“No,” said the captain, “Morgan managed to keep out of his reach, crossed the river first and kept on into North Carolina.
“But to tell in detail of all Greene’s doings down there in the Carolinas and Georgia would make too long a story for to-night.
“On the 9th of February, 1781, Greene, by a most brilliant march, succeeded in bringing together the two divisions of his army at Guilford Court House. He had expected reinforcements from Virginia, but as they had not yet arrived, he decided to retreat toward them and put the broad river Dan between the enemy and himself. In that he succeeded without loss of men, baggage or stores.
“Cornwallis had been pursuing him for two hundred miles, but his troops were now weary and discouraged by their fruitless march, and he therefore prudently retired to Hillsborough.
“However, Greene soon received his reinforcements, and, crossing the Dan, came to battle with Cornwallis at Guilford Court House. That battle was a tactical success for the British, yet the Americans gained a decided strategic advantage, for the enemy—too much shattered to go on with the contest—retired to Wilmington, and from there moved into Virginia to effect a junction with General Phillips.
“Then Greene at once turned southward with his army. His reasons were given in a letter to Washington: ‘I am determined to carry the war immediately into South Carolina,’ he wrote. ‘The enemy will be obliged to follow us, or give up the posts in that state.’ If the enemy did follow, it would take the war out of North Carolina, where the inhabitants had suffered great loss from them, and if the enemy left the posts in South Carolina to fall, he would lose far more than he could gain in Virginia.
“In the latter part of April of that year, the American army established itself in a strong position on Hobkirk’s Hill, near Camden, and on the 25th the British, under Lord Rawdon, attacked it there. It was exactly what Greene had been preparing for.
“The assault ought to have resulted in the total ruin of the British army; but through an accidental misunderstanding of orders, Greene’s very best men in the Maryland brigade behaved badly and he was forced to abandon his position. Yet, as usual, he reaped the fruits of victory.
“He had sent Marion and Lee to take Fort Watson, and their effort had been a brilliant success, and now obliged Rawdon to abandon Camden and fall back toward Charleston.
“Greene now had everything in his own hands, and went on taking fort after fort from the enemy, and also all the back country of South Carolina and Georgia.