Sunday, April 23, 2017

The Swamp Fox (Recap #16)

The Tide Turns in South Carolina


It is interesting that the great military minds do adapt to new strategies sometimes when they have a second chance to secure a region militarily. In this case, General Greene of the Continental Army was about to adopt the "war of posts" strategy that he had dissed before.

1) Cornwallis was so impacted by the Guilford CH battle in North Carolina that he decided to move his troops to Wilmington NC on the coast to recover and then invade Virginia never again to enter SC. Greene used this opportunity to secure SC and Georgia land so that if a peace treaty were to be achieved, the colonies would have these territories. The various Tory elements in SC started to melt away into the countryside as news of Cornwallis' departure from the region. The British left only significant forces at Camden, Georgetown and Charleston along with other troops at various posts across the colony numbering 8,000 in total. These posts were along the supply line that kept forces 800 strong supplied in Camden which is away from the coast and ports. Greene's army numbered only 1,400 but was on the move into SC. In this scenario, Watson gave up chasing Marion and dumped his artillery and heavy baggage into a creek and sped toward Camden to join forces with Rawdon and then circled back steering clear of the rebel forces going back to the coast at Georgetown.

2) Lee arrived at Marion's camp on April 14th, 1781 and filled in Marion on the details of Guilford CH, a bloody battle that the British technically run but having outrun their own supply line, Cornwallis' troops were a mess. Brit cavalry officer Tarleton himself had several finger amputated from wounds he suffered in the conflict. Lee articulated how his troops would focus on the larger garrisons at Camden and Ninety-Six while the militia (Pickens, Sumter and Marion) work away on the smaller posts in SC. However, it was another target that Lee had in mind that Marion did not see "eye-to-eye" on. Lee wanted to lay siege to Fort Watson while Marion wanted to chase Watson. Marion saw first hand both the disastrous Savannah siege in 1779 but also Sumter's attempted siege in which he got impatient and lost a lot of his men. While 49 year old Marion was in charge and 25 year old Lee was second in command, the fact that Lee had 300 troops to Marion's 80 probably led to Marion acquiescing.

3) Fort Watson was surrounded on April 15th, however, all the trees around the fort were gone so there was no way sharpshooters could be utilized. Cutting off the water supply was also attempted but 1) the well right outside the fort that could be used at night through a covered passage had been built and 2) the 120 defenders started digging a well inside the fort and struck water on the fourth day of the siege. The rebels requested a six-pounder from Greene which would have made quick work of this fort since it had no cannon of its own but the men bringing the cannon got lost and returned to Greene's location outside Camden. Marion's men were not prepared for a siege and were not experienced at it. Morale was sinking and Marion was corresponding with various militia's around the state 1) Capt. Snipes was free-lancing/looting around the state and bad-mouthing Marion suggesting that people should not send supplies to him 2) "Sumter's Law" which paid ten months of service to men with plunder from local Tories (horses, clothing and slaves) .. but Marion was in the minority opinion on this one 3) Rumor was out that Marion's men killed three prisoners in their care according to the Brit commander in Charleston and Marion's mentor suggested in a letter that he half-believed it. The siege was taking its toll on the ones facilitating the siege until, an innovative spirit emerged in Lt. Col. Hezekiah Maham. A tower would be built out of range from the Brits in the fort but tall enough for sharpshooters to do their work. The fort walls were 7 foot on top of a 23 foot mound so the tower would have to be very, very high. By April 22nd it was ready with a perch at the top with openings for the long rifles. The rebels sharpshooters rained down fire into the fort and simultaneously a patriot unit was taking down the stockade section of the fort itself. A surrender request was made and the commander McKay put up the white flag. In his journal it seemed the Brits inside the fort refused to fight any longer. Generous terms were offered and the Brit troops made their way to Charleston. Lee and Marion reaped a bounty of ammunition and public praise was awarded to Maham and his innovation. Lee, whose ego usually precedes himself, actually came to praise Marion publicly and asked to be formally placed under Marion's leadership "in some degree". Greene wrote Marion and said praise would travel to Gen. Washington and the world.

4) Greene himself was engaged by Rawdon's force in Camden. Rawdon was paranoid that Lee and Marion would be on their way and that Sumter was close by, however, Sumter refused to join forces with Greene leading Greene to think that Sumter was in it for only the plunder.  Rawdon's 900 actually caused the 1st Maryland Continentals to break rank and run so Green's 1500 man force was indeed beaten. However, Rawdon lost 25% of his force and could not stay at Camden with his supply line gap (Fort Watson's fall) and on May 10th destroyed much of the town of Camden and their fortifications and left to go toward the coast.

The tide is turning as the summer heat returns in South Carolina!

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