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1781. of war.Delaware has not anfwered my letters.-Thefe states have few men here, and those they have are daily difcharged. North Carolina has got next to no regulars in the field, and few militia, and these the worst in the world, for they have neither pride nor principle to bind them to any party, or to a discharge of their duty. -Generals Marion and Sumpter have a few people who adhere to them, perhaps more from a defire and the opportunity of plundering, than from any inclination to promote the independence of the United States.-I have been playing the most hazardous game to keep up appearances in this quarter, until more effectual support could be afforded. But our number is reduced to a mere fhadow.-The war to the northward is nothing. It is a plain bufinefs. Here the war rages like a fire; and the enterprife and activity of the enemy almost exceed belief. I have run every risk and hazard, and find the difficulties thicken upon me daily; and you know I am not of a defponding fpirit or idle temper.-If our good friends the French cannot lend a helping hand to fave these finking ftates, they muft and will fall. Here we are contending with more than five times our number, and among a people much more in the enemy's intereft than ours." Greene complains in this letter of the Marylanders; but they had raised 500 regulars, who might have joined him in April, if proper pains had been taken by the executive

power.

On the 7th of May lord Rawdon received a confiderable reinforcement by the arrival of the detachment under Watfon. With this increase of strength he attempted the next day to compel gen. Greene to another action, which he found to be impracticable. Failing in

his design he returned to Camden; and on the roth 1781. May burned the jail, mills, many private houses, and a great 10, deal of his own baggage. He then evacuated the post, and retired with his whole army to the fouth of the Santee, leaving about 30 of his own fick and wounded, and as many of the Americans. Greene's return to the fouthward being unexpected, the ftores of the garrifon were not provided for a fiege; but the evacuation was haftened, as Greene apprehended, from an alarm that a measure of his had given them. While in the neighbourhood of Camden, he hanged in one day eight foldiers, who had deferted from his army, and were afterward taken prisoners. This execution, according to the information given him, almost bred a mutiny in the garrison, which was compofed very much of deferters. It had a strong effect on his own troops, from whom there was no defertion for three months. Rawdon had the honor of saving his men, though he loft the post, the country, and the confidence of the tories. He offered every affiftance in his power to the friends of British government who would accompany him, which was the choice of feveral families.

The evacuation of Camden animated the friends of congrefs, and daily increased their numbers; while the British posts fell in quick fucceffion. The day after the evacuation, the garrifon of Orangeburgh, confifting of 70 British militia and 12 regulars, furrendered to Sumpter. Marion and Lee, after the capture of fort Watson, croffed the Santee and moved up to fort Motte, which lies above the Fork on the fouth fide of the Congaree, where they arrived on the 8th of May. The British had built their works round Mrs. Motte's dwel

May

12.

15.

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1781.ling houfe, which occafioned her moving to a neighbouring hut. She was informed that firing the house was the eafieft mode of reducing the garrifon: upon that the prefented the befiegers with a quiver of African arrows, to be employed in the fervice. Skewers armed with combuftible materials were alfo ufed, and with more effect. Succefs foon crowned thefe experiments, and her joy was inexpreffible upon finding that the reduction of the poft had been expedited, though at the expence of her property. The firing of her houfe compelled the garrifon of 165 men, to furrender at difcretion on the 12th, after a brave defence. Two days after, the British evacuated their poft at Nelfon's ferry. On the 15th, fort Granby, about 30 miles to the westward of fort Motte, was reduced. The preceding night Lee erected a battery, within 600 yards of its out-works, on which he mounted a fix pounder haftily brought from fort Motte. After the third discharge from this field piece, major Maxwell capitulated. His force confifted of 352 men, a great part royal militia. Very advantageous terms were given them, in confequence of information that lord Rawdon was marching to their relief. They had the offer of fecurity to their baggage, in which was included an immenfe quantity of plunder, This haftened the furrender. The American militia were much difgufted, that the garrifon was fo favored. They indicated an inclination for breaking the capitulation, and killing the prifoners. When Greene heard of it, he folemnly declared that he would put to death any one that should be guilty of fo doing.

The day after the furrender of fort Granby, Lee began his march to join Pickens, who with a body of

militia

militia was in the neighbourhood of Augusta; and in 1781. four days completed it. On the 21ft, the British post 21. at Silver Bluff, called fort Dreadnought, with fix commiffioned officers and 70 staff, non-commiffioned and privates, befide a field piece and a large quantity of ftores, furrendered to a detachment of the legion under capt. Rudolph. Pickens and Lee had for their object the reduction of fort Cornwallis at Augufta, where col, Brown commanded. The approaches were conducted with judgment and rapidity; but no advantage could be gained over the brave and vigilant Brown. In the several batteries were erected which

course of the fiege,

The

The

overlooked the fort. From these the American riflemen fhot into the infide of the works with fuccefs. garrifon buried themfelves in a great measure under ground; and obftinately refused to furrender, till every man who attempted to fire upon the befiegers was inftantly shot down. On the 5th of June, the fort with about 300 men furrendered by capitulation. Americans had about 40 killed and wounded during the fiege. Lieut. col. Grierfon, who was greatly obnoxious to them, was after the furrender put to death by fome unfeen markfman. A reward of a hundred guineas was offered for the perpetrator of this perfidious deed, who notwithstanding remained undiscovered. Brown would probably have fhared a fimilar fate, had not his conquerors furnished him with an escort to the royal garrifon in Savannah; for on his way he had to pass through the inhabitants whofe houses he had burned, whofe relations he had hanged, and some of whofe fellow citizens he had delivered to the Indians, from whofe hands

they

178.they fuffered all the tortures, which favagenefs has contrived to give poignancy to the pains of death.

General Greene, the mean while, had proceeded with the main army to Ninety Six, which was of more confequence than the other posts, and was defended by a confiderable force under the command of lieut. col. CruMay Greene arrived before the town on the 22d of 22. ger. May, and two days after opened his firft batteries. The approaches were carried on with unremitting affiduity, day and night. Greene's regular force was fomewhat fuperior to that of the garrifon *. The militia in that district abated their habitual ardor for deftroying each other, and waited the event of the fiege. The Americans not finding the aid they expected from them; bút on the contrary being obliged to fend large convoys with the waggons, that went only a few miles from camp for provifions or forage, the business became extremely irkfome, and the event dubious: however the fiege was profecuted with indefatigable industry. The garrison defended themselves with spirit and address; and frequent rencounters happened with various fuccefs. Rifle

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* Mr. McKenzie in his ftrictures on Tarleton's history says, the American army amounted to upward of four thousand men-p. 146. The American deputy adjutant general, col. O. Williams, ftated them thus in his return, present fit for duty, rank and file, Maryland brigade 427, Virginia ditto 431, North Carolina battalion 66, Delaware ditto 60, in all 984; and made no mention of militia. Mr. McKenzie ftates the garrifon at about 150 men of Delancey's battalion, 200 Jersey volunteers, and about 200 loyal militia, in all if 55°, full, and no more than about the number specified. But if a mistake in the account of the garrison, any wife fimilar to that of the American army, has been committed, the difproportion between both must be much greater, than that of 550 and 984.

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