for the removal of their Effects be given to the subjects of France and Spain as required for the citizens in the previous articles. Art 12. That a vessel be permitted to go to Philadelphia with the General’s dispatches which are not to be opened. Signed May 8th 1780 B Lincoln”. This likely is an early draft, since Article 6 is not included; that stated “The officers of the army and navy shall keep their horses, swords, pistols and baggage which shall not be searched and retain their servants.” It is in an unknown hand, and is not in the writing of Lincoln’s aide-de-camp Hodijah Baylies. The document just underwent a professional restoration to remove silking and improve the overall condition, although I would still rate the document’s state as fair. There are paper losses that affect some words but the legibility has improved considerably. (Inventory #: 4951)