SC250: Documents

This document is a handwritten memorandum of the state of the American and British troops during the American Revolution, dated December 7, 1780. The author is unknown. It states where troops were located and how many men were there.

Thomas Bee was a planter, lawyer, politician and jurist from Charleston, South Carolina. Bee served as the sixth Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (1779-1780) under Governor John Rutledge. He was also a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1782. From 1790 until his death, Bee served as a judge in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Bee was president of the Library Society from 1783 to 1792, and was a member until at least 1830.
 
A series of 10 letters written by John Mathews to Thomas Bee over the span of about two years during the middle of the American Revolution. The two men, both from South Carolina, served on the Second Continental Congress together. Mathews’ letters discuss political and financial issues, as well as the ongoing war. Charles Lee (July 1778 letter), Edward Rutledge (January 1780 letter), embargo (August 30, 1778 letter), and the Battle of Monmouth (July 1778 letter) are people and topics discussed in the letters.

The image at left is Thomas Bee's house at 94 Church Street, built c. 1730.

William Bull was a landowner and politician in the Province of South Carolina. He served on the governor’s council and as lieutenant governor from 1738 to 1755 and acting governor from 1738 to 1744. He assisted James Oglethorpe in 1733, in founding the new Province of Georgia and laying out the town of Savannah. Bull's son, William, Jr., was president of the Library Society from 1760 to 1767, and a member through at least 1778.

William Bull, Lt. Governor of the province of South Carolina, sent a letter on November 29, 1740, to Thomas Penn, Proprietor of Pennsylvania, from Charles Town, South Carolina. The letter was written after the fire that occurred in the city eleven days prior, asking for assistance from Thomas Penn and the wealthier inhabitants of his province to provide relief for those suffering in Charles Town.

The image at left is a portrait of Thomas Penn c. 1752. The image at right is William Bull's house at 35 Meeting Street, built c. 1720.

Doctor Lionel Chalmers was born in Campbeltown, Scotland, and studied medicine at University of Edinburgh before settling in South Carolina and becoming one of the leading physicians. He was also a scientist, recording weather observations, which he had published in London in 1776. London’s Medical Society published Chalmers’ work on tetanus in 1754, and his Essays on Fevers were published in Charles Town in 1767. Chalmers corresponded with many influential European scientists. Chalmers’ Alley in Charleston, South Carolina, was named after the doctor after he purchased his property on it. Chalmers’ property burned in 1778.
   
Three letters written to Dr. Lionel Chalmers in the 1770s. Two came from Dr. John Fothergill in London, England, and Dr. Alexander Garden wrote the third letter in this collection. They discussed botany and medicine.

Sir Henry Clinton was a British Army officer and politician, best known for his service as general during the American Revolutionary War. From 1778 to 1782, he served as the British Commander-in-Chief in North America. In early 1780, he was responsible for bringing Charleston under siege.

A facsimile of a proclamation signed by Henry Clinton, M. Arbuthnot, and J. Simpson offers pardon to the rebels who are willing to realign their allegiance and obedience with the King and Great Britain. The document was originally written and signed in Charleston, South Carolina, after the city had surrendered to the British military earlier in 1780. The original manuscript resides in the collection of T. Bailey Meyers.

The image at right is an Andrea Soldi painting of Sir Henry Clinton, c. 1762-1765.

Barnard Elliott, born November 11, 1740, was Captain of the Second Regiment of South Carolina in 1775. He was a resident of South Carolina and became Captain of the South Carolina Artillery June 17, 1775; Major, November 1775; Lieutenant- Colonel, 1777. Elliott was also a member of the General Assembly. He married Mary Eliza Bellinger on April 27, 1766 and then was re-married on January 1, 1776 to Susanna Smith. He died on October 25, 1778.

Contains military records written by Captain Barnard Elliott of the Second Regiment of South Carolina troops; recruiting journal written in 1775; correspondence by Barnard Elliott to the Captains of Artillery; and note by Elliott to W. Smith.

The Elliott family settled in South Carolina after traveling from Barbados. William Elliott was the first of the surname to settle in the Lowcountry and his son, William Elliott, would go on to marry Elizabeth Boigard and have four children. Elliott and Boigard’s oldest son, Barnard Elliott, would become a member of the General Assembly and serve as Lieutenant Colonel in the Continental Artillery of South Carolina. Barnard Elliott Jr. married Juliet Georgiana Gibbes in March 1798 and together had six children: Barnard, Adelaide, Juliet, Barnard Smith, Juliet Georgiana, and Lewis Gibbes.

Ser.1 (2 items) : family genealogical records for the Elliott Family compiled by Juliet Georgiana Gibbes Elliott and Henry S. Holmes.
Ser.2 (4 items) : papers of (Miss) Juliet Georgiana Elliot. Included are Miss Elliott's Account Book (1844-1874) ; a receipt (1848-1849) signed by Adelaide Gibbes for Miss Elliott's subscription to "educating Chinese youths" ; a letter (1831) from her cousin, Robert M. Gibbes ; and a letter (1869) from her aunt, Frances Gibbes.
Ser.3 (3 items) : correspondence of Juliet Georgiana Gibbes Elliott. Included are a letter (1808) to Miss Roupell ; a letter (1829) from Thomas Middleton ; and a note [n,d.] to "Juliette" from her brother, J. Gibbes.
Ser.4 (2 items) : correspondence of Mrs. Barnard Elliott. Included are a letter (1779) from William Piercy, and a letter (1781?) from Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee.

Nicholas Eveleigh was a delegate of South Carolina. In 1765, Owen Roberts became Commissioner of Fortifications and was instructed to build a fort on Sullivan’s Island, which would become Fort Moultrie.     

The court martial of Col. Owen Roberts is written by Deputy Adjunct General Nicholas Eveleigh and dated July 7, 1777. Manuscript signed.

Ms. 137 includes other documents related to Col. Roberts.

The painting at left by Henry Benbridge is called "The Death of Colonel Owen Roberts" and shows his 1779 death at the Battle of Stono Ferry.

The letter was written by Thomas Farr in Charleston, SC on July 10, 1787. The letter is address to Reverend Robert Purcell at Shepton-Mallet in Somersetshire in England. Farr discusses a claim filed by Rev. Purcell about estates that were damaged during the war by British troops.

The collection includes numerous letters between James Ladson Gibbes and his father, John Gibbes, while he was studying at Princeton. Other letters include a note dated 1865 from Alex Hamilton Jr., of New York addressed to Mr. Gibbes about supporting Governor Aiken, and also a letter addressed to Mrs. Thomas Gibbes by her sister, Sarah R. Wilmer.

The collection also contains the account of losses to the British troops, 1779-1782, written by William Gibbes, an indenture contract between Robert Gibbes and his wife, Sarah, over Harriet Colcock and whose trust she would be under signed by John Gibbes, Thomas Gibbes, Sarah Gibbes, two bills of sale for slaves by Joseph Smith Gibbes in 1851, the will of Sarah Gibbes dated July 6, 1813 is included and signed by Sarah Gibbes, Isaac Motte Dart and Mary Clayton; a typed transcription of a letter by Dr. Robert W. Gibbes to his son, Captain W. Allston Gibbes, dated March 14, 1865, provides a detailed account of the burning of Columbia, SC by General Sherman, the 2 volumes of genealogy of the Gibbes family of South Carolina as well as a collection of newspaper clippings relating to the Gibbes family is also included in this collection, and an oversized genealogy chart of Gibbes family created in 1899 by Rev. Robert Wilson, cataloged separately.

The house at right is the William Gibbes House at 64 South Battery, built c. 1772.

Nathanael Greene was born in 1742 to parents Nathanael Greene and Mary Motte in Warwick, Rhode Island. His great grandfathers John Greene and Samuel Gorton founded the town. He grew up a Quaker, who are pacifists and do not condone fighting. He married Catharine Littlefield in 1774, and the couple had 5 children. That same year, he helped organize a militia in Rhode Island. At the start of the American Revolution, he was appointed Brigadier General of the Rhode Island Army. In 1778 he was appointed Quartermaster General of the Continental Army, placing him in charge of the acquisition and distribution of military supplies. General George Washington placed Greene in command of the Southern troops in 1780 after a devastating loss to the British. General Greene successfully led his troops against the British, which eventually led to British General Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown. Greene is also known as “The Savior of the South” and “The Fighting Quaker.” He died at his home in Georgia in 1786.

Nathanael Greene wrote to John Matthews after signing British Major Andre’s death warrant. In this letter, Greene suggests he should take over command of the South’s affairs as well as predicts Benedict Arnold will retaliate due to the execution. Two letters to General Marion in 1781 request immediate communication between American forces, which had been cut off at this time by the British. The third letter to General Marion informs Marion about the British evacuation of Charleston in November 1782. Greene’s report of the Battle of Eutaw to the Delegates of S.C., specifically addressed to Governor Rutledge, acknowledges an American victory as well as contains a list of those killed and wounded. The documents are signed.

The image at left is a John Trumbull portrait of Nathanael Greene, c. 1792.

Monthly returns of troops in Charles Harden's company at Fort Lyttleton, February 4, 1777. Two undated items: notes about exercising the troops and new recruits; inventory of supplies at Fort Lyttleton.

Daniel Horry was born in South Carolina and married Harriott Pinckney in 1769. Horry was a colonel of Light Dragoons in the Revolutionary War, but to protect his extensive properties from seizure he took British protection when the British army defeated American forces and occupied Charleston in 1780.

Three letters from June and August of 1776. June 11 letter by Horry at Haddrell's Point to Moultrie at Sullivans Island, regarding Capt Vanderhorst's orders and maneuvers of the enemy. June 14 letter by Charles Lee to Horry, regarding concerns over the safety of the fort and garrison on Sillivans Island. August 4 letter by Horry at Haddrell's Point camp to Lee regarding camp lodging.

At right is Daniel Horry's home at Hampton Plantation in McClellanville, built c. 1735 and purchased by Horry in 1757.

John Paul Jones was born in Arbigland, Scotland in 1747. He is considered the "Father of the American Navy" and won a number of important naval victories against the British for the new Continental Army. These papers include originals and typed transcripts of letters to Benjamin Franklin and others in Paris, to Joseph Hewes, and to A. Livingston. Also includes a 1776 list of U.S. Navy captains, his "A Plan for Regulation & Equipment of the Navy" (1777), and notes (1794) on the expense of building, fitting, and maintaining a frigate. Also a U.S. Continental Congress list showing rank of captions in the Navy, dated October 10, 1776. A doodle drawn by Alexander Hamilton during a discussion on the purchase of frigates is also included.

Image at left is a portrait of John Paul Jones by Charles Wilson Peale, c. 1781-1784. The image at right is the "Hamilton Doodle" as mentioned above.

John Lloyd was a planter and merchant in present-day Colleton County. He was president of the South Carolina Senate from 1783-1788.
 
This collection includes letters from London and Nantes during the American Revolutionary War addressed to Thomas Farr, Jr., Charleston. Post-war letters are written from Charleston and are addressed to a nephew in England. Business and politics are the principal topics discussed.

Gabriel Manigault was an American architect, born in Charleston, South Carolina. He went to school in Geneva, Switzerland and London, returning to Charleston after the American Revolutionary War. He employed the Greek Revival and Adamesque styles in his architecture and designed the Joseph Manigault House in Charleston, S.C. His great-grandfather was Pierre Manigault (1642-1729), a French Huguenot born in La Rochelle, France, and settled in Charleston, S.C. He also designed the Joseph Manigault house for his brother, which is currently a museum operated by the Charleston Museum. In 1765 Manigault leased the use of his brick storehouse on Union Street to the Library Society for the storage of its collection. The storehouse and all but 185 volumes were destroyed in a 1778 fire.

The collection consists of a promissory note of Gabriel Manigault to Robert Williams, showing payments made from 1777 to 1788, witnessed by William Banbury. Five letters written to Gabriel Manigault from Robert Williams and J. Vandeuvre (written in French) date between 1785 and 1801.

Image at left is the Joseph Manigault House at 350 Meeting Street, built in 1803. At right are 1794 Gilbert Stuart double portraits of Gabriel Manigault and his wife, Margaret.

Francis Marion acted as a colonel in the Continental Army and led the South Carolina militia during the American Revolution. He was born to parents Gabriel and Esther Marion in 1732 on their family plantation in Berkeley, S.C. Before fighting in the Revolution, he fought as a lieutenant in the French and Indian War during the 1750s. He is most well known for his leadership and unconventional war tactics during the Revolution. After Charleston had fallen to the British in 1780, Marion enacted guerilla warfare in order to reclaim the Southern Colonies that had begun to fall under enemy rule. His success and new fighting style gave him the nickname of “The Swamp Fox,” which his is still referred to as today. He died in 1795 at his home, Pond Bluff.

The collection includes seven letters of correspondence from Francis Marion to various American Revolutionary military leaders and government officials. The earliest letter describes a skirmish at Bacon Bridge, its recipient unknown. The second letter contains commands given to Lt. Peter Tayler. The third letter provides instructions to John Palmer Junr. Esqr. of Charles Town District. There are three letters to Major Albert A. Muller, who was stationed at Fort Johnson. The last letter is an acknowledgement of the return of Marion’s men by Colonel Samuel Benton.

Image at right is print of Francis Marion.

This poem was written anonymously in 1777 and criticized some of the voting choices of the people of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina during the election of 1776. Mecklenburg County was an early seat of discontent against British rule, and published their own Declaration of Independence in 1775. Some research by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library suggests the poem may have been written by Adam Brevard, whose brother Ephraim signed the 1775 Declaration.

William Moultrie was a general in American Revolutionary War who served as the 35th Governor of South Carolina (1785-87, 1792-94). He was born to Dr. John and Lucretia Cooper Moultrie in Charleston in 1730. Fort Moultrie was named in his honor after his defense of the Sullivan’s Island fort prevented Sir Henry Clinton and Sir Peter Parker from taking Charleston, S.C., in 1776. He was captured in the Fall of Charleston in 1780, and was later freed in a prisoner exchange. He was promoted to major general in 1782, the last man to be appointed to that rank by Congress. In 1802 he  published Memoirs of the Revolution as far as it related to the states of North and South Carolina.

 
The collection includes letters written to and from William Moultrie during the American Revolution between 1779 and 1781. Letters written by William Moultrie were sent to Charles Lee, Nathanael Greene, and Charles Montague. One letter is addressed to William Moultrie from Charles Montague.

Image at left is a Charles Wilson Peale portrait of William Moultrie, 1782.

This letter was written by Abington Perkins to Loammy Husbands in Charles Town, South Carolina, on September 28, 1776, concerning the sale of Husbands’ horse.

Andrew Pickens was a planter, Congressman, and militia leader. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1739 and moved to Abbeville in 1764. He established a respectful relationship with local Cherokee peoples before, during, and after the Revolution, and was christened the "Wizard Owl" by the Cherokee. Through his wife Rebecca Calhoun he was related to Vice President John C. Calhoun and Thomas Green Clemson, founder of Clemson University. Hopewell Plantation, Pickens' home from which he negotiated several Native American treaties, is maintained by Clemson University in Pickens County, which was named after him.

This collection includes correspondence (1787, 1792) with George Handley, Alexander McGillivrey, Charles and Thomas Pinckney, Felix Warley, Richard Winn, and the Little Turkey and other headmen of the Cherokees regarding politics, Indian lands and ratification of the Constitution. It also features miscellaneous accounts and legal papers (1782-1894).

Image on the left is the main house of Hopewell Plantation, built c. 1815. The portrait on the right is of Andrew Pickens.

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was a planter, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, signer of the Constitution, United States Minister to France, and Presidential nominee in 1804 and 1808. His mother Eliza Lucas Pinckney was a planter in her own right who helped establish the lucrative indigo industry in South Carolina. In his role as as minister to France Pinckney became involved in the XYZ affair, wherein Pinckney's authority as an ambassador was snubbed due to America's trade relationship with Britain, with whom France was at war. Pinckney was the president of the Library Society from 1798 to 1807, and had been a member since 1769.

Included in this collection is correspondence with Alexander Hamilton, John Marshall, Andrew Pickens, David Ramsay, Edward Rutledge, family members, and others regarding the Revolution, politics, the introduction of indigo to South Carolina, South Carolina botany, and the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson as President of the U. S. Also includes lease agreements (1804, 1805), and a receipt (1809).

The image at left is a James Earl painting of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, circa 1795.

This letter by Anne Potter in Charleston, South Carolina, was sent to her cousin Sylvia Babcock in Westerly, dated October 25, 1772, to inform Babcock that her aunt is sick.

Baron Randerode de Thulier was a French military commander who fought alongside the United States during the American Revolution.
 
The legion consisted of 12 companies of 50 men each, not counting the officers. There were to be 3 officers per company. Baron de Randerode made notes about the legion on the bottom of the document. There is no date or specific location of where these men were to fight.

George Rathbon emigrated from Exeter, England to the colony of Rhode Island. His brother, Jeremiah Rathbon of Exeter, purchased the slave named Primus from him in 1773. This bill of sale for the slave named Primus was created by George Rathbon and presented to the buyer, Jeremiah Rathbon, for the sum of 80 dollars. Job Spencer acted as the witness of the sale, which took place in Rhode Island. Along with the bill of sale there is a newspaper clipping and letter of explanation. The newspaper clipping includes a transcription of the bill of sale.

In 1765, Owen Roberts became Commissioner of Fortifications and was instructed to build a fort on Sullivan’s Island, which would become Fort Moultrie. He was the colonel of artillery regiment in South Carolina during the American Revolution. He died at the battle of Stono Ferry in 1779.

This collection includes four letters to Lt. Col. Barnard Elliott between 1776 and 1777, regarding the Revolutionary War. There is also a monthly return of artillery regiment that gives ranks of officers, dated November 1777.

Ms. 53 refers to Owens' 1777 court martial. The image at right is a detail of a 1780 map showing Stono Ferry.

John Rutledge was born in Charleston in 1739. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, and served as governor of South Carolina for much of the Revolutionary War. After the war George Washington appointed him as one of the first associate justices of the Supreme Court. He served as its second Chief Justice in 1795. His former home is now the John Rutledge House Inn.

The collection includes letters from John Rutledge to the state delegates in the Congress of Philadelphia. Topics include the fall of Charleston, Thomas Sumter's victory at Hanging Rock, patriot and British troop strengths in South Carolina, the Battle of Eutaw Springs, the execution of Isacc Hayne, John Laurens diplomatic activities in France, and the election of J. Matthews to succeed Rutledge.

The image at left is of the John Rutledge House Inn at 116 Broad Street, built in 1763. The image at right is a 1791 portrait of John Rutledge by John Trumbull.

Issued by the South Carolina General Legislature, these resolutions were issued in the General Orders on October 22, 1776.

This document lists the districts from which members of the South Carolina Legislature were elected.

This collection includes a handwritten transcript of the appointments and first communication of the Board of War on June 12 and 21, 1776; an appointment of John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Harrison, James Wilson, and Edward Rutledge to the Board of War; a court martial roster for Fort Johnson, dated August 12, 1776; lists captains and lieutenants, a list of promotions, oath and instructions for its administration, and rations dated October 29, 1776; and a review of an artillery regiment.

Seal of the Board of War at left.

George Washington was most famous as the first president of the United States. He was appointed commander of the Continental Army in 1775, and was elected president in 1789 following the adoption of the Constitution. He died at his estate at Mount Vernon at the end of 1799.

In a signed letter, President Washington presents queries regarding the possibility of a French invasion of the United States. Included in the topics of his questions to the Majors General are: likely location of French attack, weaponry needed for defense, and manner of uniforming the United States soldiers.

A bound manuscript contains copies of Washington's letters (1781-1788) to the Chevalier (later Marquis) de Chastellux made by William Willis (later published by him in 1825 in Charleston (S. C.) as a pamphlet); also, letters (1789-1798) to Charles Cotesworth Pinckney urging him to accept nomination to first one post and then another (associate justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and minister to France); a copy of a letter (1796) to the French Republic presenting Pinckney as U. S. envoy; and queries (1798) to Pinckney and Alexander Hamilton concerning France and the development and arming of the U. S. military.

A signed duplicate of a letter written to Charles Cotesworth Pinckney by President Washington expresses sympathy and offering assistance on the event of the fire of June 13-14, 1796.

In a private letter, George Washington asks if either Charles Cotesworth Pinckney or Edward Rutledge will accept the office of Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court (recently vacated by John Rutledge).

In a personal note, President Washington welcomes Charles Cotesworth Pinckney back to the United States, and invites him for a visit on his way home to Charleston. Mrs. Pinckney, Miss Pinckney, Mrs. Washington and Miss Custis are mentioned.

In a signed letter, President Washington appoints Charles Cotesworth Pinckney to the position of Minister Plenipotentiary for the United States of America to the Republic of France.

At right is a 1795 Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington.

This was likely written by Lieut. John Wilson of the Royal Engineers in the British army. He later went to New York and was dispatched from there to Nassau to draw up a defense plan. Lieutenant John Wilson of the 71st British Infantry was an engineer in the British Army. He hailed from Scotland. After sustaining a severe injury during the Siege of Charleston, he remained in the city after the end of the war. He married the daughter of a Charleston man, who too was a native of Scotland, and returned with her to Scotland. The couple had 4 children. His widow returned to Charleston, S. C. with the children after John’s death in 1807.

The journal covers every day between February 29th and May 12th, 1780 and describe the British actions during the Siege of Charleston with the names of various British officers. The first entry describes the initial plans of an attack from the Brigade of Engineers under the command of Captain Moncrieff on James Island. The final entry states that the British marched into Charleston at 2 P. M. on May 12, 1780 after the city had surrendered.

At left is a 1780 painting of the Siege of Charleston by Alonzo Chappel.

Inventory of guns, mortars, and howitzers mounted on the different works at Charlestown, June 1, 1782. Includes iron and brass guns and mortars at Sugar House, Salt Works, Dam head, Hampstead Hill, Governors Bridge, at different stores and workshops, etc.

At right are several examples of Revolutionary War artillery on display at the Yorktown Battlefield.

This is a broadside showing the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, a declaration allegedly delivered to Congress more than a year before the official United States Declaration of Independence in 1776. There is some controversy over the authenticity of this document, with some scholars claiming that it is an authentic 1775 document, and others arguing that it was confused with the Mecklenburg Resolves of 1775 and then retroactively printed in the early 19th century. The Declaration is important to North Carolina identity and history, and the date of its signing appears on the official seal and flag of North Carolina in commemoration of the first declaration of American independence from Great Britain. The Charlotte Museum of History has compiled evidence outlining the arguments for and against the document's authenticity.

At left is the flag of North Carolina featuring the date of signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration.

This document is a handwritten transcription of Revolutionary War-era orders and vital records from St. James Santee Parish and Prince Frederick Parish, presumably made from a copy owned by the Colonial Dames of South Carolina around 1900. It includes pay schedules and appointments, court martials, muster roll of 3rd Regiment South Carolina Continental Troops, medical advice, and records related to births, marriages, and deaths. It was acquired by the Charleston Library Society from the estate of Isabel DeSaussure (1853-1939) in 1950.

This list gives the ranks of officers of a 1776 artillery regiment, including Roberts, Barnard Elliott, Beekman, Harden, Grimke, Porteaux, Drayton.

John Lewis Gervais was born in Germany to French Huguenot parents in 1741. The family came to Charleston in 1764 and worked as merchants and planters. Gervais was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1782 and 1783 and later served in the state senate. He led the effort to move the state capital to Columbia in 1786. 

Henry Laurens (1724-1792) left John Lewis Gervais in charge of his business affairs while he was away from South Carolina. In these letters John Lewis Gervais of Gervais & Owen writes to Henry Laurens, Leonard DeNeufville, and General Andrew Pickens.

The image at right is an engraving of John Lewis Gervais.

This manuscript includes the recollections of John Peter Martin regarding his regiments expeditions from Charleston to Beaufort in the beginning of 1779. It was written over fifty years later in 1831. A note from Mary E. Strobel at the end of the document notes that it was found among "Aunt Anna's" papers and given to Martin's grandson, Daniel Strobel Martin. 

Louisa Susannah Wells Aikman was born in Charleston, S.C. in 1755. She was the daughter of Robert and Mary Rowand Wells of Scotland who settled in Charleston about 1753. Robert Wells was a member of the Charleston Library Society and a bookseller, bookbinder, and printer. He published the South-Carolina and American General Gazette, and was an outspoken Loyalist who fled to London in 1775. Louisa became engaged to Alexander Aikman who was a printer's apprentice in her father's bookshop in Charleston. They married in Jamaica in January of 1782 and went on to have 10 children together before she died in Isle of Wight in 1831.

This bound volume contains Wells's recollections of a trip she made from Charleston, S.C. to London, via New York in 1778. She and her fellow passengers were largely Loyalists fleeing the colonies for England. Her ship was captured in July of 1778 by the British off the coast of North Carolina. It was taken as a prize to British-occupied New York where she and her fellow travelers spent the next three months waiting for their journey to continue. It was written from memory around 1800, and is possibly based off of another earlier account that she wrote in 1779. She relates tales of ship life, military maneuvers, friendships she makes, scenery and social life, and details about people she meets during the journey.

Image at left is a portrait of Louisa Wells Aikman taken from the frontspiece of the published edition of her book.