BATTLE OF GUILDFORD.

245

rash folly of a colonel, who, on the advance of the enemy, called out to an officer, at some distance, that 'he would be surrounded.' This alarm caused the North Carolina militia to fly. The Virginia militia, and the continental troops, maintained the conflict spiritedly for an hour and a half; but the discipline of the veteran British troops at length prevailed, and the Americans were obliged to retire; but only to the distance of three miles.

All the advantages of victory were on the side of the Americans, for although Lord Cornwallis kept the field, he had suffered such loss in the action, that he was unable to act on the offensive directly after, and was soon compelled to march towards Wilmington, leaving his sick and wounded behind him. On this retreat he was pursued by General Greene as far as Deep River.

At Wilmington, Lord Cornwallis made a halt for three days, for the purpose of giving his troops some rest; and at the end of that time, resolving to carry the war into Virginia, he marched to Petersburg, an inland town of that state, situated on James river. Hither it was expected that he would have been followed by the Americans; but Greene, being aware that his lordship had by this movement approached nearer to the American main army, and confident that his movements would be closely watched by the Virginia militia, after mature consideration, adopted the bold measure of again penetrating into South Carolina.

That state was in the military occupation of the British, who were, indeed, harassed by the partisan troops of Marion and Sumter, but were in such apparent strength, that there was reason to fear that the republicans, if not aided by further support, would abandon the cause of their country in despair. The British had formed chains of posts, which, extending from the sea to the western extremity of the state, maintained a mutual communication by strong patrols of bodies of horse.

The first of these lines of defence was established on the Wateree, on the banks of which river the British occupied the well-fortified town of Camden, and Fort Watson, situated between that place and Charleston. The attack on the fort, Greene intrusted to Marion, who soon compelled its garrison to surrender on capitulation.

In encountering Lord Rawdon, near Camden, Greene was not so fortunate. In consequence of the unsteadiness of a few of his troops, he was defeated, but moved off the ground in

246

SIEGE OF NINETY-SIX.

such good order, that he saved his artillery, and though wounded, he took up a position, at the distance of about five miles from Camden, from which he sent out parties to intercept the supplies, of which he was apprised that his antagonist was in the utmost need.

In consequence of the vigilance of Greene in cutting off his resources, and of the loss of Fort Watson, which had been the link of his communication with Charleston, Lord Rawdon, after having in vain endeavoured to bring on a second general engagement with the Americans, was reduced to the necessity of destroying a part of his baggage, and retreating to the south side of the river Santee. This retrograde movement encouraged the friends of congress to resume their arms, and hasten to reinforce the corps of Marion, who speedily made himself master of the British posts on the Congaree, the garrisons of which were in general made prisoners, whilst those who escaped that fate by a timely evacuation of their positions, made good their retreat to Charleston.

Savannah river now presented the last line of defence held by the British, who there possessed the town of Augusta, and the post of Ninety-Six. The former of those places was attacked by Colonel Lee, and after a very obstinate defence on the part of the commander, Colonel Brown, it surrendered on honourable terms.

The important post of Ninety-Six, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cruger, was strongly fortified, and defended by 500 men. On reconnoitering the place, General Greene, whose army was not much more numerous than the garrison, determined to besiege it in form. He accordingly broke ground on the 25th of May, and pushed his works with such vigour, that he had approached within six yards of the ditch, and had erected a mound 30 feet high, from which his riflemen poured their shot with fatal aim upon the opposite parapet of the enemy, who were hourly expected to beat a parley.

But this bright prospect of success was at once overclouded by the arrival of intelligence, that Lord Rawdon, having received reinforcements from Ireland, was hastening to the relief of his countrymen, at the head of 2,000 men. In this extremity Greene made a desperate effort to carry the place by assault, but was repulsed, and evacuating the works which he had constructed with so much labour, he retreated to the northward, across the Saluda, whence he was followed by Lord Rawdon beyond the Ennoree.

BATTLE OF EUTAW SPRINGS.

247

The feelings of the American commander on seeing the fruit of his toils thus suddenly and unexpectedly torn from his grasp, must have been of a most agonising nature. But Greene was gifted with an elasticity of spirit which prevented him from yielding to the pressure of misfortune, and his opponents seldom found him more dangerous than immediately after suffering a defeat. On the present occasion, when some of his counsellors advised him to retreat to Virginia, he firmly -replied, 'I will recover South Carolina, or die in the attempt.'

On maturely deliberating on the object of the campaign, and the relative situation of himself and the enemy, he was well aware that though Lord Rawdon was superior to him in the number as well as the discipline of his troops, yet if his lordship kept his army concentrated, he could afford no encouragement, or even protection, to the royalists, and that if it were divided, it might be beaten in detail. As he expected, the British commander, finding he could not bring him to an engagement, took the latter course, and withdrawing a detachment from Ninety-Six, re-established himself on the line of the Congaree.

Within two days, however, after his arrival at the banks of that river, he was astonished to find his indefatigable enemy in his front, with numbers so recruited, that he thought it prudent to decline the battle which was offered him, and retreated to Orangeburgh, where he was joined by Lieutenant-Colonel Cruger, who, in the present circumstances, had thought it prudent to evacuate his post at Ninety-Six. On the junction of the forces of these two commanders, Greene retired to the heights above Santee, whence he sent his active coadjutors, Marion and Sumter, with strong scouting parties, to intercept the communication between Orangeburgh and Charleston.

As a last effort to maintain their influence in the centre of the state, the British took post in force, near the confluence of the Wateree and Congaree; but on the approach of Greene, they retreated for the space of 40 miles, and waited his threatened attack at the Eutaw springs. Greene advanced with 2,000 men to attack them. The action was severe, and the Americans, both continental troops and militia, displayed the greatest intrepidity. The British were finally compelled to give way, and fled on all sides. Their loss, inclusive of prisoners, was 1,100 men; that of the Americans was above 500, of which number 60 were officers. After this signal defeat, the British were glad to abandon the interior of

248

AFFAIR OF COLONEL HAYNE.

South Carolina to the victorious patriots, and take shelter in Charleston.

Of all the incidents of the American revolutionary war, the most brilliant is this campaign of General Greene. At the head of a beaten army, undisciplined and badly equipped, he entered the state of South Carolina, which was occupied, from its eastern to its western extremity, by an enemy much superior to him in numbers, in appointments, and in military experience. But by his genius, his courage, and his perseverance, he broke their lines of operation, drove them from post to post, and though defeated in the field, he did not cease to harass them in detail, till he had driven them within the fortifications of the capital.

Well did he merit the gold medal and the British standard bestowed on him by a vote of congress on this occasion. By his successes he revived the drooping spirits of the friends of independence in the southern states, and prepared the way for the final victories which awaited the arms of his country in Virginia, and which led to the happy termination of the

war.

Whilst the American commander was enjoying the honours bestowed on him by his grateful countrymen, as the just meed of his valour and skill in arms, Lord Rawdon, soon after his return to Charleston, by an example of severity, brought odium on the British cause, and fired the breasts of the continentals with indignation. Amongst the American officers who distinguished themselves in the defence of South Corolina was Colonel Hayne, a gentleman of fortune, and of considerable influence in his neighbourhood. After the capitulation of Charleston, Hayne voluntarily surrendered himself to the British authorities, requesting to be allowed his personal liberty on parole. This indulgence, usually granted to officers of rank, he could not obtain; and was told that he must either take the oath of allegiance to his Britannic majesty, or submit to close confinement.

In an evil hour, induced by family considerations, he chose the former alternative, and signed a declaration of fealty to George III. protesting, however, against the clause which required him to support the royal government with arms; which clause the officer who received his submission, assured him it was not intended to enforce. The officer in question, no doubt, in this assurance exceeded his authority, and Hayne was some time after summoned to join the royal standard.

CORNWALLIS IN VIRGINIA.

249

Regarding this as a breach of the contract into which he had entered with the British, he again took up arms on the side of independence, and having been taken prisoner in a skirmish with part of the royal forces, he was, without the formality of a trial, ordered for execution by Lord Rawdon. To the petition of this unfortunate officer's family, as well as those of the inhabitants of Charleston, his lordship turned a deaf ear, and Hayne suffered as a rebel and a traitor. The death of this gallant soldier has left an eternal stigma on the character of Lord Rawdon. It was a measure dictated by savage cruelty and revenge, and founded on no principle either of justice or policy.

It has already been related, that after the battle of Guildford Lord Cornwallis marched to Petersburg in Virginia. His lordship did not take this step without hesitation. He well knew the enterprising character of his opponent, and was aware of the probability of his making an incursion into South Carolina. He flattered himself, however, that the forces which he had left in that state, under the command of Lord Rawdon, would suffice to keep the Americans in check. In this idea he was confirmed by the result of the battle of Camden, and by the receipt of intelligence that three British regiments, which had sailed from Cork, might be expected speedily to arrive at Charleston.

No longer anxious, therefore, for the fate of South Carolina, he determined to march forwards, in the confident hope of increasing his military renown by the conquest of Virginia. He accordingly advanced with rapidity from Petersburg to Manchester, on James River, with a view of crossing over from that place to Richmond, for the purpose of seizing a large quantity of stores and provisions, which had been deposited there by the Americans. But on his arrival at Manchester, he had the mortification to find that, on the day before, this depot had been removed by the Marquis de la Fayette, who, at the command of congress, had hastened from the head of Elk to oppose him.

Having crossed James River at Westown, his lordship marched through Hanover county to the South Anna River, followed at a guarded distance by the marquis, who, in this critical contingency, finding his forces inferior to those of the enemy, wisely restrained the vivacity which is the usual characteristic of his age and country. But having effected a junction with General Wayne, which brought his numbers