Greene's Retreat.—Washington's Charge upon the Pursuers.—Marion and Lee against Watson
cans took place. Greene, with his usual skill and energy, conducted the retreat in such order that few men were lost after this first action. Washington had been eminently successful; and at the moment when the retreat began, he had two hundred prisoners. He hastily paroled the officers, and then, wheeling, made a secure retreat, with the loss of three men, and took with him fifty of his prisoners. The action continued at intervals until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when the Americans had retreated four or five miles, closely pursued by parties of the enemy. Washington, with cavalry and infantry, then turned upon the pursuers, and charging the mounted New York Volunteers with great intrepidity, killed nine and dispersed the rest. This terminated the battle. The British returned to their works at Camden, and Greene, with his little army, encamped for the night on the north side of Sander's Creek. The dead, alone, occupied the battle-field. So well was the retreat conducted, that most of the American wounded (including six commissioned officers), and all of their artillery and baggage, with Washington's fifty prisoners, were carried off. The loss of the Americans in killed, wounded, and missing, according to Greene's return to the Board of War, was two hundred and sixty-six; that of the enemy, according to Rawdon's statement, two hundred and fifty-eight. The killed were not very numerous. Greene estimates his number at eighteen; among whom was Ford and Beatty, of the Maryland line. * Rawdon's loss in killed was thirty-eight, including one officer. **
This defeat was very unexpected to General Greene, and for a moment disconcerted him, for, with the exception of the success of Marion and Lee, in capturing Fort Watson, he did not know how the Southern partisans were proceeding. *** The Maryland troops, so gallant and firm on all former occasions, had now failed; his provisions were short; Sumter, the speedy partisan, had not joined him; and supplies came in tardily and meager. Yet Greene was not the man to be crushed by adversity. On the contrary, he seemed to rise with renewed strength, after every fall. Accordingly, on the morning succeeding the battle,
April 26, 1781 he retired as far as Rugeley's, and after detaching a small force with a six pounder under Captain Finley, to Nelson's Ferry, to join Marion and Lee, and prevent Watson from re-enforcing Rawdon, he crossed the Wateree, and took a strong position, where he could not only cut off supplies for the garrison at Camden from that quarter, but prevent the approach of Watson in that direction. In the mean while, Marion and Lee were closely watching Colonel Watson. That officer had now approached near to the confluence of the Congaree and Wateree, in Orangeburg District; where he would cross it was difficult to tell; and the vigilant partisans, fearing he might elude them if they took post on the north side of the Congaree, crossed over, and endeavored to overtake him. But Watson, who was "equally vigilant and active, crossed the Congaree,May 6, 1781 near its junction with the Wateree, and on the seventh of May passed the latter stream and joined Rawdon at Camden.
Greene was early apprised of this junction, and, persuaded that Rawdon would resume offensive operations at once, withdrew from the vicinity of Camden Ferry to the high ground
* Marshall (ii., 6) says that the fall of Captain Beatty, of Gunby's regiment, was the cause of its defection. His company and the one adjoining it were thrown into contusion, and dropped out of the line, and then the fatal disorder ensued.
** Marshall, ii., 1-8. Ramsay, ii., 230-31. Gordon, iii., 189-91. Lee, 220-24. Stedman, ii., 356-58.
*** The momentary despondency of Greene is expressed in the following extract from a letter which he wrote to the Chevalier Luzerne, three days after the battle: "This distressed country, I am sure, can not struggle much longer without more effectual support. They may struggle a little while longer, but they must fall; and I fear their fall will lay a train to sap the independence of the rest ol America.... We fight, get beaten, rise and fight again. The whole country is one continued scene of blood and slaughter." To La Fayette he wrote, on the first of May: "You may depend upon it, that nothing ean equal the sufferings of our little army but their merit." in others he wrote in a similar strain, imploring prompt and decisive action for supplying his handful of troops with sustenance for the summer campaign, and with re-enforcements. It must be remembered, that at this time the French army, under Rochambeau, was lying idle in New England; and through Luzerne (the French minister) and La Fayette, Greene hoped to hasten their advent in the field of active operations. To Governor Read, of Pennsylvania, he wrote, on the fourth of May: "If our good friends, the French, can not lend a helping hand to save these sinking states, they must and will fall."
British Evacuation of Camden.—Destruction of Property.—Fall of British Posts.—Sale of Traveling Establishment.
beyond Sawney Creek, on the border of Fairfield District. He was not mistaken. On the eighth,May Rawdon crossed the Wateree, at the ferry below Camden, * and proceeded toward Greene's encampment. The two armies were now equal in numbers; about twelve hundred each. On the approach of the British, Greene retired to Colonel's Creek; at the same time, Rawdon became alarmed at the intelligence of the increase of the American army and of Greene's strong position, and returned to Camden. Believing it impossible to drive Greene from his neighborhood, and anxious for the safety of his menaced posts between him and Charleston, Rawdon resolved to evacuate Camden, and with it all the country north of the Congaree. He sent, orders to Lieutenant-colonel Cruger to abandon Ninety-Six, and join Lieutenant-colonel Brown at Augusta, and also directed Major Maxwell to leave Fort Granby (near the present city of Columbia), and fall back upon Orangeburg, on the bank of the North Edisto. He then burned the jail, mills, and several private houses at Camden; destroyed all the stores which he could not carry with him, and on the tenth left that place for Nelson's Ferry, hoping to cross there in time to drive off Marion and Lee, then besieging Fort Motte. He took with him almost five hundred negroes; and the most violent Loyalists, fearing the vengeance of the patriots, followed him in great numbers. ** Within six days afterward, Orangeburg,May 11 Fort Motte,May 12 the post at the post at Nelson's Ferry,May 14 and Fort Granby,May 15 fell into the hands of the Americans.