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The
British under General Clinton arrived by sea and began the siege
of Charleston on April 14. By April 21 the Americans in the city
were cut off on the landside as well. On April 24, Colonel Parker
was killed during a British assault. Henry Lee described his death:
"Always beloved and respected, late in the siege he received a ball
in the forehead, and fell dead in the trenches, embalmed in the
tears of his faithful soldiers, and honored by the regret of the
whole army."
By
May 7 provisions were low with casualties mounting daily. After
conferring with his officers, Lincoln agreed to surrender terms
on May 12, 1780. Over 5,000 American troops were captured, including
almost all of the Virginia Continental Line. The terms of surrender
stipulated that the militia would be allowed to go home, while the
regulars would be imprisoned within the town. The officers were
soon moved to quarters outside the city, awaiting exchange. Some
months later many of the captured were moved to harsher conditions
aboard British prison ships where many perished or remained until
the end of the war.
Some
men of the First Virginia managed to escape capture, perhaps by
posing as militia when they were allowed to leave. In addition,
several lieutenants were not in Charleston with their companies
and were not captured. Some of these men found service with other
units in the months after the fall of Charleston. The "new" Ninth
Virginia Regiment, in garrison at Fort Pitt was the only Virginia
Continental Regiment to remain in the field.
Many
individuals who served with the First Virginia and were not in captivity
participated in the battles that followed, including the victories
at Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown. These included men
whose enlistments in the First Virginia expired and who later reenlisted
with other units, as well as officers who were promoted to higher
ranks in other units.
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