The Life of George Washington, Vol. 4 | Page 6

post at
Orangeburg had surrendered to Sumpter.
On the evening of the fourteenth, Lord Rawdon moved from Neilson's
ferry, and marched to Monk's Corner, a position which enabled him to
cover those districts from which Charleston drew its supplies.
{May.}
While the British army was thus under the necessity of retiring, the
American force was exerted with a degree of activity which could not
be surpassed. After the post at Motte's house had fallen, Marion
proceeded against Georgetown, on the Black river, which place he
reduced; and Lee marched against fort Granby, a post on the south of
the Congaree, which was garrisoned by three hundred and fifty-two
men, principally militia. The place was invested on the evening of the
fourteenth, and the garrison capitulated the next morning.
The late movement of the British army had left the garrison of Ninety
Six and of Augusta exposed to the whole force of Greene, and he
determined to direct his operations against them. Lee was ordered to
proceed against the latter, while the general should march in person to
the former.
The post at Ninety Six was fortified. The principal work, which, from
its form, was called the Star, and which was on the right of the village,
consisted of sixteen salient and reentering angles, and was surrounded
by a dry ditch, fraize, and abattis. On the left was a valley, through
which ran a rivulet that supplied the place with water. This valley was
commanded on one side by the town prison, which had been converted
into a block-house, and on the other by a stockade fort, in which a

block-house had been erected. The garrison, commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Cruger, was ample for the extent of the place, but was
furnished with only three pieces of artillery.
On evacuating Camden, Lord Rawdon had given directions that the
garrison of Ninety Six should retire to Augusta; but his messengers
were intercepted; and Cruger, remaining without orders, determined to
put his post in the best possible state of defence.
[Sidenote: Greene invests Ninety Six.]
On the 22nd of May the American army, consisting of about one
thousand continental troops, appeared before the town, and encamped
in a wood, within cannon shot of the place. On the following night they
broke ground, within seventy yards of the British works; but the
besieged having mounted several guns in the star, made a vigorous
sally under their protection, and drove the advanced party of the
besiegers from their trenches, put several of them to the bayonet, and
brought off their intrenching tools.
This sortie was made with such rapidity, that, though General Greene
put his whole army in motion, the party making it had accomplished
the object and retired into the fort, before he could support his troops in
the trenches. After this check, the siege was conducted with more
caution, but with indefatigable industry.
On the 8th of June, Lee rejoined the army with the troops under his
command.
The day after the fall of fort Granby, that active officer proceeded with
great celerity to join General Pickens, and lay siege to Augusta. On the
march, he took possession of fort Golphin, on the northern bank of the
Savannah, which surrendered on the 21st of May; immediately after
which the operations against Augusta were commenced.
The place was bravely defended by Lieutenant Colonel Brown; but the
approaches of the besiegers were so well conducted, that on the 5th of
June he was reduced to the necessity of capitulating; and the prisoners,

amounting to about three hundred, were conducted by Lee to the main
army.
This reinforcement enabled General Greene, who had till then made his
approaches solely against the star, to commence operations against the
works on the left also. The direction of the advances to be made in that
quarter was entrusted to Lieutenant Colonel Lee. While the besiegers
urged their approaches in the confidence that the place must soon
capitulate, Lord Rawdon received a reinforcement which enabled him
once more to overrun the state of South Carolina.
{June 7.}
On the third of June three regiments arrived from Ireland; and, on the
seventh of that month, Lord Rawdon marched at the head of two
thousand men to the relief of Ninety Six. Greene received intelligence
of his approach on the eleventh, and ordered Sumpter, to whose aid the
cavalry was detached, to continue in his front, and to impede his march
by turning to the best account every advantage afforded by the face of
the country. But Lord Rawdon passed Sumpter below the junction of
the Saluda and Broad rivers, after which that officer was probably
unable to regain his front.
Greene had also intended to meet the British and fight them at some
distance from Ninety Six, but found it impossible to draw