washington and his comrades in arms-第33章

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nt；　but　they　could　not　be　coerced　into　a　real　loyalty。　It　required　only　a　reverse　to　the　King's　forces　to　make　them　again　actively　hostile。　To　meet　the　difficult　situation　Congress　now　made　a　disastrous　blunder。　On　June　13；　1780；　General　Gates；　the　belauded　victor　at　Saratoga；　was　given　the　command　in　the　South。

Camden；　on　the　Wateree　River；　lies　inland　from　Charleston　about　a　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles　as　the　crow　flies。　The　British　had　occupied　it　soon　after　the　fall　of　Charleston；　and　it　was　now　held　by　a　small　force　under　Lord　Rawdon；　one　of　the　ablest　of　the　British　commanders。　Gates　had　superior　numbers　and　could　probably　have　taken　Camden　by　a　rapid　movement；　but　the　man　had　no　real　stomach　for　fighting。　He　delayed　until；　on　the　14th　of　August；　Cornwallis　arrived　at　Camden　with　reinforcements　and　with　the　fixed　resolve　to　attack　Gates　before　Gates　attacked　him。　On　the　early　morning　of　the　16th　of　August；　Cornwallis　with　two　thousand　men　marching　northward　between　swamps　on　both　flanks；　met　Gates　with　three　thousand　marching　southward；　each　of　them　intending　to　surprise　the　other。　A　fierce　struggle　followed。　Gates　was　completely　routed　with　a　thousand　casualties；　a　thousand　prisoners；　and　the　loss　of　nearly　the　whole　of　his　guns　and　transport。　The　fleeing　army　was　pursued　for　twenty　miles　by　the　relentless　Tarleton。　General　Kalb；　who　had　done　much　to　organize　the　American　army；　was　killed。　The　enemies　of　Gates　jeered　at　his　riding　away　with　the　fugitives　and　hardly　drawing　rein　until　after　four　days　he　was　at　Hillsborough；　two　hundred　miles　away。　His　defense　was　that　he　〃proceeded　with　all　possible　despatch；〃　which　he　certainly　did；　to　the　nearest　point　where　he　could　reorganize　his　forces。　His　career　was；　however；　ended。　He　was　deprived　of　his　command；　and　Washington　appointed　to　succeed　him　General　Nathanael　Greene。

In　spite　of　the　headlong　flight　of　Gates　the　disaster　at　Camden　had　only　a　transient　effect。　The　war　developed　a　number　of　irregular　leaders　on　the　American　side　who　were　never　beaten　beyond　recovery；　no　matter　what　might　be　the　reverses　of　the　day。　The　two　most　famous　are　Francis　Marion　and　Thomas　Sumter。　Marion；　descended　from　a　family　of　Huguenot　exiles；　was　slight　in　frame　and　courteous　in　manner；　Sumter；　tall；　powerful；　and　rough；　was　the　vigorous　frontiersman　in　type。　Threatened　men　live　long：　Sumter　died　in　1832；　at　the　age　of　ninety…six；　the　last　surviving　general　of　the　Revolution。　Both　men　had　had　prolonged　experience　in　frontier　fighting　against　the　Indians。　Tarleton　called　Marion　the　〃old　swamp　fox〃　because　he　often　escaped　through　using　by…paths　across　the　great　swamps　of　the　country。　British　communications　were　always　in　danger。　A　small　British　force　might　find　itself　in　the　midst　of　a　host　which　had　suddenly　come　together　as　an　army；　only　to　dissolve　next　day　into　its　elements　of　hardy　farmers；　woodsmen；　and　mountaineers。

After　the　victory　at　Camden　Cornwallis　advanced　into　North　Carolina；　and　sent　Major　Ferguson；　one　of　his　most　trusted　officers；　with　a　force　of　about　a　thousand　men；　into　the　mountainous　country　lying　westward；　chiefly　to　secure　Loyalist　recruits。　If　attacked　in　force　Ferguson　was　to　retreat　and　rejoin　his　leader。　The　Battle　of　King's　Mountain　is　hardly　famous　in　the　annals　of　the　world；　and　yet；　in　some　ways；　it　was　a　decisive　event。　Suddenly　Ferguson　found　himself　beset　by　hostile　bands；　coming　from　the　north；　the　south；　the　east；　and　the　west。　When；　in　obedience　to　his　orders；　he　tried　to　retreat　he　found　the　way　blocked；　and　his　messages　were　intercepted；　so　that　Cornwallis　was　not　aware　of　the　peril。　Ferguson；　harassed；　outnumbered；　at　last　took　refuge　on　King's　Mountain；　a　stony　ridge　on　the　western　border　between　the　two　Carolinas。　The　north　side　of　the　mountain　was　a　sheer　impassable　cliff　and；　since　the　ridge　was　only　half　a　mile　long；　Ferguson　thought　that　his　force　could　hold　it　securely。　He　was；　however；　fighting　an　enemy　deadly　with　the　rifle　and　accustomed　to　fire　from　cover。　The　sides　and　top　of　King's　Mountain　were　wooded　and　strewn　with　boulders。　The　motley　assailants　crept　up　to　the　crest　while　pouring　a　deadly　fire　on　any　of　the　defenders　who　exposed　themselves。　Ferguson　was　killed　and　in　the　end　his　force　surrendered；　on　October　7；　1780；　with　four　hundred　casualties　and　the　loss　of　more　than　seven　hundred　prisoners。　The　American　casualties　were　eighty…eight。　In　reprisal　for　earlier　acts　on　the　other　side；　the　victors　insulted　the　dead　body　of　Ferguson　and　hanged　nine　of　their　prisoners　on　the　limb　of　a　great　tulip　tree。　Then　the　improvised　army　scattered。*

*　See　Chapter　IX；　〃Pioneers　of　the　Old　Southwest〃；　by　Constance　Lindsay　Skinner　in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America。〃


While　the　conflict　for　supremacy　in　the　South　was　still　uncertain；　in　the　Northwest　the　Americans　made　a　stroke　destined　to　have　astounding　results。　Virginia　had　long　coveted　lands　in　the　valleys　of　the　Ohio　and　the　Mississippi。　It　was　in　this　region　that　Washington　had　first　seen　active　service；　helping　to　wrest　that　land　from　France。　The　country　was　wild。　There　was　almost　no　settlement；　but　over　a　few　forts　on　the　upper　Mississippi　and　in　the　regions　lying　eastward　to　the　Detroit　River　there　was　that　flicker　of　a　red　flag　which　meant　that　the　Northwest　was　under　British　rule。　George　Rogers　Clark；　like　Washington　a　Virginian　land　surveyor；　was　a　strong；　reckless；　brave　frontiersman。　Early　in　1778　Virginia　gave　him　a　small　sum　of　money；　made　him　a　lieutenant　colonel；　and　authorized　him　to　raise　troops　for　a　western　adventure。　He　had　less　than　two　hundred　men　when　he　appeared　a　little　later　at　Kaskaskia　near　the　Mississippi　in　what　is　now　Illinois　and　captured　the　small　British　garrison；　with　the　friendly　consent　of　the　French　settlers　about　the　fort。　He　did　the　same　thing　at　Cahokia；　farther　up　the　river。　The　French　scattered　through　the　western　country　naturally　sided　with　the　Americans；　fighting　now　in　alliance　with　France。　The　British　sent　out　a　force　from　Detroit　to　try　to　check　the　efforts　of　Clark；　but　in　February；　1779；　the　indomitable　frontiersman　surprised　and　captured　this　force　at　Vincennes　on　the　Wabash。　Thus　did　Clark's　two　hundred　famished　and　ragged　men　take　possession　of　the　Northwest；　and；　when　peace　was　made；　this　vast　domain；　an　empire　in　extent；　fell　to　the　United　States。　Clark's　exploit　is　one　of　the　pregnant　romances　of　history。*

*　See　Chapters　III　and　IV　in　〃The　Old　Northwest〃　by　Frederic　Austin　Ogg　in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃。


Perhaps　the　most　sorrowful　phase　of　the　Revolution　was　the　internal　conflict　waged　between　its　friends　and　its　enemies　in　America；　where　neighbor　fought　against　neighbor。　During　this　pitiless　struggle　the　strength　of　the　Loyalists　tended　steadily　to　decline；　and　they　came　at　last　to　be　regarded　everywhere　by　triumphant　revolution　as　a　vile　people　who　should　bear　the　penalties　of　outcasts。　In　this　attitude　towards　them　Boston　had　given　a　lead　which　the　rest　of　the　country　eagerly　followed。　To　coerce　Loyalists　local　committees　sprang　up　everywhere。　It　must　be　said　that　the　Loyalists　gave　abundant　provocation。　They　sneered　at　rebel　officers　of　humble　origin　as　convicts　and　shoeblacks。　There　should　be　some　fine　hanging；　they　promised；　on　the　return　of　the　King's　men　to　Boston。　Early　in　the　Revolution　British　colonial　governors；　like　Lord　Dunmore　of　Virginia；　adopted　the　policy　of　reducing　the　rebels　by　harrying　their　coasts。　Sailors　would　land　at　night　from　ships　and　commit　their　ravages　in　the　light　of　burning　houses。　Soldiers　would　dart　out　beyond　the　British　lines；　burn　a　village；　carry　off　some　Whig　farmers；　and　escape　before　opposing　forces　could　rally。　Governor　Tryon　of　New　York　was　specially　active　in　these　enterprises　and　to　this　day　a　special　odium　attaches　to　his　name。

For　these　ravages；　and　often　with　justice；　the　Loyalists　were　held　responsible。　The　result　was　a　bitterness　which　fired　even　the　calm　spirit　of　Benjamin　Franklin　and　led　him　when　the　day　came　for　peace　to　declare　that　the　plundering　and　murdering　adherents　of　King　George　were　the　ones　who　should　pay　for　damage　and　not　the　States　which　had　confiscated　Loyalist　property。　Lists　of　Loyalist　names　were　sometimes　posted　and　then　the　persons　concerned　were　l