PINCKNEY, C II ARLES COTESWORTIT (1746 1S25). An American soldier and statesman, born at Charleston. S. C., son of Charles Pinck ney, Chief Justice of South Carolina. hie was ed twitted in England. at Oxford and the Middle Temple. After studying for a time at the Royal Military Academy at Caen. Frame, lie returned to America in 1769. and began the practice of the law at Charleston. Ile served in the first Provincial Congress of South Carolina in 1775, was elected captain of a provincial regiment in the same year, anti became colymel in October, 1776. Ile was afterwards ono of 'Washington's aides-de-camp, participated in the battles of 'Brandywine and Germantown, and, returning to the South in 1778. joined the expedition to Flor ida. In 1783, he was promoted to be brigadier general, but, the war being over. he returned to his practice at Charleston. lie was a prominent member of the United States Constitutional Con vention in 1787: of the State Convention which ratified the Federal Constitution. and of the
convention which in 1790 framed a constitution for South Carolina. Sent to France in 1796, as United States Minister, he was received with studied discourtesy by the Directory. which final ly forced him to leave the country: nor on his return as a joint commissioner with Elbridge Gerry and John Marshall was his reception more favorable. (See X. V. Z. ('ORRESPONDENCE.) Talleyrand assured the commissioners that a gift of money was a necessary preliminary to the ne gotiations, and that a refusal might bring on war. Pinckney is said to have answered: 1w it, then; millions for defense, sir, but not one cent for tribute!" On his return to the United States a war with France seemed imminent, and he was appointed a major-general. Ile was the Federalist eandidate f(u. V ke-Preshlent in 1800 and for President in 1804 and 1808, and was the third president-general of the Society of the Cin cinnati.