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192

EXPEDITIONS PLANNED.

zens kept their parole, neither their persons nor property would in any way be molested; and General Lincoln was permitted to send a ship to Philadelphia with his dispatches. Thus, after a siege of more than a month, Charleston was in the hands of the British. It is estimated that more than 5,000 men under arms were captured, including seven general officers, ten continental regiments and three battalions of artillery* In addition, 400 pieces of artillery of every description fell into the hands of the British,† together with large quantities of powder, cannon balls, etc., and a number of American frigates and two French

vessels.

re

Clinton now proceeded to institute such civil and military measures as he considered necessary to establish order. Shortly after these measures had been adopted, he prepared to place the rest of the province under British authority. He accordingly planned three expeditions, one of which was to march toward the Savannah River, Georgia, another was to march against Ninety-six beyond the Saluda, and the third was to scour the country between the Cooper and Santee rivers. The first two were sent out with the principal ob

Tarleton in his Campaigns, p. 43 says 6,000. See also the various estimates in McCrady, South Carolina in the Revolution, pp. 507-510; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 559-561.

Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, p. 497.
Moultrie's Memoirs, vol. ii., pp. 106-107.

ject of raising the Loyalists, while the last was to disperse a body of Americans under Colonel Abraham Buford, then marching as rapidily as possible toward North Carolina. All three expeditions were completely successful. The inhabitants flocked from all quarters to resume their allegiance to British authority and to offer their services in the British cause. Even a number of the citizens of Charleston, deceived by the proclamations of the British general, expressed a desire to join the British troops. Lord Cornwallis, after having swept the two banks of the Cooper and passed the Santee, secured possession of Georgetown. Tarleton offered to take command of the expedition to capture Colonel Buford. The latter had continued his rapid retreat and it seemed almost impossible that he could be overtaken, but having under his command a corps of cavalry with about 100 light infantry mounted on horses, Tarleton made such rapid progress that he arrived at Camden on May 28, but a day behind Buford. At Camden Tarleton learned that Buford had departed only the preceding day and that he was making an especial effort to join another body of troops on the march from North Carolina. Realizing his inability to cope with the combined forces, Tarleton determined to strike Buford before the conjunction of the two. Notwithstanding the fatigue of men and horses and in spite of the extreme heat, he redoubled his pace, and after

BUFORD DEFEATED AT WAXHAWS; CLINTON'S PROCLAMATION.

a march of 105 miles in 54 hours came up with Buford at Waxhaws.* There Tarleton demanded that Buford surrender, but the latter answered that he was prepared to defend himself to the last extremity.+ Buford thereupon drew up his forces in battle array, his troops consisting of 400 Virginia regulars with a small detachment of horse. While his troops were placed in a single line, the artillery and baggage were ordered to proceed to the rear without halting and with all possible despatch. The troops were directed to withhold their fire until the British cavalry had approached within twenty yards. Tarleton immediately charged and after a slight resistance the Americans gave way. The British began a vigorous pursuit and the carnage was dreadful, many of those who threw down their arms and offered to surrender being murdered without mercy. Thus "Tarleton's quarter became synonymous among American forces with barbarous warfare. Tarleton reported the American loss as 113 killed, 150 wounded and 53 prisoners, and the British loss was 5 killed and 15 wounded. The

*Tarleton's Campaigns, p. 32.

See James, Life of Marion, pp. 39, 183.
Tarleton's Campaigns, pp. 29-30.

the

|| Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, pp. 497-498; McCrady, South Carolina in the Revolution, pp. 515-523; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., p. 458. Lee (Memoirs of the War, p. 165) says that most of the American wounded died. See also Gordon, American Revolution, vol. iii., p. 360 (ed. 1788); Stedman, American War, vol. ii., p. 193.

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British captured all the stores and artillery, and shortly afterward returned to Camden where Cornwallis highly praised Tarleton for his work.*

Meanwhile the inhabitants had expressed much devotion, either feigned or real, to the royal cause, and not content with themselves joining the victorious British army, many of the inhabitants dragged in a number of American prisoners. Clinton therefore supposed the whole country to be in a state of submission and instituted measures for setting up a complete civil administration for the State. On June 3 he issued a proclamation stating that all the inhabitants must take an active part in making secure the royal government and in delivering the country from the anarchy which had so long prevailed. He also discharged from their parole the militia who had been taken prisoners, with the exception of those who had been taken at Charleston and Fort Moultrie, restoring to those who were liberated all their rights and duties as citizens. He then declared that all who refused to return to their allegiance should be treated as enemies and rebels.† This proclamation was both unjust and impolitic, as it proceeded on the supposition that the people were subdued rebels, restored by an act of clemency to the privileges and duties of

Ramsay, The Revolution, vol. ii.,
P. 111.
Ramsay, The Revolution, vol. ii., p. 441; Mc-
Crady, South Carolina in the Revolution,
P. 553
et seq.; Tarleton, Campaigns, p. 73.

194

CLINTON DEPARTS; CORNWALLIS IN COMMAND.

citizens, while on the other hand, it ignored the fact that for several years past independent authority had been established, and that the determination as to whether they were traitors or rebels depended upon the final issue of the war and not on the issue of a single battle. Many of the colonists had submitted in the hope that they would be released under the protection of the British government and would be allowed to attend to their private affairs in a state of tranquillity. The proclamation, however, dissipated this delusion, for neutrality and peace were denied them; it being required, if they did not place themselves under standards of their country, that they should serve as British subjects in the royal militia. As a result, much resentment was aroused against the British, and those whose affections. the British desired to gain were instead alienated and practically driven into the patriot ranks. They preferred to take the chance of gaining liberty rather than to submit to the British and then to violate the allegiance and parole which Clinton. had imposed upon them.

the

he had learned that the French were about to to send reinforcements to America, he deemed it wise to take the larger part of the army back with him to New York. For more than a month after his departure an unusual state of peace and quiet prevailed. Thinking that both South Carolina and Georgia were now completely reannexed to the British empire, Cornwallis determined to carry the war into North Carolina and to go through the same process in that State. He was delayed in carrying his purpose into immediate execution because of the great heat, the impossibility of subsisting his army in the field before the crops had been harvested, the want of magazines, etc. Nevertheless, he did not waste his time in idleness but distributed his troops throughout South Carolina and Georgia in such a manner as to favor the enlistment of all young men who could be prevailed upon to join the British army. He ordered companies of royal militia to be formed and maintained, and opened correspondence with such of the inhabitants of North Carolina as friendly to the British cause. He informed them of the reasons for his

were

Supposing that he had now established perfect order in the South, delay in dispatching an expedition

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into their State and advised them to await the arrival of the British army before attempting an uprising against the Continental forces. Despite his admonitions the militia of North Carolina were too eager to show their zeal for the British cause

1

TURBULENT CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTH.

and several premature insurrections broke out which the State authorities vigorously suppressed. One party of Loyalists, however, numbering about 800 men, under command of Colonel Bryan, succeeded in marching down the Yadkin to the British post at Cheraws and subsequently reached Camden.

While Cornwallis was thus following out the plan of campaign as laid down by his superiors, the Americans were not idle. Governor Rutledge had continued actively at work, he alone keeping alive in his person a spark of the revolutionary power. * A large body of North Carolina militia was ordered to take the field and a detachment from the main army was directed by Congress to march to the South. Such was the effect of the American efforts that many of those who had previously adopted an apathetic attitude now determined to use their utmost endeavors to repel the invaders. A strong spirit of revenge was aroused by the haughty attitude and insolent tyranny of the British officers and Tory militia. The following picture of the internal condition of affairs at this date is drawn up by a well-known historian:

"With dispositions as fell and vindictive as all the sanguinary passions could render them, neighbor was reciprocally arrayed against neighbor, brother against brother, and even father against son. Neither in the darkness of the night, the enclosures of dwelling-houses, the depths of forests, nor the entanglements of the swamps and morasses of the country, was security to be

* McCrady, pp. 533–535.

195

found. Places of secrecy and retreat, being known alike to both parties, afforded no asylum; but were oftentimes marked with the most shocking barbarities. The murderer in his ambush, and the warriors in their ambuscade, being thus in the daily perpetration of deeds of violence and blood, travelling became almost as dangerous as battle. Strangers, of whom nothing was known, and who appeared to be quietly pursuing their journey, were oftentimes shot down, or otherwise assassinated, in the public road. Whole districts of country resembled our frontier settlements during the prevalence of an Indian war. Even when engaged in their common concerns, the inhabitants wore arms, prepared alike for attack or defence. But this was not all. The period was marked with another source of slaughter, which added not a little to its fatal character. Participating in the murderous spirit of the times, slaves, that were in many places numerous and powerful, rose against their masters, armed with whatever weapon of destruction accident or secret preparation might supply. In these scenes of horror, the knife, the hatchet, and the poisoned cup were indiscriminately employed. Some whole families were strangled by their slaves, while, by the same hands, others were consumed amid the blaze of their dwellings in the dead of the night. These dispositions in the population generally, inflamed by the ardor, and urged by force, of southern passions, were sublimed to a pitch, to which the more temperate people of the north were strangers."

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In consequence of the turbulent conditions, partisan warfare came much into vogue. Among the first of many such partisan leaders to take the field was Colonel Thomas Sumter. Collecting a force that soon amounted to 600 men, Sumter, on July 12, 1780, routed a detachment of the royal army at Williamson's Plantation.† In the beginning these bodies of troops were very poorly equipped

* Caldwell, Life and Campaigns of General Greene, pp. 102-103.

McCrady, South Carolina in the Revolution, pp. 592-600; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolu tion, vol. ii., p. 453.

196

OPERATIONS OF SUMTER, MARION AND DE KALB.

and at times were compelled to use agricultural implements for weapons of war. Their resources were meagre and they trusted to chance for their means of subsistence. In some instances they have been known to charge an opposing force with about three rounds of ammunition apiece, but their success in their skirmishes with the British soon provided them with muskets and cartridges and eventually they became fairly well equipped. Sumter now determined to advance against some of the stronger British outposts, making his first attempt at Rocky Mount, where, however, he was obliged to retreat.* He then attacked the British post at Hanging Rock and annihilated a British regiment stationed there.† It was at this time that Andrew Jackson, then an orphan boy of 13, made his first appearance in history. ‡

Another of these partisan warriors was Francis Marion, whose activity and ability in carrying on these campaigns was of great service in the American cause. Both Marion (the

Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 453-454.

† Bancroft, vol. v., p. 383; Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, pp. 508-509; McCrady, South Carolina in the Revolution, pp. 621-631; Lossing, pp. 456-457.

Fiske, American Revolution, vol. ii., p. 185. It is of Marion that the interesting story is told, of his being visited by a young English officer on official business, and his impressing upon the mind of the Englishman by what he saw, that men who could eat sweet potatoes and drink water, for the cause of liberty, were not to be conquered. Simms, Life of General Marion, pp. 176-180; Horry and Weems, Life of Marion, pp. 183-187.

Swamp Fox) and Sumter (the Gamecock) were perfectly familiar with every part of the neighborhood and were able to dart in upon the British detachments and elude all pursuit by fleeing to the forests where they remained until ready to make another fell sweep upon some isolated post.* This method of fighting not only greatly weakened the British forces and disconcerted the plans of the British generals, but also emboldened the Americans and strengthened their belief in themselves and in the ultimate outcome of the contest. Beside Marion and Sumter, Baron De Kalb had been sent from Maryland to Carolina with a few regular troops, but because of the extreme heat and the difficulty of securing supplies progress toward the South had been slow. On the way toward Carolina De Kalb was reinforced by a body of Virginia militia and the troops of North Carolina under General Richard Caswell. The three forces of Americans therefore kept Cornwallis extremely busy, and he soon found that he could not rest on past laurels but must set seriously to the work of attempting to subdue the country.

Meanwhile General Gates had assumed command of the southern army. Washington had desired that

* For an account of these partisan leaders see McCrady, South Carolina in the Revolution, chap. xxvi.

Kapp, Life of Kalb, pp. 196-202; McCrady, South American in the Revolution, pp. 656-657; Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol. ii., p. 295.

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