The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-03
y ton of the leg.on's only deserter knew

ton OF the leg!on's only deserter knew
no bounds.
Lee had plenty Of active service in
those trying times. when Washingt on.
| with varying success. played the great
game for control of New Jersey and
| the Highlands of the Hudson. but II
was mild in comparison with that which
he saw when he and his legion were
| sent South to Join Greene. The British
had overrun Georgia and the Carolinas 8.
Gates had been crushed. With the eX-
ception OF the small bands commanded
| by Marion and Sumter. there scarcely
was force south OF Eirginit TO up
hold the cause OF independence. 1t
was desperate undertaking that had
been assigned to Greene. He was ask
ed to take the remnants OF q disorga-
nized, disrupted army. half starved
ragged and poorly armed. and with 1,
reconquer territory held by force
much larger than his own. we'll clad,
well-fed. trained men habltuated to
| victory. No man IN the American
army was better fitted for the task
than Nathaniel Greene. He had all
| the patience OF Washington and. per-
haps. more military skill. He had a
positive genius for fighting. and while
| apparently being worsted always Grip
ping the opposing force. His cam
paign in the South was mastery. Al
various times he lost we'll earned
victory throug the panic that seized
| some OF the militia companies in his
| little army, but he always maneged to
retreat in good order, and although
apparently checked time after time, he
never really lost ground, but con-
stantly made Roadway.
The Screen OF an Army.
| When Lee joined him Green had be-
| gun the retreat that opened his great
| campaign. CORVALLIS. eager to finish
| the work he had done so we'll as Cam
| den. pursued him relentlessly. There was
no hope for Creme unless he coud get
/ the beaten army to Virginia and could
place broad rived between it an the
British The legion OF Lee and the
screen for Greene. For zoo miles its
province was to hamper the advance
guard Of the enemy. Many times 1t
| seemed as If the force of Greene was
! doomed, but every time the advance
guard was checked So desperate was
| the pursuit that Lees men were able
| to eat but once a day, and were able
| to rest only six hours in every forty
eight. Nearly all the time the advance
! guard and the screening body were
within rifle shot of each other. Once
when Lee and Williams sighted q large
number of camp fires, they thought the
supreme moment had arrived. and they
determined to hurl their little force
/ upon the whole British army in order
/ to hold 1t long enough to let Greene
! escape. But the camp fires were old
! ones left by Greene two days before.
No 81
4 fee. Greene got his army across the
! last boat to cross. The river was In
/ flood. the Americans had all the boats,
/ and CORVALLIS had to turn back.
I Within two weeks Greene, his men
I rested and his ranks somewhat recruit
i ed, recrossed the Dan and went after
I CORVALLIS. Lee, with his flying column
/ was at it's head. Then 1t was that
/ Lee essayed to strike a blow that
j would have startled the country. He
planned to capture Tarleton and all
! the British cavalry. Tarleton and his
rough riders secured the country.
Lee went in pursuit. Moving with
, the greatest secrecy. he got within a
few miles of Tarleton's camp on the
Haw He captured two OF Tarleton's
officers who had been left behind and
| compelled them 10 ara MN III making
the countrymen believe his force was
Tarletor's. A little further on Lee
came upon two Tories, who reported
they were en- route to join a force of
400 Tories nearby marching to Join
Tarleton Lee posing as Tarleton,
sent the two Tories with one OF his
troopers to Colonel Pyle commander
of the Tory regiment, with a request
to draw his force up on one side of
the road so as to allow his (Lee's)
men to pass. Pyle did so and Lee went
along the line complimenting the men
on their good appearance. At the far
end of the line he met Pyle and had
grasped his hand when suddenly tho
deception was discovered at the other
u end OF the line. Firing began and for
4 few minutes there Vas sharp strug'
gle, but the Tories were overwhelmed.
Ninety We're killed and many wounded.
Iarleton was mile away and Leo
planned to attack him in the morning,
out CornWallls. who heard Of the rout
OF the tories. sent peremptory orders
to Tarieton to join him and In the
night Iarietoh withdrew, Although
Lee was disappointed in his main OBJ
ject, INC slaughter of Pyle's men had a
sanitary erect upon the Tories. From,
that Tune forward CORVALLIS got few
Tory recruits.
Guilford Courthouse,
Next came the battle of Guilford
Courthouse. Greene's arrangements FOR
this contest We're admirable, but the
VI panic and flight az the two battalIons