The Pendulum Swings Back
It simply amazes me how sometimes people get placed in positions they have no business being because of connections or money, case in point, future British physicist and inventor Benjamin Thompson whose middle name should have been Tory. He was a New Hampshire school teacher who married into wealth, arrested for loyalist sympathies and then left his wife and child (never to see them again) for England after briefly serving as a spy for General Gage. He became a fellow of the Royal Society of scientists and an aide to Lord Germain.
1) After Yorktown, Lord Germain made Thompson a Lt. Col in a provincial cavalry unit and sailed for NYC but the Atlantic storms took the ship he was on to Charleston where General Leslie made him commander of all 200 cavalry there, as well as 500 infantry in December 1781. Thompson learned fast that the patriot forces were not up to par with Marion in Jacksonboro, Maham sulking about his authority and chain of command and Horry very sick. Maham would sulk for a month or so and eventually would take his seat in Jacksonboro on February 15th. At about the same time, Light Horse Harry Lee, disappointed at being passed over for promotion to brigadier general and decided to retire to his farm in Virginia also in February 1782. In this power/leader vacuum, Thompson took aim at Horry's position at Wambaw Creek 40 miles northeast of Charleston on February 24th where McDonald and Benison were left in charge. When reports came in that the British were near, neither leader thought much about it as they ate afternoon dinners at separate camps. McDonald did dispatch a few men to the bridge only to find the entire Brit force upon them and forty men were killed as the rest fled into the swamp. Part of the issue might have been the recent 6-month enlistees who were former Tories that were unnerved coming face to face with their former allies. Marion had left the assembly on February 20th with Maham when they heard reports of the Brits being back in the field. The two heard a false report that Thompson had returned to Charleston so Maham went toward his plantation and Marion continued on only to find what was left of Horry's men the day after (Feb 25th). Less than an hour in camp, Thompson had returned and was now face-to-face with the Swamp Fox who along with his remaining men had his back to the river to retreat was not an option. Marion ordered a charge but Capt. Smith leading Maham's dragoons botched the assignment by panicking allowing Thompson to counter attack and ended up getting horses, weapons as well as Marion's own tent and canteens full of liquor. Marion rallied his troops but Thompson withdrew having handing Marion his only defeat. The Tories in Charleston celebrated for three days and there was talk that maybe Marion had drowned. Maham was ticked that Marion did not wait for him (what?) and Horry said it was all Marion's fault as he was at the assembly and Horry wrote him every day about his concerns. Greene had the cool head and understood being surprised by an overwhelming force and that at the end of the day it was of little strategic military significance.
2) In March 1782 Thompson came up with a plan to capture Greene but the plan was considered unrealistic and so Thompson sailed for NYC. The defeat at Wammbaw actually solved the whole Maham vs. Horry thing as both Marion and Greene both thought Maham was best suited to command the one cavalry unit. Horry was better suited for infantry. Horry took it very hard but was given an assignment to take his unmounted unit to Georgetown to assist with administrative matters where he would only stay three months and then return to his plantation for the balance of the war. Maham ended up never commanding that one unit as he was captured in May 1782 by a raiding party as he sat down for supper. Fearing torture, he was paroled by his signature and never commanded again in the war.
3) Marion also had a NC loyalist issue coming up from Ganey's Tories as a treaty was set to expire on June 17th. The new SC governor Matthews sent Marion to this area and was given 250 troops from the NC governor to assist, and the governor even offered more if he needed them as Marion's reputation preceded him. On June 3rd Marion took his men this direction but confided in letter that he had hoped to achieve his task without violence. The British pro-war Lord NOrth government had fallen in March and Lord Germain had resigned which led to rumors of peace in the months to come. Marion actually wrote Ganey stating that a treaty to "prevent the effusion of blood and distresses of the women and children" was his aim. He mentioned that the British were ready to make peace but if Ganey did not accept the terms, the patriots would make war on them. The first talks broke down but when Ganey and Marion went to a tent by themselves it was all worked out by June 8th, 1782. A formal surrender ceremony was had 15 miles away one week later. Arms were laid down except in the support of the patriot cause, return plundared property (including slaves) and turn in any American deserters. Oath to SC and the United States and renounce the Crown and full pardons were issued with the Tories able to retain their property. Some of the most radical Tories were sent to British lines at Charleston. Any that decided not to stay were allowed safe passage with their wives and children to Charleston. Marion allowed Ganey to travel to Charleston to resign his commission and then he joined the patriot militia for a six-month stint. Marion warned his men not to treat the "reformed" Tories badly or that they would be punished. "It is recommended as Christians to forgive and forget all injuries which have been committed by such who have been led away by our enemies"
4) The war started winding down a bit with the British leaving Savannah, GA on July 12th. Florida was British territory and so the only harbor south of the Chesapeake still occupied by the British was Charleston. With a parliament that was now full of peace-focused politicans, Clinton was removed from command at NYC and his replacement secretly let Leslie in Charleston know to prepare to abandon that port. The Americans would not learn of this until August 1782. Leslie requested a ceasefire but Greene, not trusting the Brits said no. Leslie also requested buying rice instead of him having to send foraging parties but Greene said no to this as well. Greene would continue to use Marion as the buffer between the Brit army and Greene's Continentals.
The war is STILL not over ..
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