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[v. 3, No. 90.] Gen'l. Greene to Samuel Huntingdon, Esq. From Tarlton's Southern Campaigns. CAMP AT MCCORD'S FERRY, ON THE CONGAREE, May 14, 1781. Sir: I had the honour to send despatches to your excellency on the 5th from near Camden, by Captain O'Hara. On the 8th the place was evacuated by the enemy with the utmost precipitation; Lord Rawdon burnt the greatest part of his baggage, stores, and even the effects belonging to the inhabitants; he set fire also to the prison, mill, and several other buildings, and left the town little better than a heap of ruins: He left behind him our people who had been wounded in action of the 25th of April, and had been taken prisoners; they are thirty-one in number. His lordship left also fifty-eight of his own people, with three officers, who were so badly wounded, that they could not bear a carriage. Several of the inhabitants assert it as a fact, that, in the last action, the loss of the enemy, in killed and wounded, was not less than three hundred men. As soon as the enemy left Camden we took possession of it, and are now employed in raising all the works; a plan of which I enclose for your excellency. Had the Virginia militia joined us in time, the garrison must have fallen into our hands, as we should then have been able to invest the town on all sides; and the garrison was in too great want of provisions and military stores to be able to stand out a siege. The detachments under General Marion and Lieut. Col. Lee, in the lower districts of the country, had cut off the enemy's provisions, and particularly salt, with which they were totally unprovided. On the 9th our army began their march towards this place. On the 11th the post of Orangeburgh, defended by eighty men, under the command of a colonel and other officers, surrendered to Gen. Sumter, who, by his skill in the disposition of his Artillery and Troops, so intimidated the garrison, that the place soon submitted. We thus got permission of a very strong post, without loss either of men or time; a great quantity of provisions and other stores were found in it. The 12th, Motte's fort submitted to Gen'l. Marion; the garrison consisted of upwards of one hundred and forty men; one hundred and twenty were British or Hessians, with seven or eight officers. The place had been invested on the 11th; nor did it surrender till our troops had made their approaches regularly up to the abbatis; the redoubt was very strong, and commanded by Lieutenant M'Pherson, a very brave young officer. Great praise is due to General Marion, and the handful of militia that remained with him till the reduction of the fort. Lieut. Col. Lee's Legion, and the detachments under Major Eaton, the artillery under Capt. Finlay, and the corps of Infantry under Captains Oldham and Smith, were indefatigable in carrying on the siege. There were found in the fort, one carronade, one hundred and forty muskets, a quantity of salt provisions, and other stores. When we marched from Deep river towards Camden, I wrote to General Pickens to assemble all the militia he could muster, to lay siege to Augusta and Ninety-Six. These two places are actually invested, and the fort at Friday's ferry will be invested to-morrow morning, with Lieut. Col. Lee set out for that purpose last night, with his Legion, and the several detachments which serve under him: The whole army began their march this morning for the same place. The last intelligence I received, informed me that Lord Rawdon was near Nelson's ferry, where the enemy have a post; but they were sending away their stores from it, which sufficiently indicates that they intend shortly to evacuate. Gen.'s Sumter and Marion narrowly watch all his lordship's motions. I am, &c., NATH. GREENE (From Documentary History of the American Revolution, by Gibbes, Volume 3, p. 70) Doc ID: Gibbes, v. 3, p. 70 Date: 5/14/1781 |
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