USA > South Carolina > Orangeburg County > The history of Orangeburg County, South Carolina : from its first settlement to the close of the Revolutionary War > Part 35
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On April 25th, the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill took place near Camden, between the forces of General Greene and Lord Raw- don.
On May 8th General Marion and Col. Henry Lee, of Virgin- ia, (father of General Robert E. Lee) crossed the Santee, and moved up to Fort Motte, and began their approaches,; which
GEN. FRANCIS MARION*
vance Southwardly so as to co-operate, or correspond with me, it might have the best of consequences.
"I am, dear sir, with the greatest regards,
"Your most obd't humble serv't, "Thos. Sumter.
"P. S .- I am extremely sliort of ammunition: if you are well-sup- plied, should be much obliged to you to send some into the neighbor- hood of Buckingham's ferry."-Letter to Gen. Marion.
*By courtesy of Everett Waddey Company, publishers Chapman's School History of South Carolina.
t "Head Quarters, Colonel's Creek, May 10th, 1781.
"General Greene has this moment received information that the
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THE HISTORY OF
were carried on very rapidly until the 12th, when the post surrendered .* Of the siege of Fort Motte, Gen. Moultrie says. Memoirs, p. 280: "They informed Mrs. Motte, that they were afraid that they should be obliged to set fire to her house, which stood in the centre of the fort: she begged them that they would not consider her house as of any consequence in the general cause; and with great patriotism and firm- ness, presented them with an African bow, and quiv-
enemy have evacuated Camden. They moved out this morning ear- ly, after destroying the mill, the goal, and their stores, together with many private houses; what may have induced this unexpected and precipitate movement is uncertain, but the General is of opinion that the same motives which have induced Lord Rawdon to take this step will also induce the evacuation of all the outposts, which the enemy have at Ninety-Six, Augusta and on the Congaree. He begs you to take such measures as may prevent the garrison at Mott's from eseap- ing. The army was to have moved to-morrow morning towards Fri- day's Ferry. I will move that way still, though by a different route and perhaps more slowly. It is uncertain which way Lord Rawdon took his route; it was either to George Town or Charles Town and most probably the latter. The General is firmly of opinion the enemy will, if they can, evacuate all their out-posts. You will therefore take such measures as you think best calculated to prevent their design.
"I am, sir, with high respect,
"Your most obd't, most humble serv't., "Nath. Pendleton, Aid-de-Camp."-to
General Marion.
* "The 12th, Motte's fort submitted to Gen'l Marion; the garrison consisted of upward of one hundred and forty men; one hundred and twenty were British or Hessians, with seven or eight officers. The place had been invested the 8th; nor did it surrender till our troops had made their approaches regularly up to the abbatis; the redoubt was very strong, and commanded by Lieutenant M'Pherson, a very brave young officer. Great praise is due to General Marion, and the handful of militia that remained with him till the reduction of the fort. Lient. C'ol. Lee's Legion, and the detachments under Major Ea- ton, the artillery under Capt. Finlay, and the corps of Infantry under Captains Oldham and Smith, were indefatigable in carrying on the siege. There were found, in the fort, one carronade, one hundred and forty muskets, a quantity of salt provisions, and other stores."-Ex- tract from letter from Gen. Greene to Samuel Huntingdon, Esq., da- ted at "Camp at McCord's Ferry", May 14, 1781.
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er of arrows, and requested they would burn the house as quick as they could. With the arrows, and skewers with combustibles tied to them fired from muskets, they soon put the house in a blaze; and the garrison commanded by Lieutenant M'Pherson* im- mediately surrendered at discretion. Mrs. Motte who had retired to a house at a little distance from her own, was extremely rejoiced at seeing the garrison surrender, although at the expense of her own elegant house."
"Two days after this surrender", says Gen. Moultrie, "the British quitted their post at Nelson's-ferry,; on the south side of Santee-river, about sixty miles from Charleston, blew up their works and destroyed a great part of their stores. A few days after, Fort Granby, in Granby, on Congaree-river, (which had been much harrassed by Colonel Taylor's regiment of militia) sur- rendered to Lieutenant Colonel Lee.# The garrison
*"Sir,
"I beg leave to return you many thanks for your politeness in transmitting to me the letters which fell into your possession at Motte's house. Lieut. M'Pherson having mentioned to me that you proposed an exchange of the garrison taken at that post, I have only to promise, that an equal number of continental officers and soldiers shall be im- mediately set at liberty for all such as General Greene may think proper to send to Charleston."-Extract from letter from Lord Rawdon to Gen. Greene, May 14, 1781.
+Nelson's Ferry is the point on the Santee river where the dividing line between Charlestown and Orangeburgh districts commenced.
#Head Quarters, Congaree, May 18th, 1781.
"Sir:
"I am directed by Gen'l Greene to inform you of the surrender of Fort Granby; five pieces of iron Ordnance, nineteen officers and three hundred and twenty nine privates fell into our hands. The army will march this morning on the route to Ninety-Six. The General has directed General Sumter to continue at this post to command and organize the militia. You will be pleased to continue to harrass the enemy and to receive General Sumter's orders. You will also arrange
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THE HISTORY OF
commanded by Major Maxwell, consisted of about three hundred and fifty men, most of them militia: in all these different forts, the Americans took a large quantity of stores. Lord Rawdon being on the south side of Santee-river, marched down immediately to the relief of Fort Granby, but after marching fourteen miles, he met officers of that garrison on their way to town as prisoners of war, and paroled to Charleston; upon which, he returned."
On May 11th the post at Orangeburgh, consisting of seventy militia and twelve regulars surrendered to Gen- eral Sumter .* There is a tra- dition that Sumter came into town by the "Bellville" road, and that as he reached a spot on Russell Street about in front of where the Presbyte- GEN. THOMAS SUMTER.+ rian Church is now he stopped and planted his cannon under a large oak tree which stood there then, and which stood there for upward of
your Brigade with expedition, and be in readiness to co-operate with this army, should an opportunity offer.
"I am, with great respect, "Your most obd't. humble servant, "J. Burnet, Aid-de-Camp."-to Gen.
Marion.
*"On the 11th the post of Orangeburgh, defended by eighty men, un- der the command of a colonel and other officers, surrendered to Gen. Sumter, who, by his skill in the disposition of his Artillery and Troops, so intimidated the garrison, that the place soon submitted. We thus got possession of a very strong post, without loss either of men or time; a great quantity of provisions and other stores were found in it."-Extract from letter from Gen. Greene to Samuel Hunt- ingdon, Esq.
+By courtesy of Everett Waddey Company, publishers Chapman's School History of South Carolina.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
one hundred years after .* After firing a few shots from this position Gen. Sumter moved on down to a point on Broughton Street, about in front of the resi- dence of the late Harpin Riggs. There be placed his artillery under another large oak, which stood there, and was still there up to about 1890. From this posi-
*When the same tree was cut down, the following story concerning it appeared in an Orangeburg paper:
"A LANDMARK REMOVED .- The old oak that has stood in Russell Street, and shaded that thoroughfare during its whole career, that has been one of Orangeburg's primaeval landmarks since it has been a 'burg, has at last been felled. The grand old tree has been dead for several years, but has stood in the sunshine and the storm, grand even in its decay. Standing right in the road where General Sumter marched to attack the British garrison then occupying the jail, his ancient artillery rumbling over its roots, the old oak where it voiced, could tell of historic love. Separated from its hoary comrades of the forest, ît has stood in the heart of our growing town, looking and smiling upon its improvements. At last in a green old glory, it has 'departed in peace.'
"The town- council has had it hewn down, and its massy trunk, riven by explosion, has been removed. In the summer afternoon; as the reports of the blasting reverberated on the air, they seemed a fun- eral salute over its remains.
"So alas; must dear and grand old prejudices, smiling as if in re- luctant recognition of progressive change and advancement, pass away with things and systems of the past.
"We publish below a beautiful poem, by Scribbler an occasional, and esteemed contributor:
"THE OLD OAK.
"When vengefully, the storms swept by, With maddening roar and livid sky, Was lit with flashings, quick and dread. Thou'st held aloft, thy sturdy head Like Hector, when his noble dead. Around him countless lay. Defiant though the feo drove fast, Unmoved amid the wildest blast Thy stalwart limbs, stripped bare, and left Of every kindred soul bereft,
And front with myriad gashiugs cleft, Yet braving up alway.
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THE HISTORY OF
tion Gen. Sumter soon brought the garrison to terms .* Gen. Sumter is said to have been assisted by Capt. Henry Felder with his company of militia, and the two old cannons now standing in Orangeburgh-one on the northeast corner of Russell and Church Streets and the other on the southwest corner of Russell and Market Streets-are said to have been used by him in the siege.
Of the events just narrated Simms says. p. 226 et. seq: "The fall of Camden; led to the rapid overthrow of the enemy's chain of posts below, and completed the recovery of the state to within thirty miles of the sea. Greene, concluding after the evacuation of this place by Rawdon, that it would be the enemy's object to withdraw his posts on the Congaree, and concen-
"How often have the birdlings made,
Their home within thy plenteous shade, A safe retreat, till icy breath, Of winter wrapped in early deatlı, Thy pride, and scattered far bedeath Ty tendrils clinging fast.
Changes thou'st seen, of hope and dread
Thou'st borne, and wept thy nuniereus dead
Thou'st won the fight, 'gainst many a storm, Yet time hath gnarled thy giant form And age hath fed the wasting worm, And death exults at last."
* Captain Thomas Young, a Revolutionary soldier, who was still living in 1848, wrote an account of some of his experiences, and, among other things, says: "I joined a detachment of whigs, under Colonel Brandon, and scouted through the country until we reached the siege of Fort Motte. There I remained several days, when we joined a detachment, under Colonel Hampton, to take Orangeburg. The State troops out-marched us, for we had a piece of artillery to manage; we arrived the morning after them. As soon as the field- piece was brought to bear upon the house, a breach was made through the gable end-then another lower down-then about the centre, and they surrendered."
t Lord Rawdon evacuated Camden, on May 10th, and gradually re- tired into Charlestown.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
trate them below the Santee, dispatched expresses to Marion and Sumter, to prepare themselves for such an event. He, himself, ordering the army to proceed by the Camden road for the Congaree, took an escort of cavalry and moved down in person to Fort Motte. At McCord's ferry he received the tidings of the capi- tulation of this place. Fort Motte lies above the fork, on the south side of the Congaree. The works of the British were built around the mansion house of the lady whose name it bore, and from which, in their savage recklessness of shame, the British officers had expelled ber .* It was a noble mansion, of considera- ble value; but not of so much value as to abridge the patriotism of the high spirited owner. Defended by a strong garrison, under a resolute commander, the fortress promised to baffle for a long time the progress of the besiegers. Under these circumstances, Mrs. Motte, who had been driven for shelter to a neighbor- ing hovel, produced an Indian bow, which, with a quiver of arrows, she presented to the American com- mander. 'Take these,' she said, while presenting them, 'and expel the enemy. These will enable you to fire the house'. Her earnest entreaty that this course might be adopted, prevailed with the reluctant Marion. Combustibles were fastened to the arrows, which were shot into the roof of the dwelling; and the patriotic woman rejoiced in the destruction of her property, when it secured the conquest to her countrymen."
* *
"Driven out from their place of shelter, the garrison
* Rev. C. C. Pinckney, her great grandson, says, "Life of Thomas Pinckney", p. 81: "While comparative peace reigned, Mrs. Motte was invited to occupy a part of the house; but when hostilities were resumed on the arrival of Greene, and Marion and Sumter and other patriotic leaders were assailing the British and their allies, Mrs. Motte was removed to her overseer's residence."
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at Fort Motte was forced to surrender,* and the force under Marion was ready for operation in other quar- ters. A portion of it, under colonel Lee, was immedi- ately despatched by Greene, as the van of the army, for the reduction of Fort Granby. The fall of Fort Motte increased the panic of the British, and two days after that event they evacuated their post at Nelson's ferry, blew up the fortifications, and destroyed their stores. Fort Granby, after a brief conflict, was sur- rendered with all its garrison, consisting of nearly four hundred men. The terms afforded by colonel Lee, were greatly complained of by the Carolinians. These terms gave to the enemy the privilege of carry- ing off their baggage, in which there was included an immense quantity of plunder. The approach of lord Rawdon, with all his army, is said to have hastened the operations of Lee, and to have led to the liberal concessions which he made to the garrison; but he has incurred the reproach of hastening the capitula- tion in order to anticipate the arrival of Sumter and the grand army. The siege had been begun some time before, by Sumter, who had left colonel Taylor with a strong party to maintain his position, while he made a sudden descent upon the enemy's post at Orangeburgh, in which he was thoroughly successful. Sumter, himself, conceived that he had suffered injury by the capitulation, in which nothing was gained but the earlier possession of a post which could not have been held many days longer, and must have fallen, without conditions, and with all its spoils, into the hands of the Americans. It was with bitter feelings that the whig militia beheld the covered wagons of the enemy, drawn by their own horses, which they
* Another account, with illustrations, will be found in Lossing's "Field Book of the Revolution" vol. 2, p. 477.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
knew to be filled with the plunder of their farms and houses, driven away before their eyes."
The following is Lord Rawdon's account of these operations, extracted from his report to Lord Corn- wallis:
"My first news, upon landing at Nelson's, was, that the post at Motte's house had fallen. It was a simple redoubt, and had been attacked formally by sap. Lieut. M'Pherson had maintained it gallantly till the house in the centre of it was set in flames by fire ar- rows, which obliged his men to throw themselves into the ditch, and surrender at discretion.
"But as Major M'Arthur joined me with near three hundred foot and eighty dragoons, I conceived I might, without hazarding too far, endeavor to check the ene- my's operations on the Congaree. On the 14th, at night, I marched from Nelson's, and on the evening of the 15th I reached the point where the roads from Congarees and M'Cord's ferry unite. Various infor- mation was brought to me thither that Greene had passed the Congaree, at M'Cord's ferry, and had pushed down the Orangeburgh road. The accounts though none of them positive or singly satisfactory, corres- pouded so much, that I was led to believe them, and the matter was of such moment, that it would not ad- mit of my pausing for more certain information; there- fore, after giving the troops a little rest, I moved back to Eutaws the same night, but hearing nothing there, I pursued my march hither."*
"The British", says Gen. Moultrie, "had now lost all their posts in the three Southern States, except that at Ninety-six, one at Fort Golphan, and one at Au- gusta, in Georgia."+
*Charlestown.
+Fort Cornwallis.
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The day after the taking of Granby, Gen. Greene dis- patched Col. Lee with his legion to take Fort Gol- phin,* and to assist Gen. Pickens and Col. Clark in the taking of Fort Cornwallis; while he proceeded with his main force to Ninety-Six, before which he arrived on the 21st of May, 1781, and immediately began his approaches. The siege was continued until June 18th, when the approach of Lord Rawdon from Charles- town,+ with reinforcements, compelled him to retreat across the Saluda and Broad rivers to a point above Winnsboro. The subsequent movements of the two armies are best described in the following letter, writ- ten by Adjutant-General Otho H. Williams to Maj: Pendleton, Aid-de-Camp to Gen. Greene:
"Camp Hills, Santee, July 16, 1781. "Dear Pendleton:
"After you left us at Ninety-Six we were obliged to retrograde as far as the cross roads above Winns- borough. Lord Rawdon's return over Saluda induced the General to halt the army, and wait for intelli-
*Which was done by Captain Rudolph, one of Lee's officers.
t "Congaree, June 16th, 1781.
"Sir:
"The enemy are yet advancing, are some distance above Orange- burgh, their force considerable; Ninety-Six not yet taken; every- thing with respect to the siege going on well; time is all that is need- ed. I wrote to Gen'l Greene for ammunition for you, which, if he furnishes, I will have forwarded to meet you. In one day more the enemy's designs must be known, whether their object is Ninety-Six, or my party, to which they have already given much trouble in marching and counter marching. As their movements have been very singular and with uncommon caution, they are strong in horse. An express this moment from Gen'l. Greene; the post not reduced, but in a fair way. I am, sir,
"Your most obd't. humble servant,
"Thos. Sumter."-to
Gen. Marion.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
gence respecting his further manoeuvres, and hearing a few days after that his lordship was on his march to fort Granby, our army was ordered to march towards that place by way of Winnsborough. Before we could arrive at Congaree, Lord Rawdon retired to Orange- burgh; and as he had left a considerable part of his army at Ninety-Six, Gen. Greene detached the caval- ry and light infantry to join Gen. Marion, and endeav- or to intercept Col. Stewart, who was on his march
from Charleston with the Third Regiment, &c., consisting of about three hundred, conveying bread, stores, &c., of which Lord Raw- don's troops were in great want. Stewart however joined his lord- ship at Orangeburgh; and Gen. Greene, from the information he LORD RAWDON. had received, was encouraged to expect success from an attack upon the British army at that post. Accordingly he collected his troops, and called together the militia and state troops under Gen's. Sumter and Marion (Gen. Pick- ens being left to watch the motions of Col. Cruger). A junction of the whole formed a very respectable little army, which marched to a small branch of North Edisto,* within four miles of Orangeburgh, where we halted, and lay the 12th instant from about nine o'clock in the morning till six in the GEN. GREENE.+ afternoon.
"Gen. Greene reconnoitred the position of the ene- my, and found it materially different from what it had been represented. The ground is broken, and natur-
*Turkey Hill Branch on what is now called the old Columbia road, in all probability. +By courtesy of Everett Waddey Company, pub- lishers Chapman's School History of South Carolina.
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ally strong, from the Court-house (which is two stories high and built of brick*), to a bridge four or five hun- dred yards distant, the only pass over the Edisto with- in many miles. The general had every reason to be- lieve what he had soon afterwards confirmed, that Col. Cruger had evacuated Ninety-Six, and was on his march to join Lord Rawdon, which might possibly be done before we could force his lordship (if he could be forced at all) to a general action,-the issue of which was not certain. These considerations induced the General rather to offer than give battle. The enemy declined the opportunity, and put up with the insult. Gen. Greene, therefore, ordered our troops to retire in the afternoon to Col. Middleton's plantation, from whence we have proceeded by slow easy marches to this place, and not without leaving behind sufficient detachments to intercept their convoys from below, and to create such a diversion at Monk's Corner, Dor- chester, &c., as will very probably oblige his lordship to march to their relief."
Rawdon's operations were now confined almost en- tirely within that extent of country which is enclosed by the Santee, the Congaree and the North Edisto. Within these limits, after the late retreat of Greene, Rawdon evidently resolved to canton his forces, but he soon found that the Americans were not to be shaken off. He was no doubt surprised when he found that Gen. Greene had not retreated a great way off. but had faced about to give him battle upon the Con- garee. Having divided his force, and left one part of it at Ninety-Six under command of Col. Cruger, he felt himself unequal to an encounter, but fell back before the approaching Americans to Orangeburgh. where he was sheltered on one side by the Edisto, and on the
* That building was destroyed soon thereafter, or else Col. Williams mistook the jail for the Court House.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
other by strong buildings, little inferior to redoubts. But even these advantages might not have saved hin, had not the approach of Cruger compelled Greene to withdraw. Cruger having joined him, Lord Rawdon left the post at Orangeburgh in command of Colonel Stewart, and, with five hundred of his troops retired into Charlestown, the State troops dogging his foot- steps.
Having succeeded in driving Rawdon from Camden, by striking at the posts below, Greene determined to pursue the same course to compel the evacuation of Orangeburgh. With this object in view he let loose in the country below Orangeburgh most of the State troops under Marion and Sumter. These so harassed reconnoitering parties, convoys, escorts and stragglers; so often captured or cut off supplies, and otherwise so annoyed Stewart that his situation at Orangeburgh was becoming precarious, although he had command of nearly three thousand troops.
When Stewart moved, he took post near the junc- tion of the Congaree and Wateree rivers, but on the South side. He left a force at Orangeburgh, and Col. Lee, crossing the Congaree with his cavalry, penetrated between the main body of the British army and the post at Orangeburgh, and in sight of the latter place, drove in, dispersed and captured several of their de- tachments. The embarrassment produced by such operations; the great difficulty of procuring provisions; and the necessity of lessening his main army to strengthen his posts below; in order to cover his com- munications between Orangeburgh and Charlestown, rendered the position of Stewart still more critical.
The concentration by Greene of most of his detach- ments at a general rendezvous, determined the move- ments of Stewart. Falling back upon his re-inforce- ments and convoys, he took a position at Eutaw
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THE HISTORY OF
Springs, about forty miles from Orangeburgh. He was followed by Col. Lee, who was pushed forward to watch his movements, while Gen. Pickens, with his South Carolina militia, advanced with a similar object, in the neghborhood of the enemy's post at Orangeburgh. Meantime, Greene crossed the Congaree, and moved down to Fort Motte,* where he resolved to discontinue the pursuit and await events.
This hesitation seemed to determine Stewart. Halt- ing at Eutaw, he withdrew the garrison from Orange- burgh, and establishing it at Fairlawn Barony,; he pre- pared for a fight. Greene being joined by Marion, fol- lowed up, and on September Sth, 1781, the battle of Eutaw was fought.# Although the action was inde- cisive Stewart retreated towards Charlestown. And though he succeeded in escaping from his pursuers, the British power in South Carolina was completely pros- trated by the battle of Eutaw.
Meanwhile intelligence reached the South that Corn- wallis contemplated returning from Virginia to Caro- lina by land. A movement of Stewart seemed to con- firm the report. Having strengthened his army he returned to Eutaw.
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