1781 to be the only probable caufe why they did not obtain a complete victory. April 28. - On the 28th gen. Greene thus expreffed himself in a letter to the chevalier de la Luzerne-" This diftreffed country I am fure cannot ftruggle much longer, without more effectual fupport. They may struggle a little while longer, but they muft fall; and I fear their fall will lay a train to fap the independence of the rest of America. I have, agreeable to your excellency's advice, impreffed the states all in my power with a sense of their danger, but they have not the means to make the neceffary exertions. We fight, get beaten, rife and fight again. The whole country is one continued fcene of blood and flaughter." On the 1ft of May he wrote to the marquis de la Fayette" You may depend upon it, that nothing can equal the fufferings of our little army, but their merit. Let not the love of fame get the better of your prudence; and plunge you into a misfortune in too eager a purfuit after glory. This is the voice of a friend, and not the caution of a general." Capt. Smith of the Americans was deprived of the common indulgence allowed to prifoners, on a charge brought against him by deferters from Greene's army, of murdering an officer and three privates belonging to the guards after the action of Guildford. Greene complained of it to lord Rawdon in a letter of May the 3d, and faid "Nothing can be more foreign to the truth than the charge. I have only to obferve upon it, that had fuch a charge been made against any of your officers, whom the fortune of war had thrown into our hands, before I should have treated them with any peculiar marks of indignity, I'fhould firft have made the inquiry, and had had the fact better established.—It is my wish that the 1781. war fhould be conducted upon the most liberal, national and generous principles; but I will never fuffer an indignity or injury to be offered to our officers without retaliation." 3. Soon after the action with his lordship, Greene knowing that the British garrifon in Camden could not fubfift long without fresh fupplies from Charlestown or the country, detached a reinforcement to Marion on the road to Nelson's ferry; and on the 3d of May croffed the May Wateree, and took occafionally fuch pofitions as would most effectually prevent fuccours from going into the town from that quarter. On the 4th he wrote to governor Reed of Pennsylvania-" Those whose true interest it was to have informed congrefs and the people to the northward with the real ftate of things, have joined in the deception, and magnified the ftrength and refources. of this country infinitely above their ability. Many of thofe who adhere to our party, are fo fond of pleasure, that they cannot think of making the neceffary facrifices to support the revolution. There are many good and virtuous people to the fouthward; but they cannot animate the inhabitants in general, as you can to the northward. When ruin appears to approach any state, they are alarmed and begin to think of exerting themselves; but its approach no fooner receives a check, than they fink back into a careless inattention.-Virginia has exerted herself in giving a temporary fupport to the army s but her pleasure and her policy prevent her giving us fuch permanent aid, as her ftrength and refources are capable of affording. Maryland has done nothing, nor can I hear of any exertions there equal to the emergency 1781. of war.-Delaware has not anfwered my letters.-Thefe states have few men here, and those they have are daily discharged.-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 difcharge of their duty. Generals Marion and Sumpter have a few people who adhere to them, perhaps more from a desire 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 fupport could be afforded. But our number is reduced to a mere fhadow.-The war to the northward is nothing. It is a plain business. Here the war rages like a fire; and the enterprise 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 Watson. 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 10th 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. 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 hastened, as Greene apprehended, from an alarm that a measure of his had given them. While in the neigh→ bourhood of Camden, he hanged in one day eight fol diers, 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 garrifon, 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 faving his men, though he loft the post, the country, and the confidence of the tories. He of fered every affistance in his power to the friends of Britifh government who would accompany him, which was the choice of several 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 garrison of Orangeburgh, consisting 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 1781.ling houfe, which occafioned her moving to a neigh bouring hut. She was informed that firing the house was the easiest mode of reducing the garrison: upon that she presented the befiegers with a quiver of African arrows, to be employed in the fervice. Skewers armed with combustible materials were also used, and with more effect. Succefs foon crowned these 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 house compelled the garrifon of 165 men, to furrender at difcre12. tion on the 12th, after a brave defence. Two days after, the British evacuated their post at Nelson'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 May 15. 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 disgufted, that the garrison 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 |