The Life of George Washington, Vol. 4 | Page 5

to have been formed on the same document--the
field return made by the adjutant general of the southern army, dated
the 26th of April. This return contains a column of the present fit for
duty, and also exhibits the killed, wounded, and missing, but contains
no column of total numbers. Mr. Ramsay and Mr. Gordon are supposed
to have taken the column of present fit for duty as exhibiting the

strength of the army on the day of the battle; but as this return was
made the day after the action, the author has supposed that the killed,
wounded, and missing, must be added to the numbers fit for duty on the
day of the return, to give the actual strength of the army at the time of
the engagement.]
The plan which the strength of Camden and his own weakness had
induced General Greene originally to adopt, was still substantially
pursued. He remained in the vicinity of that place, and by the activity
of his cavalry, straightened the communication of the garrison with the
neighbouring country. Their distress for provisions had been
considerably increased by the progress of Marion and Lee.
[Sidenote: Several British posts taken.]
Lieutenant Colonel Lee joined Marion a few days after he was detached
from the camp on Deep river; and these two officers commenced their
operations against the line of communication between Camden and
Charleston, by laying siege to fort Watson, which capitulated in a few
days. The acquisition of this fort afforded the means of interrupting the
intercourse between Camden and Charleston, and opposed an obstacle
to the retreat of Lord Rawdon which he would have found it difficult to
surmount.
From the increasing perils of his situation, his lordship was relieved by
the arrival of Colonel Watson.
In attempting to obey the orders, which were given by Lord Rawdon on
the approach of Greene, to join him at Camden, that officer found
himself opposed by Marion and Lee, who had seized the passes over
the creeks in his route; and had thus completely arrested his march. To
elude these vigilant adversaries, Watson returned down the Santee, and
crossing that river near its mouth, marched up its southern side, and
recrossing it above the American detachment, and, eluding all the
measures taken to intercept him, accomplished his object with much
toil and hazard.
This reinforcement gave the British general a decided superiority; and

Greene entertained no doubt of its being immediately employed. On the
day of its arrival, therefore, he withdrew from the neighbourhood of
Camden, and took a strong position behind Sawney's creek.
{May 7.}
On the night of the seventh, as had been conjectured, Rawdon passed
the Wateree at Camden ferry, intending to turn the flank of his enemy,
and to attack his rear, where the ground was less difficult than in front.
On being informed that the American army had changed its position, he
followed it to its new encampment. This was so judiciously chosen that
he despaired of being able to force it; and, after some ineffectual
manoeuvres to draw Greene from it, returned to Camden.
{Eighth.}
Lord Rawdon had been induced to relinquish, thus hastily, his designs
upon Greene, by the insecurity of his situation. The state of the British
power in South Carolina was such as to require a temporary surrender
of the upper country. Marion and Lee, after completely destroying his
line of communication on the north side of the Santee, had crossed that
river, and permitted no convoy from Charleston to escape their
vigilance. On the eighth of May, after Watson had passed them, they
laid siege to a post at Motte's house, on the south side of the Congaree,
near its junction with the Wateree, which had been made the depot of
all the supplies designed for Camden.
From the energy of this party as well as from the defection of the
inhabitants, Lord Rawdon had reason to apprehend the loss of all his
lower posts, unless he should take a position which would support them.
He had therefore determined to evacuate Camden, unless the issue of a
battle with Greene should be such as to remove all fears of future
danger from that officer.
[Sidenote: Lord Rawdon retires into the lower country.]
{May 12.}

Having failed in his hope of bringing on a general engagement, he
evacuated Camden, and marched down the river on its north side to
Neilson's ferry. Among the objects to be obtained by this movement
was the security of the garrison at Motte's house. But the siege of that
place had been so vigorously prosecuted that, on crossing the river, his
lordship received the unwelcome intelligence that it had surrendered on
the twelfth, and that its garrison, consisting of one hundred and
sixty-five men, had become prisoners. On the preceding day, the