USA > South Carolina > The history of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783 > Part 35
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join him when intelligence reached them that he (Greene) had resumed the offensive, and had advanced towards Orangeburgh, and rumor added that he had driven the enemy into Charlestown, upon which Shelby and Sevier wrote that, as they supposed his recent successes had ren- dered their services unnecessary, they had returned and disbanded.1
Greene had also conjured other causes of complaint against Sumter. It is disagreeable to the student of history, alike whether he be author or reader, to have his atten- tion arrested and diverted from the contemplation of great public events by the small interfering personal jars of the great men who are the actors in such affairs. But these personal and otherwise insignificant quarrels cannot, never- theless, be disregarded, for they often, as in this case, enter. largely into and affect public affairs in a manner alto- gether disproportioned to their own relative importance. And so it is that we must now turn again aside to learn somewhat of the merits of the further differences between the leaders in the war in South Carolina. Greene found, he claimed, new causes of complaint against Sumter, and Lee stood by to aggravate their differences.
When Sumter had returned from his expedition to the Low-Country he had been directed to ascend the Congaree and to take post at Friday's Ferry, leaving Marion to take charge of the country on the Santee. Having been called to the upper part of the State in looking for supplies for his brigade, the command of his men in the field was com- mitted to Colonel Wade Hampton. While thus away from the immediate command of his corps, Sumter's con- tinued sufferings from his wound and general state of his health compelled him to rest for a while at a plantation near Charlotte. Colonel Henderson, who, it will be recol-
1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 208.
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lected, had greatly distinguished himself during the siege of Charlestown the year before, had, it happened, just been released from Haddrell's Point on the general exchange of prisoners, and reporting for duty, ranking Hampton, he was put in command of Sumter's brigade over that officer. General Greene, it is said, calculated at this time on a per- manent disciplined force under Sumter of four hundred or five hundred. Upon what basis or grounds this calcula- tion was made is not stated. It is not surprising that Colonel Henderson was disappointed when, upon assuming command, he found, as he states, but two hundred men fit for duty - how many present he considered unfit, or for what cause, is not stated. How Sumter, any more than Marion, neither of whom had any government behind them to bring out their men or to keep them in the field when there, was to be held personally responsible for having or not having any given number of either volunteers or State troops, it is difficult to conceive. But just as Greene had blamed Sumter on his return from North Carolina because he had not found the force which, upon his own misconcep- tion of Sumter's letter, he had expected, so now he turned his wrath on that unfortunate officer; and as before he had indulged his resentments, not directly to General Sumter himself, but in his communication to Colonel Lee and to others, so too, now, instead of addressing Sumter upon the subject, General Greene's feelings at the time, as his biographer expresses it, were vented to Colonel Hender-
son. Sumter's offence this time, according to Greene's biographers,1 was that when Henderson assumed command he received a communication from Sumter expressing his wish " that the troops should have a respite from service until the first of October, and as many of them furloughed
1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 210, 212 ; Great Commanders Series, General Greene (Greene), 215.
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home from time to time as the service would admit of, and that Colonel Henderson should apply to General Greene for that purpose, at the same time ordering that the horses of the brigade should be sent into the river swamps to pasture and committed to the care of detachments of militia." Henderson, who had been cooped up at Had- drell's Point for fourteen months, and was burning for an opportunity of distinguishing himself at the head of a band which had become famous while he was a prisoner, was naturally disappointed at the suggestion, and warmly and impatiently protested against it. " Have I come here," he wrote, "only to furlough a parcel of troops? and that too when the enemy is at our door, and their horses to be guarded by militia? . No readier way to dismount [dis- band ? ] them could be devised." 1
Whether wise or unwise in itself, it will be observed that Sumter's communication was but a suggestion to General Greene himself, for in it Sumter requests Hender- son to apply to the general for permission. The sending of the horses into the swamps for pasture was dependent upon Greene allowing the men to be furloughed. This he could at once refuse and end the matter ; or if he had any reflections to make, Sumter was himself within reach and, though sick and suffering, was at that time in constant communication with himself and Governor Rutledge. But instead of addressing Sumter, if he must write at all upon the subject, General Greene again, against all military pro- priety - to say nothing more - wrote to Sumter's subor- dinate, Henderson, on the 16th of August, criticising his commander in the severest terms.
" I received," he wrote, "your favor of the 14th inclosing General Sumter's order for the disbanding of his brigade - for I can consider it in no other light. What can be his reason for such an extraordi-
1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 211.
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nary measure I cannot imagine; nor can I conceive how he could think of taking such a step without consulting me or obtaining my consent for the purpose. If he supposes himself at liberty to employ those troops independently of the Continental army, it is time he should be convinced to the contrary. It is true I have granted every indulgence to those troops and given the General a latitude to act much at discretion. But this I did from a persuasion that his own ambition would prompt him to attempt everything that his force could effect; and it was never meant or intended to have any opera- tions when the General was not in the field. By a measure of this kind the country will be left open for the enemy to ravage, and the Continental army exposed to any attack which the enemy may think proper to attempt while those troops are at home on furlough. . Upon the whole, sir, I cannot persuade myself that General Sumter gave himself sufficient time to trace out the consequence he recommends, or rather orders, to take place. Be that as it may, I can by no means give my consent to it, and therefore you will not fur- lough a man or officer unless for some particular reason; and you will give positive orders to have the whole collected as fast as pos- sible and every man at home called to the field as soon as may be who are not employed as artificers, " etc.1
It will be observed that General Greene speaks of Sum- ter's having disbanded his brigade, adding, however, " for I can consider it in no other light," and upon this histo- rians have generally assumed that Sumter had actually done so. Let us see if this charge was just.
On the 27th of July Major Burnet, aide-de-camp to Gen- eral Greene, wrote to Sumter, by the general's direction, informing him that he had received intelligence which rendered it necessary for Sumter to take position at the Congaree, and to remove all grain from the south side of the river; that it was probable the enemy might make an attempt to reestablish a post at that place before he could remove the corn.2 Greene himself, it seems, wrote also to
1 Sumter MSS., supra.
2 Sumter's letters, Nightingale Collection, Year Book, City of Charles- ton, 1899, Appendix, 122.
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the same effect, for on the 30th of July Sumter replies, acknowledging the receipt of the two letters, and reporting his movements in obedience to them, and adding, “ Agree- able to your directions, have ordered the militia of my brigade to hold themselves in readiness to march at the shortest notice."1 Continuing, Sumter writes in further reply to Greene's letter : -
" With respect to drafting or engaging the militia to serve three or four months, notwithstanding the number required might be small, yet I doubt the measure would not take, as the law requires them to serve but two months, and short as the time is they seldom stay one- half of the time. My brigade turned out tolerable well upon the late occasion, but discovering the indolence of their neighbours and that the people of the adjacent states made them complain of injustice in point of service, and therefore uneasy to go home - in which by one means or another they are all gratified."
General Greene received this letter, and replies to it by letter of the 1st of August, in which, after discussing the enemy's movements, he writes : 2-
" Governor Rutledge is arrived and I hope will take measures for regulating the militia upon a proper footing & also for raising Con- tinental and State troops for a longer time than those engaged are serving with you. Something is necessary to be done to put a stop to the horrid practice of plundering."
Immediately after this correspondence, Sumter's con- tinued sufferings from his wound required his temporary retirement, whereupon he wrote the letter to Henderson which Greene so censured. There was surely nothing in his correspondence with Greene himself that could be con- strued into disbanding his command, nor was it so con- strued. He writes to Greene complaining that his militia would not stay over two months, which was the term
1 Sumter's letters, Nightingale Collection, Year Book, City of Charles- ton, 1889, Appendix, 51, 52.
2 Ibid., 122, 123.
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required by the Acts of Assembly. And, strange to say, Judge Johnson, who so willingly joins Greene in his con- demnation of Sumter for his supposed dismission of his men, thus tells of the retirement of Marion and his brigade at the same time. He says that immediately after the battle of Quinby Bridge, Marion retired to undergo one of those transformations to which he in common with other State commanders was constantly subjected, and he explains that by the State law the time of the militia service was but two months, and that, notwithstanding the prostration of civil government, that was still the law under which the men were called into the service, and that as often as the two months expired Marion had to retire until he could get a new set of men.1 But if Marion had to retire for this purpose, should Sumter be blamed for having to do likewise ?
At the battle of Quinby Bridge, it may be remembered, Sumter's and Marion's men together did not amount to more than 450. In his report Sumter states "that General Marion had but a few men with him, the remains breaking off, which has furnished a pretext with my brigade that they ought to go home also -some has taken this liberty - I had a desire of employing for a few days upon another tour before they was discharged." 2 Sumter had in the battle of Quinby Bridge six regiments and Marion four. Taylor's regiment, so-called, numbered but 45 ; taking this as somewhat of a test, we may not be far out of the way in assuming that Sumter had in that engage- ment 300, and Marion 150. But while he reported that many of Marion's men went off, and some of his also, yet he was able to report, on the 30th of July, that in complying
1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 177.
2 Sumter's letters, Nightingale Collection, Year Book, City of Charles- ton, Appendix, 49.
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with General Greene's order to take position at Friday's Ferry, that all his best mounted state troops, except those on detached duty, had passed the river to the number of 230. This included probably Henry Hampton's regiment, which had not been with Sumter at Quinby Bridge. Sumter, therefore, when he left the brigade to look after his supplies, and turned over the command to Wade Hampton, had left it as strong as it was at that battle. What happened to it in the two weeks while under Wade Hampton's command to reduce its number - if its number was reduced - we do not know, but surely it had not disbanded.
From his sick-bed he had written to Colonel Henderson suggesting that, now Greene's army was going into a camp of repose, it would be a favorable time to furlough some of his men from time to time ; and upon this General Greene, whose hostility to him was day by day more apparent, seizes to charge him with insubordination, and as one of his biographers informs us contemplated bringing him to immediate trial.1 But on reflection, we are told, he saw that that would introduce dissension in the State, when he needed every available assistance. It was indeed a wise second thought. Was Sumter to be arrested and tried because he was so sick and suffering from his wounds as to be unfit for duty ? Where were Marion's men at this time, when Sumter was to be arrested and tried for asking that his might be furloughed from time to time? They had scattered, and were recruiting for one of their most brilliant dashes, for which they were to receive the thanks of Congress !
A few lines of courteous reply to Colonel Henderson, firmly refusing the application made by him at General Sumter's suggestion, was all that was needed or properly justified. But unfortunately it was General Greene's
1 Great Commanders Series, General Greene (F. V. Greene).
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habit to discuss and criticise the conduct of officers to their subordinates in command. General Sumter seems to have heard indirectly something of this attack upon him, and to have written to Governor Rutledge, who was at Camden, upon the subject, for the Governor replies on the 4th of September: 1-
"I rec'd yours of the 1st instant last night after closing my letter of yesterday's date to which I refer as an answer to the several parts of your letter to which it applies. You have been misinformed with respect to any complaint against you having been made to me, unless it is the petition from Bratton's Regiment, and as to that, you see I have refer'd the matter to yourself, assuring the person [MS. illegible] who brought it that I had no doubt of their receiving justice from your hands. If any complaints had been made I certainly would have made it known to you and to no one else until I heard what you had to say about it. Candour, justice to your merits & services would require & my own disinclination to credit any matter to your preju- dice would lead me to take such a step & I should most certainly have suspended my judgment or even suspicion of improper conduct until I had heard from you on the matter."
Whether intentionally so or not, this letter of his Excel- lency the Governor was a severe commentary upon that of General Greene to Colonel Henderson. But was there anything so unreasonable in General Sumter's request at this time that his followers should have a respite from service and " as many of them furloughed from time to time as the service would admit of" ? It will be observed that Sumter did not ask, as Greene puts it, that all his brigade should be furloughed, but only as many as the service would allow. It was therefore in the end to rest with General Greene himself to say how many at a time, if any, could be spared.
But Sumter's conduct has been severely criticised for even asking for the relief of his men at a time when he
1 Sumter MSS.
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knew that General Greene was expecting active service, and to sustain the charge a letter from Greene to him of the 24th of July is quoted, in which Greene had written, "As soon as reinforcements arrive and the troops have had a little relaxation we will draw our forces to a point and attack the enemy wherever he may be found."1 But this, it will be observed, was written to Sumter just after his return from the expedition to the Low-Country, and it expressly deferred the proposed movement until the arrival of reinforcements which were then expected, but which never came ; and after, also, the troops had " had a little relaxation." But it is said that Greene had again written to Sumter on the 28th, "Care should be taken to refresh your cavalry as fast as possible, as we shall no doubt have severe duty in a few days." But Sumter's
suggestion for furloughing his men was made two weeks after this, when all the conditions had been changed, and the apprehended occasion of severe duty had passed, and when Greene himself had settled down on the High Hills of Santee in a "camp of repose" and rest for the remainder of the summer. For, strange to say, Judge Johnson, Greene's apologist, while discussing this matter and condemning Sumter for wishing at this time to rest and furlough his m to ed his the est me men, again and again speaks of Greene's camp on the High Hills of Santee as a "Camp of Repose," in which a few weeks' rest was necessary to relieve the American army after its exertion. Indeed, he heads his chapter of the time Camp of Repose on the High Hills of Santee.2 The camp occupied, he says, a healthy, pleasant, and abun- lant station, while the posts of the enemy were wasting vith disease. There was, he says, at this time no prospect foof the enemy's being reenforced, he had been driven from the country where he could recruit, had manifested no 1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 210. 2 Ibid., 179, 185, 189. · f e
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disposition for acting, and the swollen rivers from recent rains precluded all possibility of movements. £ Lord Rawdon had sailed for England on the 21st of August, and Colonel Stuart, upon whom the command of the British army in the field devolved upon his lordship's retirement, had moved up from Orangeburgh towards McCord's Ferry, but he had halted and gone into camp amidst the hills near the confluence of the Congaree and the Wateree. The two armies lay there, almost in sight of each other, but with two broad, deep rivers between them. The heat of the weather was excessive; both armies had suffered severely in the movements of June and July, but especially the newly arrived British regu- lars; and as in the latter part of August and beginning of September the climate of that part of the country is at its worst, as if by mutual consent, says Johnson, military operation was for a while suspended.1 At what better time, then, could Sumter ask for rest for his men and horses than while Greene's Continentals had gone into a camp of repose, and the enemy had settled down for the summer? Were the partisan bands and State troops to be awake while the Continentals slept ?
General Sumter's men consisted, it will be borne in mind, of two classes, (1) of those volunteers under Lacey, Winn, Bratton, Hill, Taylor, and formerly of Henry Hamp- ton, who had been with him from the first, coming and going as the necessities of the times and the maintenance of the lives of their families demanded -" the unpaid gentlemen of Carolina." These, besides their heroic services of the last year, had now been constantly in the field since the first of the present. They had been in the campaign with Sumter in January, February, and March, while Greene was in North Carolina, had come out again in April wher
1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 206.
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Greene returned to the State, and had since been continu- ally in the field. They were exhausted and needed rest, both men and horses. (2) To these were added the new regiments of Mydelton, Wade Hampton, and Henry Hamp- ton, and one now which Henderson himself was attempting to raise, enlisted under the scheme proposed by Sumter of payment in kind, to wit, negroes and supplies taken from the enemy. A more vicious scheme, as we have before observed, and the evils of which Sumter himself recognized, could scarcely have been devised, one which not even the high character of the field officers selected to organize the regiments could redeem. It incited plunder and aroused discontent when plunder was prohibited. All accounts agree as representing its practical working as most unfortu- nate. And among its worst features was that its practice extended not only to other troops, but to the lower classes of the people among whom the troops were quartered. Colonel Wade Hampton thus writes on the 27th of July, from Friday's Ferry : 1-
" The situation in which I found this neighborhood the day after I had the honor of seeing you is truly to be lamented. Almost every person who remained in this settlement after the army marched seems to have been combined in committing robberies, the most base and inhuman that ever disgraced mankind.
" Colonel Taylor who had arrived here a few days before me, had £24 apprehended a few of the most notorious of these offenders, whilst the most timid of those who remained were busily employed in col- lecting and carrying into North Carolina and Virginia the very considerable booty they had so unjustly acquired. The more daring, but equally guilty part of this banditti seemed to threaten immediate destruction (by murder, etc.) to those who might presume to call the i conduct of them or their accomplices into question. Matters becom- ing thus serious made it necessary that something decisive should take place immediately. b
" With a few of the State troops and more of the militia who had 1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 186.
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spirit or inclination to engage in it we have secured all of those wretches that can be found, but we find a number of them, on find- ing matters more likely to terminate against them, have taken their flight towards the northward," etc.
Colonel Henderson's career up to the capture in Charles- town had been with the Continentals or Regulars. He had entered the service as major of the Second Regiment of Riflemen under Sumter as lieutenant-colonel, which regi- ment after Sumter's resignation he had commanded, as the Sixth South Carolina Continental Regiment. Accus- tomed in this service to the strictest military discipline, he had no patience with the condition of the command over which he was now put, composed of a few purely volunteer soldiers, and the rest neither volunteers nor regulars. In this state of mind he thus reports to Gov- ernor Rutledge : 1-
"On my arrival to take command of them I found them the most discontented set of men I ever saw, both men and officers; a few individuals excepted who regardless of any pecuniary consideration are determined to serve their country. The thirst after plunder that seems to prevail among the soldiery makes the command almost intolerable. This circumstance is most disagreeable, as this infamous practice seems to be countenanced by too many officers. Until some very severe examples are made very little credit can be expected from them. The men are likely and brave, and want nothing but service and discipline to make them truly valuable; but this is impos- sible to bring about unless the necessary assistance is given by officers, most of them having no more idea of subordination than a set of raw militia."
But what else was to be expected of a body raised as this was? It must be borne in mind that there was no government in South Carolina at this time. Governor Rutledge was about to return to the State, but had not yet arrived. At the time Sumter fell upon this plan, which he
1 Johnson's Life of Greene, vol. II, 211.
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did with Greene's concurrence, the Governor himself was out of the State, nor was there any money, Continental or State, with which to pay the troops. It was a measure which Sumter himself characterized as " truly disagreeable, such as can only be justified by our circumstances and the necessity of the case." General Greene had been pressing for an organized body of troops to remain in the field for a given time. But he had no money with which to pay men for such service, nor supplies with which to support them. The truth is that the whole army, Continental and State troops, in South Carolina was living by plunder upon friends or foes under the name of impressment or spoils, the difference being that the State troops, being mounted and engaged upon raiding services, had better opportunities of appropriating the spoils to themselves. But whether wise or unwise, the contract with the State troops, as they were designated, was payment in kind from the spoils taken from the enemy, and " salvage," as it was called, from property of friends which could be rescued. They had been en- listed on these terms with the concurrence of General Greene. And it so happened that the negroes and stores which had been captured during the active operations of the last few months had been hurried to North Carolina for safety, and then distribution was to take place there. It can be readily imagined, therefore, the impatience of this class of troops, a considerable number of whom were from North Carolina, to obtain furloughs to secure respec- tive shares of their compensation, and the restive and mutinous condition of those who were not permitted to go. What more opportune time could have been selected for the relief of the one class, the volunteer partisan followers of Sumter, or more necessary for the fulfilment of the terms of enlistment of the other, it is difficult to conceive. If Sumter had been fully aware of what was going on at
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