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 18
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The losses of Greene had also been severe in a very great degree. His officers, in particular, had suffered dreadfully, chiefly in consequence of their exposure from the fire of the house, in their vain attempts to rescue their intoxicated soldiers from the British tents. Thin as the American regiments had ever been, they were always deficient in officers. In this bloody affair, no less than sixty-one had been killed and wounded. Twenty- one of these, including colonel Campbell, had died upon the field of battle. The loss of British officers was also very severe, but less than that of their enemies. Major Majoribanks, who had so highly distinguished himself
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during the day, died on the march to Charlestown. The spot where he lies buried, is still shown upon the road- side. The rest of the British wounded narrowly escaped capture by Marion. This vigilant and ever restless cap- tain, understanding that they had been shipped at Fair- lawn for Charlestown, descended the country rapidly by night, and would have intercepted them, but for a slave of one of the plantations, who gave intelligence of his move- ments to the British camp. This brought out a strong detachment against him, and he was compelled, in turn, to steal away and avoid interception.
Returning from the pursuit of Stewart, Greene re- crossed the Santee, and resumed his position at the Hills. Feeble as his army had ever been, it was now destined to become still more so. His militia soon left him. Of the North Carolinians, but one hundred remained, and their term of service was near expiring. Marion, Pickens and Hampton, with the South Carolina militia, were ne- cessarily detached to cover the country ; and with the continentals alone, he had to discharge all the painful and fatiguing services required by six hundred wounded, half of whom were prisoners. Exposure in the swamps, at a sickly season of the year, had brought upon his army the diseases of the climate; and without medicine, or comforts of any kind, the whole camp exhibited a scene of the utmost misery and destitution. Numbers of brave fellows perished in a condition of wretchedness, only surpassed by such as distinguished the plague hospitals of the east. Ten days after the battle of Eutaw, the American general would have found it impossible to muster at head quarters, a thousand men fit for action.
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Meanwhile, intelligence reached the south that Corn- wallis contemplated a return from Virginia to Carolina by land. A movement of colonel Stewart, about this time, seemed to confirm the truth of this intelligence. That officer, having recruited his army by all the availa- able troops which he could gather from below, and hav- ing strengthened his cavalry until it became far superior to that of the Americans, once more advanced to the Eutaws. This movement served to drive the several American detachments of Marion and Hampton across the Santee ; and had the British continued their advance with vigor, it is not improbable, in the reduced and mis- erable condition of Greene's army, that they would have regained the ground, if not the influence, which they had lost in the late affair. But it was remarked that they no longer acted with their ancient vigor. They had lost the assurance of victory, which their first successes had inspired, and which had made them confident. They now exhibited a readiness to flee, on the first show of danger, as much like, and as little creditable, as that which had distinguished and disgraced the conduct of the American militia, when taking their first lessons in warfare.
The audacity which they had lost, seemed now to be the characteristic of the Americans. The detach- ments of the latter presented themselves before their strong holds, taunted them by the boldest daring, but failed to bring them forth. Mayhem, of Marion's brigade, while, at a subsequent period, the British lay at Monk's Corner, captured one of their posts and took eighty pris- oners, in the face of their whole army.
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The advance of the British to the Eutaws, did not result on their part in any increase of vigor or activity. Its command had devolved upon a major Doyle, during the illness of colonel Stewart, who was suffering from a wound received at Eutaw. This officer took post at Fludd's plantation, three miles above Nelson's ferry. His army, recruited from the British and loyalist forces in Charlestown, was still more than two thousand men, not including a body of three hundred, stationed at Fair- lawn, under major McArthur. This force, so superior to that of Greene, gave to the enemy the undivided command of the country to the south of the Santee and Congaree, and westward to the Edisto.
But this superiority was not of long continuance .- The diligence of Greene and his officers, and the patriotism of the soldiers, served to sustain them in their position, amidst every form of privation and suffer- ing, and gradually to restore their strength. The army was recruited by colonels Shelby and Sevier, with five hundred men, and the infantry received an accession of one hundred and sixty recruits from North Caro- lina. The artillery destroyed in the battle of Eutaw, had been replaced from Virginia; the wounded survi- vors had been recovered, and the cavalry, that most essential part of an army in a level and thinly settled country, was rapidly accumulating under the several commands of Sumter, Marion, Horry, Mayhem and others. In two months from the battle of Eutaw, the American general was in a capacity to act. Marion, having under him Sevier, Shelby, Horry and Mayhem, with their respective divisions, was ordered to operate
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between the Santee and Charlestown. Sumter, with his brigade of state troops, and some companies from his militia brigade, was ordered to take post at Orangeburg and defend the country against the loyalists from the city ; while Pickens, with two regiments, maintained the fron- tier from the Indians, and covered it against the predatory. warfare which still raged in that quarter.
The commands of Sumter and Marion crossed the rivers in the beginning of November, and advanced upon the enemy. The former soon fell in with a strong party of the loyalists under general Cunningham, who had advanced upon Orangeburg, and one of his officers, a major Morris, suffered himself to fall into an ambuscade, in which he sustained some loss. The forces of Sumter and Cunningham being nearly equal, operated as mutual checks upon each other. Cunningham, who had issued from Charlestown on a pillaging expedition in the upper country, was checked in his progress ; while Sumter, to continue this restraint upon his enemy, and maintain himself in safety, fell back for the present, and secured himself by a careful selection of position. The progress of Marion was also arrested, in consequence of his encountering at Wantoot, the whole army of Stewart, who was at this time busy in ravaging the country, laying in provisions for sustaining a siege on Charleston, and accumulating that plunder with which their fleet of three hundred sail was laden when they subsequently took flight from the waters of Cooper river.
About this time, the news was received by both armies, of the fall of Cornwallis in Virginia. To the British in Carolina, it was omnious of that fate which the unrelaxing
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energies of Greene, and the determined valor of the troops under him, seemed resolved to hasten ; and in anticipation of this event, the British commander, as if no longer confident in his arms, was preparing to conv rt his soldiers into mere marauders. In the short period which followed the return of major Doyle with the British army to the Eutaws, he had succeeded in plundering the country on the Santee and Congaree, of every negro, and of almost every thing else in the shape of property, that could be carried away. But that Marion and Hampton guarded the opposite banks of these rivers, their ravages would have extended far beyond these comparatively narrow limits.
The intelligence of the surrender of Yorktown, reached the camp of Greene about the last of October. The day was observed as a jubilee in camp, and the grateful tidings gave a new impulse to the desire of the American general to cross the rivers which separated him from his enemy, and drive him down to the sea. This object had now become one of infinite importance, in order that the elections might be held as generally throughout the state, as possible, for the legislature. The re-establishment of the civil authority was of the last importance to the country, as well as to the army. The former was with- out laws, and had been exposed to a jurisdiction as various and wild as the passions of the several and conflicting parties by whom, at successive periods, it had been held in possession. The latter was suffering from every species of want.
" Our situation," says Greene, in a letter immediately after the battle of Eutaw, "is truly deplorable in the
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quarter master's and ordnance departments. We have no ammunition, and not half tents enough; few camp kettles, and no axes, and until very lately, no canteens."
Add to this, the want of clothes to cover their naked- ness, the want of salt to season their food, and the want of physic to heal their sick, and the patriotism of the American general and his troops will derive its highest honors from their condition.
On the 18th of November, the camp at the Hills was broken up, and the American army again put in motion. As the route to be pursued led the army off from the support of Marion, who was charged with guarding its left while on its march, captain Eggleston, with the legion and a detachment from the Virginians, was dispatched to strengthen him. The main army took up the line of march on the route by Simmon's and McCord's ferries, through Orangeburg, to Riddlespurger's ; thence by the Indianfield road to Ferguson's mill, where that road crosses the Edisto -the intention of the American general being apparently to gain a position on Four Holes, for the double purpose of covering the country beyond him, and controlling the movements of the enemy on his right. Another object in this movement was, to intercept the flight of the British to Savannah,-intelligence having been received by Marion, from Charleston, that such was their in- tention.
It was in the confident belief that the force of Marion was adequate to keep in check that of the enemy under Stewart, that Greene ventured to place himself in a position which left him particularly exposed to an attack from Charlestown. To the great astonishment of Marion,
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no less than of the commander-in-chief, the mountaineers under Shelby and Sevier-upon the strength of whose re-inforcement he had ventured into the field-on a sudden deserted him after three weeks service. This desertion was, with some probability, attributed to the departure of their colonel, Shelby, who had obtained leave of absence. Something, too, has been said of the service not being sufficiently active for their habits; but reasons such as these furnish a poor apology for soldiers, who, in the cause of their country's liberty, should be well pleased to encounter any sort of service which it may be the policy of their commander to impose. Marion had endeavored to find them sufficient employment. He had approached and defied the enemy, but could neither tempt nor provoke him to leave his encampment. With numbers decidedly inferior, the brave partisan was chagrined to find it impossible to bring his enemy into the field ; and the only services in which he was able to employ his mountaineers, were in attacks on the post at Fairlawn, and on the redoubts at Wappetaw. Detachments of about two hundred of them, supported by Mayhem's cavalry, were, in both instances, commanded by Shelby. Wappetaw was abandoned at their approach. The attack at Fairlawn was made while the enemy lay at Wantoot. In passing this post, Marion showed himself, but did not succeed in decoying the British cavalry into the field. At Fairlawn the attack was successful. The place surrendered at discretion, and the whole garrison, with three hundred stand of arms, stores and provisions, fell into the hands of the Americans. The house with its contents, and the abbatis, were committed to the flames.
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The desertion of the mountaineers, who formed so large a portion of Marion's command, might have been of the most pernicious consequence to the several divisions of the American army, but for the alarm which the movement of Greene across the Congaree, had occasion- ed in the mind of Stewart. Greene had advanced too far to recede; Marion had passed the Santee, and any disaster to him would have compelled an immediate retreat of the main army, to avoid worse consequences. The ignorance of the British commander of the real condition of his foe, and, perhaps, a consciousness of his own weakness-of which the Americans were equally ignorant at the time-by prompting his retreat towards Charlestown, induced Greene to undertake an enterprise calculated to confirm the enemy's fears of the American strength, and, by forcing him into Charlestown, without risking an action, to get the entire command of the state.
With this object, he left the army on its march, under the command of colonel Williams ; and at the head of two hundred cavalry, and as many infantry, moved briskly towards Dorchester. The cavalry consisted of Lee's and Washington's, and one hundred men drawn from the command of Sumter. The infantry were those of the legion, and detachments from the lines of Maryland and Virginia. The command of this detachment was given to colonel Wade Hampton. Greene flattered himself with the hope of being able to surprise the post at Dorchester ; but the enemy received notice of his approach, and lay upon their arms all night. Not seeing the Americans appear as soon as they expected,
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the British sent forth a party of fifty for intelligence. . Hampton's advanced guard encountered the party, and but few were suffered to escape. So close was the pursuit of the survivors pressed, to the enemy's post, that the whole cavalry of the British army, which, with a strong detachment of infantry, had been sent to re-inforce that post, issued out to charge the pursuing party. To cut off this corps was a leading desire with Greene, and he saw their approach with the most pleasurable antici- pations. But they recoiled and fled from the fierce on- set of Hampton's horse. Twenty or thirty were slain, wounded or taken ; and such an alarm did the presence of Greene in person, excite among them, under the belief that his whole army was at hand, that the garrison, during the night, destroyed every thing,-threw their cannon into the river, and made a rapid retreat to Charles- town. Greene did not dare to pursue, for the infantry of the enemy alone exceeded five hundred.
This maneuvre had all the effect which was intended. The panic of the enemy increased, their outposts were all abandoned, and their whole force concentrated at the quarter house, about six miles from Charlestown. Here, where the isthmus is narrow. the fugitives were halted and joined by general Stewart, who, meanwhile, had been hurrying with all speed, by another route, toward the city.
General Leslie, who now succeeded Stewart, made every preparation for immediate attack. The fears of the fugitives from Dorchester, had magnified the force of Greene to something more than three thousand men, at a time when that brave commander could not muster at
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head quarters more than eight hundred. The force under Leslie was scarcely less than five thousand ; yet he deemed it necessary, in the general panic, to resort to a measure which must sufficiently have testified his own fears, while it awakened, to the keenest poignancy, those of the remaining inhabitants. . He embodied in regiments the numerous slaves who had been drawn from the neighboring plantations, and who had been crowded into the city as a part of that plunder with which the provi- idence of the British commanders had prepared to con- sole themselves for a flight which now appeared to be inevitable.
CHAPTER XXVI.
Driven in from all their outposts, the British were con- fined in their operations, to the city, the Neck, and the neighboring islands. The object of general Greene, and all that he could effect, in the thin and unprovided con- dition of his army, was attained ; and governor Rutledge convened the legislature of the state at Jacksonborough, a little village on the Edisto river, about twenty miles from the sea, and thirty-five from the city of Charlestown.
This event, which once more restored the forms of civil government to the state, after an interregnum of nearly two years, took place in January, 1782. It was origi- nally arranged by the governor and common council, to convene it at Camden ; but general Greene, after his excursion to Dorchester, having reconnoitered the coun- try between the Edisto and Ashley, and found it possessed of sufficient military advantages to admit of his covering Jacksonborough with his little army from danger and insult, warmly recommended the adoption of the latter place in preference to all others for the assembling of the delegates ; since the re-establishment of the civil au- thority so near the British garrison, would, more conclu- sively than any other event, short of the absolute expul- sion of the foe, confirm the evidence of a complete recov- ery of the state. The army, in the meantime, took post at the plantation of colonel Skirving, six miles below Jacksonborough, and on the road leading to Charlestown.
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But before the place could be put in perfect security, Greene conceived it necessary to drive the British from John's island, one of the inner chain of islands which stretch along the coast from Charlestown to Savannah, separated from the main by creeks and marshes, and from each other by estuaries of the rivers, generally denominated sounds and inlets. John's and James' islands, with the city and the Neck, were now the only footholds left to the British, of all their conquests in South Carolina.
On John's island, which is secure, fertile and exten- sive, they maintained a force of five hundred men, under colonel Craig. The island was also guarded at all ac- cessible points, by gallies carrying heavy guns. These gallies, at a favorable time of the tide, might easily ap- proach Jacksonborough, which is not beyond striking distance from John's island ; while the communication with Charlestown being open through James Island, made it easy for the British, unperceived, to throw re-inforce- ments into the former. Greene resolved to drive the enemy from this important position. It was soon ascer- tained, not only that the island was accessible, but that the British, unapprehensive of danger, were comparatively unprepared for attack. Laurens and Lee, knowing the desire of Greene, and having examined the approaches, solicited his permission to enter upon the undertaking. Their plan was to pass by night between the gallies, and surprise the force under Craig. There was one point between the Stono and Edisto, at which the island was formerly connected with the highland by a piece of hard marsh. To complete the inland communication between
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Charlestown and Edisto, by the way of Stono, a canal had been cut through this marsh, and was known by the name of New Cut. At low water this is fordable, and to guard this pass, the British had moored two gallies at convenient distances ; but to avoid exposure to grounding, they were placed in positions which were necessarily somewhat remote ; and this circumstance suggested the project of passing between them.
Greene sanctioned the plan of these enterprising young officers, and the night of the 13th of January was fixed on for its execution. The main army moved on the 12th to Wallace's bridge, with the view of diverting the attention of the enemy from the real point of attack ; while two light detachments, under the command of Lau- rens, crossing the country from Ashley river, waded the north branch of the Stono, and advanced to New Cut, which is at the head of the southern branch. The rest of the army was put in motion after dusk, and advanced to cover and support its detachment. Greene himself, reached the " cut" before the time of low water, at which, alone, the canal is fordable. Here he found his attack- ing party in strange embarrassment. The detachment of Lee and Laurens, forming separate columns on the march, had been led, the first by Lee, and the second by major Hamilton. Lee's column was in advance, and Laurens, as commander of the whole party, accompanying it in person. But Hamilton, through the desertion of his guide, lost his way to the ford, and his column was com- pletely lost to the enterprise. The time for striking the blow had passed. The first column had crossed over to the island, but was necessarily recalled before the height
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of the returning tide should cut off its retreat. The op- portunity was thus lost of cutting off, by complete sur- prise, a force of five hundred of the enemy.
But the object could not be relinquished, and Greene ordered a boat on wagons from the Edisto, determined on forcing his passage to the island .. The artillery was then brought to bear upon the gallies, and drove them. from their stations ; while Laurens, passing the " cut," penetrated to the encampment of the enemy .- But the latter did not wait for the assault. The alarm occasioned by the narrow escape of the morning, convin- ced him of the insecurity of his position ; and taking counsel from his apprehensions rather than his valor, major Craig had already commenced his flight, in antici- pation of the attack. A few prisoners only rewarded the rapidity of Laurens' movements; but the main object of Greene was attained, and without loss. This event completed the security of Jacksonborough, and left the government of the state, assembled within its walls, free in the unrestrained and fearless execution of the arduous and solemn duties devolving upon its hands.
The assembly met and formed a quorum on the day for which the members were summoned. The proclamation of the governor precluded all persons from suffrage and membership who had placed themselves under British protection, or were in any manner obnoxious to popular odium or suspicion. None but true and tried men were present, and these were mostly veterans-the brave men who had sustained the conflict with unremitting valor and unfailing fortitude from the beginning. But very few were present who had not drawn their weapons in the strife; and many appeared on this occasion, clad in armor, who
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had stolen a brief respite from the labors of the field, that they might assist in the no less arduous toils of council. All had suffered, and many of them severely. A nobler assembly-one more distinguished for faith, integrity, wisdom and valor-was never yet convoked in the cause of a nation. The proceedings were opened by a speech from governor Rutledge, distinguished by the accustomed energy of manner and force of matter which character- ized that orator. In the course of this speech, he gave a brief glance at the history of the war in the state. A portion of his picture we transfer to our pages, as sum- ming up briefly, a thousand details which a more particu- lar narration would make too voluminous for our limits.
" The enemy," said he, " unable to make any impres- sion upon the northern states, the number of whose inhabitants, and the strength of whose country, had baffled their repeated efforts, turned their views towards the southern, which a difference of circumstances afforded some expectation of conquering, or, at least, of greatly distressing. After a long resistance, the reduction of Charlestown was effected by the vast superiority of force with which it had been besieged. 'The loss of that gar- rison, as it consisted of the continental troops of Virginia and the Carolinas, and of a number of militia, facilitated the enemy's march into the country ; and their establish- ment of strong posts in the upper and interior parts of it, and the unfavorable issue of the action near Camden, induced them vainly to imagine that no other army could be collected which they might not easily defeat. The militia commanded by the brigadiers Marion and Sumter, whose enterprising spirit and unremitting perseverance
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under many difficulties, are deserving of great applause, harassed and often defeated large parties ; but the num- bers of these militia were too few to contend effectually with the collected strength of the enemy. Regardless, therefore, of the sacred ties of honor, destitute of the feelings of humanity, and determined to extinguish, if possible, every spark of freedom in this country, they, with the insolent pride of conquerors, gave unbounded scope to the exercise of their tyrannical dispositions, in- fringed their public engagements, and violated the most solemn capitulations. Many of our worthiest citizens were, without cause, long and closely confined, some on board of prison ships, and others in the town and castle of St. Augustine; their properties disposed of at the will and caprice of the enemy, and their families sent to a different and distant part of the continent, without the means of support. Many who had surrendered as pris- oners of war were killed in cold blood ; several suffered death in the most ignominious manner, and others were delivered up to savages, and put to tortures under which they expired.
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