USA > South Carolina > The history of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783 > Part 2
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CHAPTER XII
Greene's instructions to Sumter upon his determination to proceed against Ninety Six - At Ninety Six the first bloodshed of the Revolu- tion in South Carolina -The place and its fortification described - Colonel Cruger and its garrison - Cruger's preparation to meet Greene - Greene appears before the place - With Kosciuszko reconnoitres the place, and decides upon plan of siege - Approaches begun and pressed - Greene summons Cruger to surrender - He refuses - Greene learns of the appearance off Charlestown bar of a fleet with British reinforcements - The time of its arrival, of the landing of the troops, and of Sumter's and Marion's report of same considered -Colonel Lee reaches Ninety Six from Augusta-Washington's horse and Lee's cavalry sent to join Sumter - Greene directs Sumter to call in Marion and to collect all his forces and to oppose advance of British reinforcement - British regiments con- stituting reinforcements - Rawdon mounts regiment of South Carolina Royalists as cavalry under command of Major John Coffin -Marches for the relief of Ninety Six -On way is joined by Colonel Doyle from Monck's Corner -Greene continues siege of Ninety Six -Indian arrows and Maham tower fail of effect - Striking episode of a horseman riding into the fort of Ninety Six with news of Rawdon's approach -Sumter, Marion, and Pickens fail to form junction - Rawdon avoids them - Disaster to Colonel Mydelton - Rawdon approaches Ninety Six-Greene attempts to storm the works, but fails - He raises the siege.
CHAPTER XIII
The country recovered by Rawdon-But could he hold it ?- The difficulties of his situation - His duties to the Loyalists who had stood by the king- Convenes principal Tories and confers with them - They de- termine to follow him to Charlestown - Leaving Cruger to escort them, Rawdon moves to the Congaree - Writes to Balfour for strong corps to be sent to Orangeburg-Colonel Gould, commanding recently armed re- enforcements, sends Colonel Stuart with Third Regiment - Greene sends Lee to hover about Ninety Six, Washington to Granby - Sumter pre- pares for another expedition to the Low-Country - Greene advances to Granby - Awaits there reinforcements from North Carolina - Learns of stores under escort moving to Orangeburg- Orders Lee to form junction with Washington, and Sumter to detach Mydelton also to Washington - Washington intercepts letter for Stuart informing Rawdon of his advance to Orangeburg - Greene determines to attack Stuart - With small escort
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hastens to join Washington - Rawdon reaches Granby before Greene - Lee strikes a brilliant stroke, capturing wagons and escort of cavalry, in- flicting serious loss on Rawdon - Stuart recalled to Charlestown - Raw- don, hearing nothing of him, retires to Orangeburg - British suffer from the intense heat - Criticisms of Greene's officers considered and answered - Marion joins Washington - They concert a movement against a convoy for relief of Rawdon, but fail to take it - Greene, summoning Sumter, Marion, Lee, and Washington, resolves to march upon Orangeburg- Pickens left to watch Cruger -Cruger's march with the Tory refugees from Ninety Six -Suffering of the refugees - Cruger abandons refugees and joins Rawdon -Pickens fails to impede him - Green, joined by Sumter and others, offers battle, which Rawdon declines- Greene recon- noitres Rawdon's position at Orangeburg - Finds it too strong to attack - Greene turns over all his mounted men to Sumter, and gives him leave to make expedition to Low-Country - Activity elsewhere - Colonel Peter Horry, for Marion, negotiates treaty with Major Gainey of the Tories- Marion burns Georgetown- Harden establishes camp at Horseshoe - Colonel Hayne here joins him - At once enters the field - Makes brilliant dash to the gates of Charlestown - Captures General Williamson - Major Fraser pursues and overtakes Hayne, and captures him and releases Williamson.
CHAPTER XIV
Sumter gathers his forces for the expedition into the Low-Country - Troops constituting his command - A splendid body of men - Unfortunate jealousies of leaders - Stuart resumes his advance to join Lord Rawdon -Colonel Coates, with Nineteenth Regiment, sent to Monck's Corner - Different roads to Charlestown - British posts at Dorchester and Quarter House -Greene urges Sumter to hasten expedition - Disposition of Sum- ter's forces -Lee takes Dorchester without opposition - Wade Hampton captures prisoners at Goose Creek church, and attacks the Quarter House and captures garrison - Lee also reaches the Quarter House and pushes below it-One of the causes which operated against complete success of expedition - Coates crosses from Monck's Corner to Biggin Church - Sumter's force collected, he sends Maham to break up Quinby's bridge in Coates's rear - Maham is reenforced by Horry and Lacey - Slight affair at the bridge - Horry withdraws party - Coates burns his stores, crosses the bridge, and attempts to destroy it- Pursuit of Coates begun - Piece of artillery left - Lee and Hampton turn aside to pursue Captain Camp- bell, who is captured with one hundred men -The battle of Quinby's takes place - Account of same- Discord among the leaders - Num- ber engaged and losses-Specie taken divided among the soldiers-Much
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accomplished, though not all that should have been -Sumter recrosses Santee and takes position at Friday's Ferry - Greene's campaign ended - He retires to Camp of Repose on High Hills of Santee, leaving Sumter and Marion to watch below.
CHAPTER XV
No exchange of prisoners in the Southern Department since the com- mencement of the war - Prisoners, civil and military, at first treated with no great severity - Continental soldiers confined in barracks in Charlestown - Officers at Haddrell's Point -Their disorderly conduct - Moultrie threatens them with court-martial-Judge Pendleton, a civil prisoner, escapes ; his case - Correspondence between Balfour and Moul- trie thereon - Continental prisoners celebrate Fourth of July - Corre- spondence between Balfour and Moultrie thereon - Moultrie protests against the arrest and exile of citizens sent to St. Augustine - Balfour's reply - Prisoners taken at Camden marched to Charlestown and crowded into prison ships - Dr. Fayssoux's account of their treatment - Balfour's attempt to seduce Moultrie through his son -Sir Charles Montagu re- turns to South Carolina - Offers soldiers on prison ships release if they go with him to West Indies - Offers command of his regiment to Moul- trie - Correspondence upon the subject - Moultrie's admirable letter - Colonel Grimké and Major Habersham arrested and put in close confine- ment-Balfour threatens to send all prisoners to West Indies - Moul- trie protests - General exchange agreed upon - Grimké's escape - Greene gives him a command with which he raids the prison camp at Haddrell's Point - Balfour prohibits paroled prisoners from exercising any pro- fession or calling - Threatens to retaliate for alleged ill treatment of British prisoners in American hands - Reply of More, Barnwell, and other prisoners on prison ships thereto - Major Hyrne's, commissary of prisoners, admirable management by which he effects a general exchange according to the cartel.
CHAPTER XVI
Military government established by British - Police board - James Sampson, Intendant -Table of depreciation of currency adopted - Its unexpected effects - More injurious to loyal interest than to the Whigs - General Patterson relieved, and Nisbet Balfour appointed comman- dant of the town - Unfriendly relations between Balfour and Rawdon - Balfour's arbitrary and tyrannical rule -The Exchange used as a prison
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- The Provost - Cruel imprisonments therein - Patriotic conduct of the Carolina women-Treatment of exiles to St. Augustine- Upon the whole at first lenient - William Brown's especial good conduct to them - Other exiles added to former number -Condition changed for the worse - Information of execution of cartel of exchange of prisoners - Exiles notified to prepare to march to St. John's River - Memorialize against being compelled to do so - Vessels arrive off bar to take exiles - Women and children of exiles ordered to leave Charlestown - Great distress occa- sioned thereby - Arrangements finally made to take exiles to Philadelphia - Exiles charter one vessel for the purpose - More than one thousand persons forced to leave Charlestown -Families of exiles embark from Charlestown for Philadelphia - Mrs. De Saussure's petition to be allowed to sell furniture to provide means of transportation - Meeting of the exiles and their families in Philadelphia - Resolutions of Congress in regard to them - Appeals made to other States for their assistance -Contributions made therefor - Exchange of military prisoners.
CHAPTER XVII
Colonel Hayne's case - Balfour delays action upon it to consult Lord Rawdon - Question as to which had right of command - Balfour writes to Rawdon for his concurrence in regard to case - Delay in case-Rawdon replies to Balfour and comes himself to Charlestown - His leaving the field at this time criticised -His statement as to what occurred on his arrival - Application made to him at his own suggestion, and addressed to him as commander-in-chief - His account of what followed examined - Colonel Hayne informed that he was to be tried - Order revoked, and another issued for a court of inquiry - Hayne misled by this - Order based on that constituting the court which tried and condemned André - Hayne appears before the court - His account of what took place ; another American officer's account of same-Court and prisoner alike supposed its action a preliminary one- Hayne informed of his condemna- tion by Rawdon and Balfour - Mr. Colcock's legal opinion thereon - Hayne's protest - Is informed he is to be executed under Lord Corn- wallis's standing order- Rawdon again designated as commander-in-chief - Hayne reprieved for forty-eight hours - Ladies petition and implore for his pardon - Lieutenant-Governor Bull also appeals in Hayne's behalf - Sir Egerton Leigh opposes pardon - Account of execution - Indigna- tion with which the news of it is received in the American army -Greene's action thereon -Officers unite in urging retaliations-Greene's proclama- tion .- No retaliation - Debate in the House of Lords upon subject - Case considered - American precedents - Hayne's true martyrdom.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER XVIII
Greene at Camp of Repose appeals for assistance - His disappointments - Wayne with Pennsylvania line, on his way to join Greene, is stopped in Virginia - Colonel Jackson's corps of Georgians destroyed by small- pox - Militia from North Carolina promised, fail to come - Shelby and Sevier, on their way, turn back - Other causes of complaint against Sumter conjured - The complaint that Sumter had disbanded his followers considered - Vicious system of raising State troops upon pay in kind of negroes and spoils - Wade Hampton's letter upon subject - Hender- son's letter upon same - Attempt to hold Sumter responsible for the burning of Georgetown - Difference of opinions between Greene, Sumter, Marion, and Lee as to operations - Greene avaricious of glory - Jealous of his followers - Washington detached to cooperate with Marion and Maham - Henderson in command of Sumter's brigade - Greene sends Malmedy to North Carolina for assistance - Success of his mission - Assistance promised - Tory Captain Connaway's success against Harden - Successful Tory raids of Williams and Cuningham - Washington's campaign at the North compels Greene to abandon Camp of Repose - Greene calls in his detachments - Crosses the Congaree - Takes position at Eutaw - Marion's brilliant raid in relief of Harden.
CHAPTER XIX
Greene's movements preceding the battle of Eutaw - Does not wait for Marion - Number of men on either side and composition of the opposing forces - Order of Greene's advance - Stuart's movements - British routing party captured - Advance party under Major Coffin repulsed and dispersed - Greene's line of battle formed - The British order of battle - The battle-field of Eutaw described - The battle takes place - Description of it - Both parties claim the victory - But the Americans leave the field which the British hold - Ultimate results nevertheless with the Americans - Losses upon both sides - The heroes of the battle, Majoribanks and Coffin of the British, and Wade Hampton of the Americans.
CHAPTER XX
Stuart retreats to Fair Lawn, destroys his stores there, and thence to Wantoot - Greene receives reports of Cornwallis returning to South Carolina - Retires to High Hills of Santee - Stuart, calling in all his detachments, advances again to the Eutaw - Governor Burke of North
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CONTENTS
Carolina captured by Hector McNeill - Lord Rawdon captured at sea - Exchanged for Burke - Stuart retires from the field because of wound - Colonel Doyle succeeds to command of British forces - Tory partisan leaders take the field - Sketch of Bloody Bill Cuningham - His grievances - Murder of Ritchie - Raids into Ninety Six - Slaughter of the Butlers at Cloud's Creek - Crosses the Saluda and raids what is now Laurens and Newberry counties - Slaughter of Hayes and his party - Cuningham intercepts wagon convoy for Pickens - Is pursued by Hammond - Tory raid of Hezekiah Williams - Affair at Vince's Fort - Cherokees' rise on frontier - Take Gowen's Fort and slaughter the garrison and refugees in it - Led by Bloody Bates - His ultimate fate.
CHAPTER XXI
Efforts to induce the French fleet after the surrender of Cornwallis to cooperate against British at Charlestown - They fail - Washington now enabled to send reinforcements to Greene -Shelby and Sevier join him - Intelligence of the surrender of Yorktown received - Greene's move- ments based upon the reenforcement of Shelby and Sevier - Report of intention of British to evacuate Charlestown -Shelby, Sevier, Horry, and Maham ordered to join Marion - Sumter to take post at Orangeburg- Pickens despatched to put down Indians - Major Moore surprised at Rowe's plantation - Sumter falls back - Marion's advance checked - Camp at High Hills of Santee broken up - Greene advances to Round O -Shelby and Sevier desert Greene -Sickness and mortality of British troops - Affair at Fair Lawn -Post abandoned by British - Burnt by Marion - Stuart complains -Cuningham surprises Richard Hampton - Stuart falls back towards Charlestown - Greene himself proceeds to Dor- chester with Wade Hampton - Colonel Williams moves with army to Four Holes - Hampton attacks and defeats a party of Loyalists sent to observe him - Stuart retreats to Quarter House - Is relieved of command by Leslie - British confined to Charlestown Neck - Colonel Craig sent to John's Island - Marion takes post at Wadboo- Sumter at Orangeburg - Wade Hampton keeps open communication between them - Greene's want of ammunition - Greene's army now in a rich country - Colonel Lee's description of it - Greene takes position to cover Jacksonborough, that General Assembly might be called there -Colonel John Laurens returns and joins Greene - Put in command of independent corps - Opens secret communication with Charlestown - Greene's alarm at reports of renewed British efforts to hold Charlestown and reconquer province -Sends to hurry St. Clair and Wayne on their march to him - Virginia and North Carolina inert - Greene writes to Governor Rutledge, proposing to raise
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negro troops - Indignation created thereat - Expedition under Laurens, Lee, and Hamilton against John's Island - Its failure - Question as to its date - Affair between Dorchester and Quarter House in which Captain Armstrong of Lee's Legion is taken -Close of military operations for the year 1781.
CHAPTER XXII
Recapitulation of Governor Rutledge's course since the fall of Charles- town - He returns to the State - Establishes himself at Camden, and sets to work reorganizing military and civil affairs -Table of brigade and regi- mental organization - Reorganization under militia act of 1779 - Modifi- cation of same under his dictatorial powers - His proclamation thereon - Letter to Marion forbidding substitutes - Turns his attention to financial affairs - Orders impressment of indigo - Colonel Lee's interference there- with - His proclamation in regard to treatment of Tories-Is severely criticised by the stanchest Whigs - " Cassius's" letter thereon - Subject considered - Sumter's last act of command, enforcing Rutledge's procla- mation and receiving the submission of Tories - Appointment of ordina- ries -The State loses the services of both Sumter and Harden - Governor Rutledge appoints Major John Barnwell brigadier-general over Harden, who at once resigns - Sumter sacrificed to cabal of Greene and Lee - his command discriminated against and reduced - Inconsistent and uncandid letters of Greene - Sumter resigns.
CHAPTER XXIII
Review of the year 1781 - Deplorable condition of affairs at the North as well as South - Mutiny of the Pennsylvania line - Cornwallis's ad- vance into North Carolina takes Greene from the State, which is again abandoned by the Continental forces-South Carolina left for three months to struggle by herself - Review of the work of Sumter, Marion, and Pickens-Table of actions fought by them during Greene's absence - Review of Greene's movements to Camden and of Rawdon's evacuation of that post, primarily caused by action of the partisan band, and second- arily by the presence of Greene's army - Greene's subsequent campaign reviewed and discussed - Large number of prisoners taken by the partisan bands forces a general exchange of prisoners, and recovery of territory releases others from their paroles - Deplorable condition of Ninety Six District - Governor Rutledge's efforts to restore order - Summary of events and table of battles fought in the State during the year -The surrender of Cornwallis practically ends the war, but fighting not yet over in South Carolina.
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CHAPTER XXIV
Governor Rutledge issues writs of election for General Assembly and sends them to the brigadier-generals to execute - Charge of " Cassius " that he dictated who were to be returned - Senators and representatives re- turned almost exclusively from the exiles to St. Augustine and officers of the State troops and militia - Some of the distinguished men among them mentioned - Assembly called to meet at Jacksonborough - Reasons there- for - Assembly convenes - A quorum present- A most notable assem- blage - Remarkable because the first composed of representatives from all parts of the State - Officers elected -Governor's address - Replies thereto of Senate and House of Representatives - Greene extolled - But little notice taken of Sumter, Marion, or Pickens.
CHAPTER XXV
The suggestions of Governor Rutledge in his address carried out- Another governor to be elected under constitution of 1778-Tory rumor that the aristocratic party would nominate Ralph Izard, and the back country people Sumter - Christopher Gadsden elected, but declines - His speech on doing so - John Mathews elected governor and Richard Hutson lieutenant-governor - Members of Privy Council elected - Several acts passed - Following Governor Rutledge's recommendation, committee ap- pointed to purchase an estate for General Greene - Action of Assembly soon followed by complaints - Intrigues charged - Assembly proceeds to confiscation and amercement of Tories- Recital of acts upon the sub- ject-Classes into which Tories were divided for purposes of the act - Commissioners appointed to carry out act - The Amercement Act- Christopher Gadsden opposes these acts -Opposition thereto -"Cassius's" objections to same - Marion's letter to Peter Horry on subject - Acts really measures of revenue, not of revenge- Great injustice and partiality in same - Act applied almost exclusively to Low-Country Tories-But few of Up-Country mentioned in them - Partiality of act further shown - Effect of " Cassius's" protest - Acts of relief subsequently passed in many cases.
CHAPTER XXVI
Great changes in the situations of the armies during the year 1781 - Leslie, now in command of British forces, restricted for supplies - Sends out raiding parties from several points - Major Coffin's raid - Colonel
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Richardson's party routed -Captain Campbell's death - General St. Clair at length arrives - General Wayne sent to Georgia - General Barnwell to cooperate with Wayne - Dissension in Marion's brigade - Question as to rank between Peter Horry and Maham - Marion detained at Jackson- borough - Correspondence between Green, Horry, and Marion - Greene hesitates to decide - At length does so in favor of Horry -But offends both parties - A new character appears on British side - Count Rumford -Then Colonel Thompson - His brilliant raids - Affairs at Wambaw and Tidyman's plantation - Disperses Marion's brigade - Attempts to sur- prise and take Greene himself, but fails - Horry and Maham's regiments consolidated under Maham - Horry resigns- But is appointed to the command of Georgetown - Maham captured - Devaux ravages Stephen Bull's plantation and burns Sheldon Church - Raids along the rivers and creeks of Low-Country - Wayne and Barnwell's expedition on the Savan- nah - General Barnwell resigns.
CHAPTER XXVII
Upon adjournment of General Assembly Greene moves to Bacon's bridge- Contraband trade opened with Charlestown, connived at by both Governor Rutledge and General Greene - Greene plans capture of the town, but abandons the effort - Rudulph's brilliant capture of a British galley - Greene appeals to Congress for supplies - Act of Assembly pro- hibiting impressments, but undertaking to support the army -Greene's dissatisfaction with arrangement -Complains to Governor Mathews of Mr. Hort the commissary - The governor supports Hort - General dis- content in Continental line - Mutiny of the Pennsylvania troops-Execu- tion of Sergeant Gornell - Rudulph's affair at Dorchester -Pickens's expedition against the Cherokees - Truces between Whigs and Tories - Renewed hostilities - Affair of Watson and Butler - Sergeant Vardell killed - Another raid by Bloody Bill Cuningham - His party' finally dispersed.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Correspondence between General Leslie and General Greene about Carolina confiscation acts and British sequestrations - Resolution carried in British Commons to put an end to war - Sir Guy Carleton com- mander-in-chief of British forces in America - Henry Laurens released from the Tower - And exchanged for Lord Cornwallis - Leslie proposes a truce and that he be allowed to procure supplies from the country --
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CONTENTS
Proposition declined - Leslie to take supplies by force - Marion re- organizes his brigade to resist - Light brigade made up under command of General Gist - Henderson, made brigadier-general, and Pickens draw in their forces to headquarters - Tories under Gainey again rise in the Pee Dee - Marion sent to put them down - Succeeds and makes another treaty - Depredations on the Cooper and Santee - Leslie fits out a fleet of small boats to gather supplies - Georgetown supposed its destination - Marion hastens there - Fleet ravages the Santee - Marion takes post at Wadboo - British foraging fleet proceeds to Combahee - Greene despatches Gist to protect country - Colonel Laurens leaves his post and joins Gist - Is drawn into an ambuscade and killed - Grief at his death notwith- standing just criticism upon his conduct - Sketches of the two Lau- renses, father and son - Major Fraser attacks Marion at Wadboo, is repulsed - Marion's warfare ends -Caperar's gallant action - Gist pro- ceeds to Beaufort - The Balfour galley captured - Greene's movements - Quarter House taken - British confined to lines around Charlestown - Indian incursions in Georgia - Wayne nearly captured - Pickens makes another expedition against Cherokees - Makes treaty with them.
CHAPTER XXIX
Arrival of British fleet to cover evacuation of the town - Governor Mathews agrees to allow British merchants to remain for a limited time to dispose of their stock - Arrangements made between Governor Mathews and General Leslie for the return of negroes belonging to Americans - Commissioner appointed to carry out arrangement - Agreement evaded by British - Dissolved by Governor Mathews - Its impracticability - Kosciuszko's attempts to seize cattle and horses of the enemy - Captures a number of horses-These claimed by their owners as captured from them by the enemy - Greene refuses to return them to owners under the doctrine of postliminium - That doctrine dis- cussed - Council of war sustains Greene's position notwithstanding Colonel C. C. Pinckney's opinion to the contrary - Greene's conduct creates great resentment - Bitter hostility to the Continental army - Kosciuszko's attempt to capture wood party on James's Island defeated - Capt. Wilmot killed - Marion refuses to disturb British watering party at Lemprière's Point - Would shed no more blood - General Moultrie is exchanged for Burgoyne - His journey home - Scene at his plantation - The faithfulness of his negro slaves - Arrangements be- tween Greene and Leslie for the evacuation of the town - The evacuation described.
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