The history of South Carolina, from its first European discovery to its erection into a republic: with a supplementary chronicle of events to the present time, Part 13

Author: Simms, William Gilmore, 1806-1870. cn
Publication date: 1840
Publisher: Charleston, S. Babcock & co.
Number of Pages: 372


USA > South Carolina > The history of South Carolina, from its first European discovery to its erection into a republic: with a supplementary chronicle of events to the present time > Part 13


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23


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prostrated many and repulsed the rest. Tarleton, as he beheld his danger, commanded a second and desper- ate charge, directly up the hill ; but the Americans stood firm and received him with their rifles, under the united fire of which his men could not be made to stand. Draw- ing off his whole force, he wheeled upon Sumter's left, where the ground was less precipitous; he was here met by a little corps of Georgians, about 150 in number, who displayed the courage of veterans. But the pressure of Tarleton's whole force was too much for them to contend against. They yielded, after a noble resistance, and gave way ; but the timely interposition of the reserve, under colonel Winn, and the fire from a company stationed at the house, determined the issue. Tarleton fled, leaving near two hundred men upon the field of battle. The loss of the Americans was trifling, but their brave commander received a severe wound in the breast, which kept him a length of time from service.


The army of the south, when general Greene entered upon its command, was, in the language of his prede- cessor, "rather a shadow than a substance." It consist- ed nominally of less than two thousand men. One thou- sand of these were militia, and nine hundred continentals. The first measures of Greene were to provide them with arms and clothing, and make such arrangements as would supply their future wants. These were not of easy performance in a country where there was no real mo- ney, and nothing in circulation but a miserable paper cur- rency, even then hopelessly irredeemable, and not less a jest with the Americans than a mockery with the British. But, whatever may have been the deficiencies and disad-


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vantages of the service, the American general entered up- on it with a manly determination to undertake its hardships with patriotic zeal, and to despond in nothing. He ad- vanced towards the head of boat navigation on the Pedee. The country in that neighborhood was fertile, and had not yet been traversed by an army of any magnitude. Here he sat down for a while, in order to recruit and exercise his little force. Here he matured his plans, perfected his intimacy with his officers, and drilled his raw militiamen. From this point he dispatched his engineers to explore the country. The routes in all directions were carefully set down, and with governor Rutledge, of South Carolina, in his camp, he was not suffered to remain in ignorance of any matters which he deemed essential to his contemplated invasion of the state.


While Gates and Greene were busy in the accu- mulation of an army, it must not be supposed that the little bands under Marion and other partisan command- ers, had been inactive. Marion, whose mode of war- fare had acquired for him the nom de guerre of "the Swamp Fox," was never inactive. Hundreds of little successes, that do not properly belong to the main stream of regular history, yet concurred to render his career memorable, and to influence equally the hopes of his countrymen and the hostility of the enemy. His com- mand was a peculiar one, being chiefly formed from the little and insulated section of country in which he lived. His warriors were his neighbors and friends, and the tie that bound them together, brought into equal activity the duty of the soldier and the affections of the comrade.


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" Marion's brigade," was the extra military epithet which distinguished his command. It might contain ten men, or five hundred,-it was still " Marion's brigade"- a membership in which, had a sort of masonic value in the estimation of his followers, which amply compensated for all its privations and fatigues. Constantly active, it would be impossible for the pen of the historian to follow the progress of the little corps. Some of his exploits have been recorded. We can only glance at one or two more, in order to bring up our narration to the period of Greene's assumption of command over the southern army.


One of the first of his exploits was the surprise of a major Gainey, at the head of a large body of tories which he had collected between Great and Little Pedee. A second party of tories was defeated at Shepherd's ferry, near Black Mingo swamp. The tories were well posted to receive the attack, and a desperate conflict ensued. The parties were so near each other during the greater part of the conflict, that the wadding of their guns contin- ually struck on each side. Neither party had bayonets, and buckshot was quite as frequently used as ball. This victory increased the "brigade" to nearly four hundred men, with which he marched upon colonel Tynes, who had raised a large force of tories upon Black river. Tynes was surprised, several of his men slain, and his force dispersed, while Marion lost not a man. In all these marches and conflicts, the partisans lived entirely in the swamps, with no shelter but the forest, almost without blankets or clothing, commonly with no food but potatoes, and meat without salt. Marion himself, for a long time, had neither hat nor blankct.


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The arrival of Greene abridged the independence of Marion's movements. His brigade constituted a portion of the men of the state, and was necessarily comprised within the command of that general. The activity, cour- age, and successful conduct of Marion, indicated him to Greene as one well calculated, by his knowledge of the country, for active employment ; and colonel Lee being joined to his "brigade," a combined attempt was made to surprise the British post at Georgetown. The town was entered, many were killed and taken, but the garrison re- mained firm, and the attempt was unsuccessful. The fail- ure is ascribed to several causes; but the alarm of the guides, who missed their way, and thus defeated the plan of co-operation between the several parties, is a sufficient reason. With this affair, which took place on the 25th of January, general Greene opened the campaign of 1781.


This failure was more than compensated by a brilliant event which happened, a few days before, in the western extremity of the state, to which general Greene had detached colonel Morgan with a strong force, with a view to his keeping down and restraining the brutal passions of the loyalists in that quarter. Morgan, shortly after his arrival, sent lieutenant colonel Washington, with a regiment and two hundred horse, to attack a body of tories who had been plundering the whig inhabitants. Wash- ington came up with them near Hammond's store, char- ged them vigorously and defeated them. General Cun- ningham, with a detachment of British militia, of one hun- dred and fifty, was dispersed by a party under cornet Simons, of Washington's command. These and other successes, seriously excited the apprehensions of Corn-


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wallis for the safety of the post at Ninety Six; and he ordered Tarleton to throw himself at once across the path of Morgan.


With a force of twelve hundred men-five hundred of whom were the formidable legion which had been car- rying terror and conquest through every quarter of the state, for so long a time-Tarleton prepared to obey with his accustomed celerity: That there should be no chance for the escape of his prey, who lay on the west side of Broad river, it was concerted that Cornwallis should advance northwardly as far as King's mountain, that Morgan's retreat might be cut off, and he com- pelled to fight. That Morgan should himself desire to encounter either of them, the British commanders do not seem to have suspected for a moment. Instead of flying from Tarleton, Morgan advanced to the Pacolet to meet him. The Pacolet is a small river, fordable in many places. On the evening of the 15th, Tarleton put his troops in motion towards the head of the stream, as if with an intention to cross it above the position which Morgan had taken, and thus place his adversary between his own and the main army under Cornwallis, which was only a day's march distant on the left. His stratagem took effect. Morgan made a corresponding movement, while Tarleton, silently decamping in the night, passed the river before daylight, at a crossing place a few miles below. Morgan then retreated precipitately, and before night regained a favorite position on Thicketty creek, where he determined to await the approach of the enemy. Tarleton, supposing that 'his adversary was resolved on flight, hurriedly resumed the pursuit on the following


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morning. About 8 o'clock A. M. he came in sight of the Americans, and, instead of overtaking his adversary in the fatigue and confusion of a flight, he found him drawn up and ready under arms. Morgan's army had rested, breakfasted, and were refreshed. The British, on the other hand, had been five hours that morning on the march; but this difference was deemed unimportant to one who had hitherto known nothing but success. Tarle- ton, satisfied by the spirit and alacrity of his troops, pre- pared at once for battle.


Morgan had taken ground on an eminence which as- cended gently for about three hundred and fifty yards, and was covered with an open wood. On the crown of this eminence were posted two hundred and ninety Maryland regulars, and in line on their right, two com- panies of Virginia militia and a company of Georgians- making his rear line consist of four hundred and thirty men. This was commanded by lieutenant colonel Howard. One hundred and fifty yards in advance of the line, the main body of the militia, about three hundred in number, all practiced riflemen, and most of them burning with a keen sense of personal injury, were posted under the com- mand of colonel Pickens. In advance of the first line about one hundred and fifty yards, were placed as many picked riflemen, scattered in loose order along the whole front. Those on the right were commanded by colonel Cunning- ham, of Georgia; those on the left by major McDowal, of South Carolina. No particular order was given to this desultory body ; but they knew the service. "Mark the epaulette men," were the words of counsel which they whispered to one another. In the rear of the se-


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cond line the ground descended, and then again arose to a height sufficient to cover a man on horseback. Behind this, the American reserve was posted, consisting of Wash- ington's and Mc Call's cavalry, one hundred and twenty-five in number. The advanced party were ordered not to deliv- er their fire until the British were within fifty yards, and, this done, to retire, covering themselves with trees and load- ing and firing as occasion offered.


When Tarleton beheld his enemy ready to receive him, he advanced to reconnoitre, but was prevented from doing so by the picked riflemen who were scattered along the entire front of the line. On this occasion they gave the cavalry a few discharges, which made them tremble at the deadly aim of the southern rifle. The British were formed when within three hundred yards from the front of Morgan's force, and soon after advanced with a shout, under the cover of their artillery, pouring in an incessant fire of musketry as they came. At the assign- ed distance the militia delivered their fire with unerring aim, and "here," says colonel Howard, "the battle was gained." The assertion was justified by the spectacle of dead and wounded, commissioned and non-commissioned, who sank down under the deliberate and fatal discharge which first followed the advance of the foe. But this was not enough to repel the enemy under the excitement of bat- tle and the goading of their commanders. The retreat of the militia quickened the advance of the British, who rent the air with shouts, as they fondly believed that the day was already won. But the second line renewed the pun- ishment which had followed from the fire of the first, and at this moment the fearful havoc which the riflemen had


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made among the officers, rendered itself apparent in the confusion of the troops. Still they advanced, yet obvious- ly with such hesitation, that Tarleton ordered the 71st re- giment into line upon his left. His cavalry at the same time descended upon the Americans' right. Morgan perceived this movement, and the necessity of covering his flank. In this crisis of the battle, Washington en- countered the cavalry of Tarleton, in a successful charge- the militia recovered, and forming a new reserve, were ready to obey the command of Morgan, to " give them but one more fire and make the victory secure ;"-the bayonets of Howard's continentals were interlocked with those of the foe ;- and the day was won. The concerted action of Morgan's whole force at the most important moment, was the certain guaranty of victory. The enemy was within thirty yards, tumultuously shouting and advancing, when the final fire of the Americans was delivered. The survivors of the terrible discharge threw down their weapons, and fell upon their faces. Eight hundred stand of arms, two field pieces and thirty-five baggage wagons, fell into the hands of the victors. The remains of the British cavalry were pursued for several miles by Wash- ington, but the greater part of them escaped. Thus ended the great and well fought battle of the Cowpens.


CHAPTER XIX.


Never was victory more complete than this. Not a corps of the British retired from the field under command, except the remains of the cavalry who accompanied Tarleton himself. These were pursued by lieutenant col- onel Washington with his accustomed rapidity of move- ment-a rapidity which sometimes involved him in perils, when greater prudence, though less brilliant in its display, might have been better soldiership. Excited by the prospect of capturing the formidable cavalry officer whose successes had hitherto been so uniform, and so productive of disaster to the Carolinas, Washington pressed forward with so much haste as to separate himself from the main body of his command. Tarleton beheld this, and turned upon his pursuer. He was supported by two of his offi- cers, one of whom crossed swords with the pursuing American. The blade of the latter, being of inferior tem- per, broke in the encounter, and left him at the mercy of the foe. At this moment, when a second blow would have brought him to the ground, a little henchman, not fourteen years old, who was devoted to his master, and carried no other weapon than a pistol at his saddle bow, seasonably rode up and discharged its contents into the shoulder of the Briton. The arm of the assailant fell powerless at his side ; but the other officer occupied his place. His sword was already lifted above the head of Washington, when the blow was broken by the interposi-


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tion of the sword of sergeant major Perry. A bullet from the pistol of colonel Tarleton, aimed at Washington, brought the noble steed that bore him to the ground. The fortunate approach of the Americans arrested the farther attempts of the Briton upon their leader. The mo- ment was lost and his flight was resumed. The dragoons never fought well. They had repeatedly hacked to pieces a fugitive or supplicating militia ; but neither at Black- stock's, where they encountered Sumter, nor at Cowpens, where they met with Washington, did they maintain the high renown which they had acquired rather from good fortune than desert. The star of Tarleton waned from this moment. His operations grew limited in extent, and small in importance. His defeat on this occasion, with that of Ferguson at King's mountain, were the first links in a grand chain of causes, which drew down ruin on the British interest in South Carolina.


Success did not lull Morgan into security. Not more than twenty-five miles from lord Cornwallis, he naturally conjectured that his lordship would be in motion to cut off his retreat, as soon as the intelligence should reach him of the defeat of Tarleton. He halted no longer on the field of battle than to refresh his men and secure his prisoners, who were five hundred in number, exclusive of the wounded; and moved across Broad river the same eve- ning. His movements were necessarily slow, encum- bered as he was with the wounded, the prisoners, and the captured baggage ; and he might have been easily over- taken and brought to a halt by a vigorous pursuit of the enemy; but the good fortune which had attended him through the conflict, still clung to his standard. Cornwal-


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lis, with a remissness which has been censured by Tarle- ton, hesitated to decide. In war, the delay of moments is the defeat of hosts. He stopped to destroy his baggage, and make some preparations which could have been re- served for another time, and which consumed two days ; and thus lost a prize, which, had he pursued promptly, he could scarcely have failed to secure. He reached the Great Catawba river just after the American general had passed in safety ; but he no longer possessed the power to follow him. The swollen waters of the stream, which barely suffered the passage of Morgan, rose up, foaming and threatening, in the face of Cornwallis. The Ameri- cans exulted in the conviction that a miracle had been performed in their behalf, like that which saved the He- brews from the pursuit of the Egyptian tyrant. The British commander was not, indeed, swallowed up by the waters ; but they stayed his march-they baffled his pur- suit ; and Morgan joined his commander, bringing off in safety, the prisoners and baggage, the whole rich spoils of his valor and good conduct.


As soon as the Catawba was fordable, Cornwallis prepared to cross it, which he did successfully, though resisted by a part of Greene's army under the command of general Davidson. It was a wise resolution on the part of the British general to attempt the passage in the night. A stream five hundred yards wide, foaming among the rocks, and frequently overturning men and horses in its progress, might, in day-light, have discouraged the hearts of his men. Nor would they then have been so safe from the unerring riflemen, who were posted among the trees and bushes which thickly covered the margin


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of the stream. A sharp conflict nevertheless followed the attempt, in which many of the enemy, including col- onel Hale of the guards, were slain. Cornwallis himself had a horse shot under him, which barely survived to reach the shore when he fell and expired. General Davidson, in an attempt to change his position during the action, in order to occupy the front of the enemy, came between the light of his own fires and the advan- cing column of the British. A well directed volley from them prostrated him with a number of his men. The militia became dispirited after this disaster, and precipi- tately retreated. A military race then began, between the respective opponents, in which Cornwallis pursued Greene into Virginia. The British commander, content with this seeming success, and desiring to recruit his force for a more effectual prosecution of his march into Virginia, fell back upon Hillsboro, North Carolina, where he raised the royal standard and summoned the loyalists to rally beneath it. To defeat this object, Greene re-crossed the river Dan, and once more drew the attention of the British upon himself. A detachment of his force, under command of Pickens, fell in with a force of the loyalists led by a colo- nel Pyles, and cut them to pieces. Another body of to- ries, about the same time, were destroyed by the rash and sanguinary Tarleton, by whom they were mistaken for " rebels." These disasters did not come singly, and their accumulation, with other circumstances, began to open the eyes of Cornwallis to his own danger. " He was surrounded,"-in his own language to the British minis- try-" by inveterate enemies and timid friends;" and to fight and conquer Greene, became now as much a matter


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of necessity as it had before been one of choice. The Americans were gathering strength by daily accessions. The tories were growing cold in a contest, which, how- ever successful at first, had been pregnant with defeats and dangers; and the severe lessons which the British had received at King's Mountain and at Cowpens, had taught them to indulge in gloomy anticipations, which needed but the maturing influence of time for fullest confirmation.


Numberless minor events, small combats, and skillful manœuverings, while they emboldened the Americans and their general, prepared the way for the more important issue which was to follow. The two main armies, after various marchings and counter-marchings, prepared to stake the issue finally on the sword. The scene of action was at Guilford Court House. The battle was fought on the 15th of March, 1781. It was waged with great ob- stinacy and valor, and the victory remained long in sus-


pense .. Discipline, at length, achieved its natural tri- umph over the irregular force of the Americans. Half of Greene's force were untried militia. But five hundred of his men had ever seen service. The veteran volun- teers under Pickens, had been dispatched some time before to South Carolina, where they were imperatively demanded to meet the black brigades which the British were seeking to embody in that quarter; and the regular troops that remained, consisting of the infantry of the legion, a little corps of Delawares, and the 1st regiment of Maryland, formed the only portion of the American army that could be compared with the British. These did not exceed two hundred and eighty-one in number ; yet, unassisted, they drove from the field in the first in-


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stance, the 33d regiment, three hundred and twenty-two strong, supported by the yagers and light infantry of the guards. The Virginians behaved with no less valor, though with less experience. They maintained a long and arduous conflict with the whole British line, and only sunk at the push of the bayonet, for which they were neith- er prepared by practice nor the possession of the proper weapons. The victory remained with the enemy; but the advantage with the Americans. The former lost six hundred and thirty-three men, killed, wounded and miss- ing; of these, one colonel and four commissioned officers died on the field ; colonel Webster and several others re- ceived mortal wounds; General O'Hara's recovery from his wounds was long doubtful; colonel Tarleton, and gen- eral Howard, a volunteer, with twenty other commis- sioned officers, were wounded. The victory must have been with the Americans, but for the unmilitary flight, in the beginning of the action, of the North Carolina militia, and the second regiment of Marylanders. The loss of the Americans was about four hundred. Greene retired over Reedy fork, about three miles from the scene of action ; while Cornwallis remained in possession of the ground, but too much crippled to pursue his enemy.


Three days after his victory, his lordship destroyed all his baggage, left his hospital and wounded, and fled towards the sea-coast, leaving the whole of the country behind him in the possession of the Americans. Greene pursued, but without overtaking the British ; while Corn- wallis, after a brief delay at Wilmington, hurried on to that junction with the British forces in Virginia, under major general Philips, and the traitor Arnold, which


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resulted in the siege and surrender of Yorktown, one of the most brilliant events in the progress of the war, and which greatly assisted to decide it.


While these events were in progress in North Carolina, the whigs in South Carolina were every where gathering in arms. The absence of Cornwallis had withdrawn from the state that superior body by which he had held it in subjection. Pickens, with his brigade, was opera- ting between Ninety Six and Augusta ; and Lee, with his legion and a part of the second Maryland regiment, was advancing to co-operate with Marion. General Sumter, though not yet fully recovered of his wounds received at Blackstock's, had drawn his men to a head, and had pen- etrated to the Congaree, which he crossed early in Feb- ruary, and appeared before Fort Granby. Such was the vigor with which he pressed the fort, that his marksmen, mounted upon a temporary structure of rails, had reduced the garrison to the last straits, when they were relieved by the unexpected approach of succor under lord Rawdon, who appeared on the opposite bank of the river. Unable to contend with the superior force of the British, Sumter made a sudden retreat ; and two days after, captured an escort of the British regulars going from Charlestown to Camden with stores, in wagons, which yielded a booty equally necessary to both parties. Thirteen of the Brit- ish were slain, and sixty-six made prisoners; the wagons, containing a profusion of provisions, clothing, arms, and ammunition, fell into his hands. Proceeding with his ac- customed rapidity, he swam the Santee river with three hundred men, and appeared next before Fort Watson. From this point he was again driven by Rawdon, who




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