Imperial Valley press., 1936-11-01

did not lift its hand-and men died of exposure
and disease and frozen hands and feet were
Topped off to cripple hundreds of others for life.
Even the tolerant Fiske could not refrain
from saying: The events of that winter left a
stain upon the reputation of the Continental
Congress from which it never fully recovered
At the end of 1777, it began visbly to lose it's
place in public esteem and sink, step by step,
into the utter depreciation and impotence which
was to overwhelm it before another ten years
should have expired
''Then came the exposure of the Conway
Cabal and Gates squirmed, squealed and lied
until his balloon punctured and he was
sheved to garrison duty on the Hudson. Soon
afterward he left the service in huff and
retired to his Virginia plantation. Unfortunately,
he did not remain there. He had more
string to his bow
LAS affairs in the south became increasingly
serious, Washington recommended to Congress
that General Nathaniel Greene be appointed to
command the Southern Department. But the
glamour which enveoped the Hero of Sara
toga" had not been dspelled entirely, and many
people began calling for Gates. Congress rose
to the occasion in its best manner Washington's
wishes disregarded as usual, and June
13, 1880, Gates duly appointed-and eagerly
accepted
He emerged from retirement with consider
able fanfare Richard Peters, secretary of the
Board of War and of the giddier members
of Congress- although it is difficult to discrim-
inate-wrote him effusively: Our affairs to the
southwark look blue; so they did when you took
command before the Burgoynade. I can only
say, go and dc likewise"-God bless you.'
~ ATES' old crony, Charles Lee who had
" been kicked out of the army bodily the
previous year and was living in disgrace on his
Virginia estate, also wrote him but in far less
congratulatory vein. Take care he warned
that your northern laurels do not change to
southern willows
With flip of his fingers at this, Gates moved
triumphantly to Hillsborough, N. c., from which
he was to launch his campaign. This was a
simple project. The key point of the British ac-
tivities in the interior was Camden, S. c., at
the moment held by a force of less than 500
under Lord Rawdon. This made conditions pro-
pitious for an attack, and if Gates would capture
it, the British would be forced to retire from
all inland positions and be thrown upon the
defensive at Charleston.
"Gates was eager-over eager-to start imme-
diately toward his objective, but he found con-
ditions at Hillsborough deplorabe. The troops
concentrated there were greatly deficient in
both arms and ammunition. They had no tents,
familiar condition in the Continental forces The
only seasoned soldiers on hand were some 14OO
regulars from Maryland and Delaware under
the able leadership of the giant Baron De Kalb
In addition to these there were some recently
recruited militia, numbering about 1000.
mo one in the entire American army was
less capable of Strengthening out the wretched
situation than Gates, but he solved it very
easily. He simply ignored it.
~ am not satisfied with conditions here
he told De kalb authoritatively, but time is
pressing. We must attack Rawdon before he
can be reinforced We will prepare to march
at once
DE Kalb demurred emphatically, insisting it
would be disastrous to move before the haf-sick
troops were better equipped. but Gates refused
to listen.
"T said we would march, he snapped. You
will prepare for departure at once"
Thus begins the parade of pitiful skeletons
that band of men who's silent cries are at last
being heard by the youth of our land.