Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-04-26
Misturp uf s. Garulina.

HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY Rev. ROBERT LATHAM.
THE BATTLE OF ORANGEBURG.
SURRENDER OF FORT NOTE.
That we may have correct idea of the
movements of the contending parties in the
State of South Carolina, Immediately after
the second battle of Camden-or, as it is
sometimes called, and appropriately, too, the
battle of Hobkirks Hill-we must watch the
plans of General Greene and Lord Rawdon'
1t is scarcely possible to conceive of a. man
being more crushed, for the moment, than
was General Greene, on account of the results
of the battle of Hobkirk's Hill. He calcula.
ted, with certainty, on victory; and instead
of this, he met with defeat. 1t is true, like
most of the victories gained by the British
during the Revolutionary war, it advantaged
them nothing. Still, Greene was not success
full, and he was prepared, neither in mind MOI
body, to sustain defeat. Sad and gloomy,
on the morning after the battle, he moved his
troops to Rugeley's mills.
Sumter had been ordered to join him, but
for some reason, which it is not easy to ex-
plain satisfactorily, this officer had failed to
obey. Truth demands that We say that Sum-
ter had been interfering with the recruiting
officers of Marion, and that he paid no sort
of attention to the orders of General Greene
but continued to act, as he had been doing
for long time, Independently. This was a
source of great modification to General
Greene. Strange as it may sound to those
who are accustomed to hear nothing but
praise spoken of the heroes of the Revolu'
tionary war, it is still true that General
Greene was, for the time, completely non:
plussed by the turn which things took in the
battle of Hobkirk's Hill.
On the morning of the 26th, be ordered
Lieutenant Colonel Lee to return immediate
ly to his camp, and then, in short time, re-
voked this order and sent Captain Finley,
with a small detachment and one six pound
er, to assist Marion and Lee in their struggle
with Colonel Watson.
As Lieutenant Colonel Lee had proposed
and advocated the plan of leaving Cornwall
lis and advancing into South Carolina, it is
almost certain that General Greene, after the
battle of Hobkirk's Hill, began to doubt the
wisdom of the move and, in his mind, to cen.
sure Lee. Sure it is, he censured, and per.
haps justly, the conduct of General Sumter.
1t is possible that Sumter had intercepted
some of Rawdon's dispatches which that Of
ficer had sent to some of his posts, and, from
the information thus obtained, Sumter was in.
duced to act as his own judgment indicated.
Be this as it may, Sumter did not obey
Greene's orders to join him at Camden, and
was tacitly censured by Greene, Lee and
Marion.
General Greene soon rose above his misfor-
tune. Lee and Marion were instructed to
prevent, if possible, the junction of Rawdon
and Watson. In order to cut off all supplies
from Camden from the west, General Greene
crossed the Wateree river and stationed him.
self in the neighborhood of Camden ferry.
1t was now evident tnat Watson could not
reach Camden in this direction. Lee aud
Marion we're watching Watson, who was now
in Orangeburg county, near the confluence of
the Wateree and Congaree. 1t was doubtful
where be would cross the river. Marion and
Lee we're endeavoring to overtake him and
bring him to battle; but in spite Of Marion
and Lee, Watson, on the 9Th of May, crossed
the Congaree, and on the next day crossed
tbs Wateree, and on the same day entered
Camden.
General Greene learned, in short time af-
ter the arrival of Watson, that the junction
between him and Rawdon was formed. He
wisely concluded that Rawdon would begin
Immediately to advance upon the American
army. This conviction being fixed in his
mind, and not desiring to bring on general
engagement, General Greene retired to ridge
on Sawney creek, near the dividing line be-
tween the counties of Kershaw and Fairfield.
The forces of Greene and Rswdon each num-
bered about twelve hundred men. On the
9th, the day after the arrival of Col. Watson,
Rawdon crossed the Wateree at the point
where the bridge now spans the river, and
Immediately directed his course towards
Greenes camp. General Greene now retired
to Colonel's Creek, in Fairfield county, short
distance from the present site of Longtown.
Lord Rawdon becoming satisfied that be
would not be able to dislodge Gen. Greene, and
being startled by the intelligence that the
American army was rapidly increasing in
strength, returned to Camden and began at
once to make preparation for evacuating the
post. So alarmed was he for the safety of his
various military posts,that he posted messen-
ger to Cruger, ordering that official to abandon
Ninety-six and retire to Augusta. At the
same time, Maxwell, who commanded the
garrison at Fort CRANKY, a short distance be-
low the present city of Columbia, was ordered
to retire to Orangeburg. All of the messen.
gers sent by Rawdon were captured, and the
orders they bore never reached the persons
for whom they were designed.
On the 10th of May, Lord Rawdon led his
forces out of Camden. Before leaving the
town, be burned the mills, Jail and number
of private residences. All his supplies, ex-
cent so much as he could conveniently take
with him, we're burned. In his train followed