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 14
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marched to its relief. He then retired to the swamps on Black river, where he remained, though not inactive, for awhile.
Emerging from this retreat, he was attacked near Cam- den by major Fraser, at the head of a considerable force of regulars and militia; but the major was defeated after a severe handling, in which twenty of his men were slain. Sumter, after this event, retired to the borders of North Carolina, where he contrived to increase his force to three small regiments of state troops. His return, with that of the continental army, renewed the war in South Carolina with more regularity and vigor.
Marion had been as busy in his fastnesses as his great contemporary Sumter ; and while Greene and the conti- nentals gave full employment to the regular British army, his little brigade had met the tories in a spirit not unlike their own. Their savage murders, wanton excesses, and bitter cruelties-their house-breaking and house- burning-their blasphemies, impieties and horrors,- had put them completely out of the pale of military civili- zation. "No quarter to the tories," became the cry of the brigade when going into battle ; and with this spirit, and guided by the skill and intelligence of their leader, the career of the partisans was as sleepless and rapid as its temper was now unsparing and vindictive. To conquer merely, was not to complete the purpose for which they fought-to destroy, was their object also ; and so resolute had they shown themselves, and so active and vigilant, that to root them out was as difficult as it had become de- sirable. A new and well concerted attempt to annihilate this body, was arranged between colonels Watson and
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Doyle. The former was to move down from Camden along the Santee,-the latter was to cross Lynch's creek, and follow its course on the eastern bank. They were to unite their forces near Snow's island, which was the favor- ite hiding place of the " brigade."
Marion heard first of the approach of Watson, and went out with his whole force to meet him. At Taucaw swamp, nearly opposite to the mouth of the present Santee canal, he laid an ambush for him, which he placed under com- mand of colonel Horry. At this time he had but a few rounds of ammunition for each man. His orders to Hor- ry, were, to give two fires and retreat. A second ambush was placed in a contiguous situation, which promised certain advantages. This was a party of cavalry, under the command of captain Conyers. Horry's ambuscade gave its fires with great effect, but was compelled to retire. Watson, having made good his passage of the swamp, sent a detachment of cavalry, under major Harrison, in pursuit of Horry. This detachment was encountered by Conyers, who slew Harrison with his own hand. His party was dispersed after suffering severe loss from the charge of Conyers. Marion, too feeble to assail his op- ponent openly, continued in this way to embarrass his progress and weaken his force, until they had reached nearly to the lower bridge on Black river, seven miles below King's tree. Here Watson made a feint of taking the road to Georgetown. Too weak to detach a party to the bridge, Marion took an advantageous position on that road. Suddenly wheeling, Watson changed his course and gained possession of the bridge on the western side. This gave him the opening to a very important pass, lead-
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ing into the heart of Williamsburgh and to Snow's island. The river on the west runs under a high bluff; the grounds on the east side are low, and the stream, though generally fordable, was at that time swollen by freshets, so as nearly to reach the summit of the opposite shore. This prospect seemed to appal the British colonel. While he hesitated, the less wary partisan led the way for his troop, plunged in, and safely reaching the opposite banks, marched forward to occupy the eastern end of the bridge. Marion detached major James with forty musk- eteers, and thirty riflemen under McCottry, to burn the bridge.
The riflemen were posted to advantage, and under cover, on the river bank. The attempt of the musket- eers to burn the bridge, drew upon them the fire of Wat- son's artillery. Against this Marion had provided, and the artillerists of the enemy were picked off by MeCot- try's rifles, as fast as they approached to apply their matches to the gun. The bridge was fired and con- sumed in the face of the enemy, who, baffled and ha- rassed, turned from the pursuit of the wary partisan, and proceeded by forced marches to Georgetown. But he was not suffered to leave behind him the foe whom his pursuit had seemed only to awaken. Marion hung upon his progress,-now upon his flanks, now in front, and now in the rear-while his rifles exacted heavy toll from the enemy at every mile in their journey. Watson, at last, reached Georgetown in safety ; but the implacable rifle- men had followed his flying footsteps till the last moment. Never had man been more harassed ; and the complaint of Watson, that Marion would not fight like a christian
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and a gentleman, has passed, from its ludicrous solemnity, into a proverbial phrase of merriment in the south. Doyle, the coadjutor of Watson, was encountered in like manner, and with similar results. A single conflict drove him back to Camden, with a considerable loss in men, and a greater loss in baggage.
This affair was followed, on the part of the brigade, by a sharp conflict with a body of tories. These were rout- ed and their captain slain. A nephew of Marion also fell in the conflict. A second descent which Marion made upon Georgetown about this time, was more successful than the first. It fell into his hands, but was afterwards set on fire by an armed party from a British vessel, and upwards of forty houses were reduced to ashes.
After the return of general Greene into South Carolina, which followed the flight of Cornwallis into Virginia, Marion ceased to act independently. The exploits of his brigade, no longer acting by itself, became merged in those of the liberating army.
CHAPTER XX.
At no period had opposition entirely ceased to the British arms in South Carolina. In the worst hour of her misfortunes, there were still some noble bands of her sons, few in number, but fearless in spirit, that maintained her banner among the swamps and forests; always watchful of the occasion when to sally forth and wreak fearful vengeance on the invaders, in the moment of their greatest seeming security. To the names of Sum- ter, Marion and Pickens, may be added those of Harden, Hampton, Huger, Horry and others, who distinguished themselves from the beginning ; and, in the course of the conflict, a new race of youthful warriors sprang up to take the places of those who had been slain, and afford a respite to the labors of others, who had kept the field from the first moment when the British cannon thundered in hostility upon her shores. It does not fall within the plan of this work to record the smaller events, and assign the due praise to every young hero who acquired just renown in the service of his country. It is enough to say, that Carolina, from the opening of the campaign of 1780, became one vast and bloody battle field, in which nearly all of her sons contended. Unhappily, they too often contended with one another, and it is with a senti- ment of melancholy pleasure that we record the fact, that the direst issues that ever took place within her borders- the severest trials of strength and the most fearful con-
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flicts-were those in which her own sons were pitted against each other. The invaders gained their chief victories by the arms of native citizens.
The flight of Cornwallis into Virginia enabled Greene to direct his undivided attention to the remaining enemy in Carolina, and on the 19th of April, 1781, he sat down with his main army before Camden. On the 15th of the same month, general Marion, having the legion of colonel Lee under his command, invested Fort Watson on the Santee. This was a stockade fort, erected on one of the largest of the many ancient mounds which skirt this riv- er. It was elevated about forty feet from the level of the plain, and far from any eminence which could com- mand it. Its garrison consisted of about eighty regulars and forty loyalists, commanded by lieutenant Mckay of the regular troops. Unprovided as he was with artillery, it was impregnable to Marion. Its steep sides and strong palisades discouraged any attempt to storm it.
One of the first efforts made to subdue it, was by cutting the garrison off from Scott's, Lake, by which it was sup- plied with water. From this danger McKay relieved him- self by sinking a well within the stockade. Thus foiled, and without artillery, the besiegers must finally have been baffled, but for one of those ingenious devices which are perhaps more readily found by a primitive than an ed- ucated people. At a short distance from the fort, there grew a small wood which suggested the proper means of annoyance. The trees were felled, and the timber borne on the shoulders of the men, was piled crosswise, under cover of the night, within a proper distance of the fort. This enabled them to command the fort, and with
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the dawn of day, when the light enabled the riflemen to single out their victims, the garrison found themselves overawed by their assailants. A shower of bullets drove them from their defences, and left them no alternative but submission. The capitulation of the fort soon followed ; and pushing his prisoners before him, Marion, after this success, hurried his force forward to effect a junction with Greene. The advance of Marion brought on the battle of Hobkirk's Hill.
Camden, before which the main army lay, is a beautiful village, situated on a plain covered on the south and east sides by the Wateree, and a creek which empties itself into that river. On the western and northern sides, it was guarded by six strong redoubts. It was garrisoned by lord Rawdon with about nine hundred choice troops. Hobkirk's Hill, where Greene took post, was about a mile and a half in advance of the British redoubts. It is a narrow sand ridge of little elevation, which divides the head springs of two small branches, the one emptying into the Wateree river, the other into Pine Tree creek. The American force did not much exceed eight hundred men, and the strong defences of Camden, and his own want of sufficient artillery, were sufficient reasons to keep him from making any attempts upon that place. But this inferiority did not induce any timidity on the part of the American commander. Having made his arrangements and posted his sentinels with singular precaution, Greene neglected no occasion to seduce or provoke his enemy to come out from his defences and give him battle. The fall of Fort Watson, and the approach of the force under
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Marion to a junction with the main army, had the effect of bringing about Greene's object.
On the 25th of April, lord Rawdon, arming his mu- sicians, drummers, and every person within his encamp- ment by whom a weapon could be borne, sallied forth with great spirit to the attack. It has been said by some writers, that Greene suffered himself to be surprised in this affair ; but this is an error. The attack was made on the very quarter in which the American general was most prepared. The pickets behaved with the utmost coolness, gathering in the videttes, and forming with great deliberation under colonel Kirkwood's Delaware command. His position formed the American advance, and met the first shock of the enemy's charge. Here the contest was maintained for awhile with singular obstinacy, and this little squad retired slowly, fighting with resolute determination, step by step, as they receded before the ac- cumulating pressure of the foe. Lord Rawdon's line was composed of the 13th regiment on the right, the New York volunteers in the centre, and the American loyalists on the left. The right was supported by Irish troops, and the left by a detachment under captain Robertson.
The regiment posted with the cavalry, was raised in South Carolina, so that on this bloody day, the number of European troops engaged was very small. Most of Rawdon's army were American by birth. Nearly one half of his troops were in reserve ; the front which he advanced was comparatively small. He had, besides, ta- ken a lesson from the American leaders, and employed flanking parties of picked loyalist riflemen, who moved abreast of his wing among the trees, and did much
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towards deciding the issue of the day. The fall of two of the best American officers in the beginning of the fight, was the cause of a most unfortunate disorder which followed among the troops.
The front of Greene's army presented his whole force. Two Virginia regiments, under general Huger, were posted on the right of the road; two Maryland, under colonel Williams, on the left. The first Virginia, under lieutenant colonel Campbell, was on the right of the whole ; the second Maryland, under lieutenant colonel Ford, on the left. The second Virginia, under lieutenant colonel Hawes, and the first Maryland, commanded by colonel Gunby, formed the centre. Greene, conjecturing that the enemy knew nothing of his having artillery-which had reached him only a little time before the action-had closed the two centre regiments before it, so that it was completely masked. The effect may well be imagined, when these two regiments, suddenly retiring from the centre, left them free to vomit their showers of grape upon the dense ranks of the enemy preparing for the charge. The confusion and dismay were conspicuous. The squadrons sank, and wheeled, and fled, beneath the terrible discharge; and nothing more seemed to be neces- sary than to give the command, to close upon their flanks with the regiments right and left and cut them off from escape. The order was given. "Let the cavalry make for their rear ; colonel Campbell will wheel upon their left ; colonel Ford upon their right ; the whole centre will charge-charge with trailed arms."
Such were the commands of Greene, which his aids rushed to convey to the several captains. The roll of
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the drums announced their tenor, and Washington, at the head of his cavalry, disappeared among the trees which lay between his troop and the rear of the ene- my. The American general already believed his vic- tory to be secure; but he had no ordinary adversa- ry in Rawdon. With the quickness of instinct, this commander threw out his supporting columns, and the Americans, but a moment before in the fullest conviction that they had outflanked the enemy, were themselves outflanked. Their wings were enfiladed and their rear threatened. At this crisis, when every thing depended upon the greatest coolness and a composure which might look undaunted upon the scene, the first Maryland regiment, by excellence esteemed, in the language of Roman eulogium, the tenth legion of the American army -that band to which all eyes were turned for example, which had conquered the British with their own weapon, the bayonet, at the noble passage of valor at the Cow- pens-which, alone, had fought half of the battle at Guilford, and obtained more than half of the triumph of that no less bloody day-now, unaccountably, shrunk away from the issue, in a panic which could not be overcome.
Greene, at this moment, was leading on the Virgin- ian regiment of Campbell in person, on the extreme right, when he was called away by the confusion of the centre. Vainly, by voice and gesture, did he seek to re- store their confidence, and bring them once more into the action. They heard and halted; but the day was already lost. They were already at the bottom of the hill, and the cheers and clamors of the enemy now commanded his at-
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tention in another quarter. Urging his horse up the emi- nence, he saw for the first time the utmost extent of his misfortune. But a single regiment remained entire ; his artillery was uncovered on the summit of the hill. To bring his troops off in order, and to save the artillery, were the only remaining objects ; and, amid a shower of bullets, the American general delivered his commands with composure, to draw off the right and left regiments and form them on that of Gunby, which was now rallied ; while their retreat should be covered by the second Virginia. This order, well executed, left to Greene the choice of. deliberate retreat or a renewal of the battle. During its execution, the main efforts of the British were to secure possession of the artillery. Horse and foot were ascending the hill, and the matrosses were about to fly, when the American general applied his own hand to the drag ropes. This example was not to be withstood. A little band rallied to their rescue, bearing their loaded muskets in one hand while applying the other to the ropes. The fight was renewed in this endeavor. A British corps appeared on the hill moving to the charge. Dropping the ropes, the little troop, forming in the rear of the artillery, met them with a fire, which, repeated with deliberate resolution until escape was impossible, was terribly destructive. Thrice was the attempt renewed and with the same effect. The assailants were driven off with loss, until an overpowering force of infantry and riflemen came to their assistance, and every man of this gallant little band, but forty-five in number, was either killed or taken. The artillery now seemed lost; but at this crisis, colonel Washington charged in upon the road
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and put an end to the strife around it. This gentleman, in addition to the rescue of the artillery, captured more than two hundred prisoners. His humanity is alledged by the British to have been detrimental to his objects. A severe military judgment insists that he should have cut down instead of making captives. His prisoners encumbered his movements, and the time lost in taking them might have been of lasting benefit if it had been employed mercilessly upon the British rear.
Rawdon was not in a condition to pursue the Americans far. The latter halted at a distance of two miles to recov- er stragglers and take refreshment. At noon, the retreat was resumed, and the army finally encamped at Sanders' Creek, about four miles from the scene of action, to which place Washington was ordered back to reconnoitre. As he proceeded in obedience to this order, he was told that Rawdon had returned to Camden, leaving captain Coffin with his cavalry, and a body of mounted infantry in charge of the field of battle. This intelligence suggested to Wash- ington the prospect of a new achievement. Returning with his cavalry into a thicket on the road side, he pushed forward a small detachment, with orders to approach under covert, until within a short distance of the enemy's position. His stratagem produced the desired effect ; Coffin's whole troop pursued and fell into the ambuscade. Washington rose from his hiding place as they reached it, and the whole party were either cut to pieces or com- pelled to save themselves by flight. The field of Hobkirk, thus actually remained in possession of the Americans.
The loss of the two armies in the main battle was nearly equal ; that of the British, by reason of the artillery which
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the Americans brought into the field, being somewhat the greatest. The event did not discourage the American commander, and its results thickened the difficulties which at this time began to encompass the British.
Very soon after the battle of Hobkirk, Greene detached a re-inforcement to Marion, on the Nelson's Ferry road, and on the 3d of May crossed the Wateree, and took such positions as would enable him to prevent succors from going into Camden from that quarter. Rawdon, having received a considerable re-inforcement under Watson, again sallied out on the 8th of May, to bring the American general, if possible, to a second action. His only hope for the maintenance of the post, was in the defeat and destruction of the army under Greene. The latter was not ignorant of the straits to which his adver- sary was reduced, and all the efforts of Rawdon to force him into battle proved unavailing.
The British commander, baffled and disappointed, wreaked his vengeance upon the town which he had so long garrisoned, but which he felt himself no longer able to maintain. Camden was reduced to ashes, and amidst the shrieks of its people, and the " curses, not loud, but deep," of the loyalists whom he could no longer protect, lord Rawdon prepared to descend the country. The fall of Fort Watson had broken the chain of communication with Charlestown, and Marion was even now busy in the leaguer of Fort Motte. Having devastated the country, it no long- er yielded support to his troops. These he resolved to save, though by the loss of the post and the confidence of the tories. These miserable people, whose savage fury had so long hunted their countrymen with fire and sword,
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no longer protected from their vengeance by the arms of the British, were compelled to abandon their homes, and follow the fortunes of the enemy. They dared not await the justice of the Americans. Hundreds followed his lordship, scorned and despised by their allies and hated by their countrymen. Their history may be dismissed in this place. After sharing all the vicissitudes of an army retiring before a pursuing foe, they reached Charlestown and built for themselves a settlement of huts without the lines. This, by a miserable mockery, was called Rawdontown. Here, men, women, and children, were crowded together in a wretched condition of poverty and shame. They had dwelt happily on their farms near Camden; and perished in the utmost destitution ; utterly unnoticed and unassisted by those for whom they had sacrificed the ties of society, and all the first claims of country ; the victims equally of disease and want, they died, to use the emphatic language of that time, like " rotten sheep" upon the suburbs.
CHAPTER XXI.
The breaking up of the British post at Camden, how- ever unavoidable, was of essential disservice to the British cause. From that moment the numbers of the Americans increased-arms in their hands and indigna- tion in their hearts-following the footsteps of the re- treating army, and wreaking vengeance at every turn, for the long suffering and cruel indignities which they had undergone. To Rawdon it seemed as if the fabled teeth of the dragon had been sown around him, so prolific on a sudden was the increase among his foes. That this measure had become one of imperative necessity to the British commander, is unquestionable. With a strong enemy hanging upon his skirts, a dissatisfied population all around him ;- Marion and Lee, Sumter and Pickens, busy, with their accustomed promptitude, and operating upon the posts below which connected him with Charles- town, and secured him his only route of retreat to the sea- board ;- he had no alternative but to evacuate a station from which he had so long overawed the country, but which was now no longer tenable. The activity of the partisan bands below him, also demanded his early suc- cour for the several garrisons which they threatened. His own safety pressingly urged the propriety of his retreat. Greene simply awaited the arrival of recruits from Virginia, when, it was evident to Rawdon no less
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than to his opponent, that all his stores and resources must fall into the hands of the Americans.
The hopes of the Carolinians grew doubly active at this period. The old revolutionary spirit which had distinguished the people at the time of the battle of Fort Moultrie, seemed once more to re-animate them. Squads of armed whigs sprang up simultaneously in every quar- ter of the state. Well mounted, and commanded by pop- ular leaders, they seemed endowed with the attributes of ubiquity, and appeared to the astonished Britons to be every where at once. The very names of Marion, Sumter, and Pickens, were productive of momentary panic ; and detachments from the troops of the two former generals, availing themselves of the flight of Cornwallis to Virginia, and the approach of Greene, carried their arms to the very gates of Charlestown.
Major Harden, a gentleman of Beaufort, whose name furnished one of the rallying sounds of the revolution, was a chief instrument in the hands of Marion for carry- ing out the bold and expert achievements which have crowned their names with a local celebrity, as honorable as it is vivid and unperishing. With seventy select men, crossing the enemy's lines of communication, he ravaged the country in the face of the foe, from Monk's Corner to the Savannah river. His force gathered as it went for- ward, and was quickly increased to two hundred men. With a rapidity of movement which baffled pursuit, he combined a readiness and valor which made him success- ful in every encounter. To entrap him appeared as im- possible as pursuit of him was vain. The Savannah no longer remained a boundary, but throwing himself across
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