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to the command of the Southern army. The men of this detachment, ill-fed, suffered greatly from dysentery. In South Carolina, Gates was joined by Porterfield's Virginia regiment, Rutherford's corps of North Carolina militia, and Armaud's legion.

When it had become evident that no effectual resistance would be made to the British in South Carolina, many of the principal inhabitants had taken refuge in North Carolina and Virginia. Among these was Colonel Sumter, whom about two hundred of the exiles chose as their leader; and some of those who were left behind, finding that the neutrality which they desired was no longer to be permitted, also joined Sumter, until their number reached six hundred. He was thus able to carry on an active and successful partisan warfare. A similar course was taken by others.

Gates having under him about four thousand men, of whom the regulars were less than one thousand, took post at Clermont. As the force of the Americans was daily increasing, Cornwallis, having under him about two thousand men, of whom nineteen hundred were regulars, decided on attacking the American army. It so happened, that the period chosen by Cornwallis to surprise Gates, was the very moment in which Gates proposed to surprise his adversary; and thus the advanced corps of both armies unexpectedly met at two o'clock in the morning. After some skirmishing, in which the British seemed to have had a decided advantage, both parties suspended their operations till the morning. On the first onset of the British, the Virginia militia under General Stevens fled with precipitation, and were followed by the infantry of Armstrong; and, except Colonel Dixon's regiment, the whole South

256

DE KALB — SUMPTER.

[CHAP. III. Carolina division followed the example.' Very few of the militia of either State discharged a single musket. Gates was borne away by the torrent, and, with General Caswell, retreated to Clermont, in the hope of collecting a sufficient number of the fugitives to cover the retreat of the regulars; but the hope was vain. He was fain to proceed to Hillsborough, to concert the future plan of operations. Thus left with an inadequate force on the field, De Kalb made a stout resistance; but in an impetuous charge, he fell, after having received twelve wounds. His troops were then unable to rally, and their discomfiture was complete. wounded and prisoners, could not have been less than one thousand men. The British lost three hundred and twenty-five men.

Their loss, in killed,

Just before the action, Sumter had captured a convoy, and made two hundred prisoners; but was subsequently surprised by Tarleton, who recaptured the stores, killed one hundred and fifty, and took three hundred prisoners. Sumter escaped with difficulty.

There was no longer any armed American force in South Carolina, and Cornwallis resorted to energetic means of preventing disaffection. All those who were found in arms after they had submitted to British protection were considered as having forfeited their lives, and several of them were hung on the spot. But these severities, instead of their intended effect, produced a strong reaction; and Sumter was able to collect a new force, with which he greatly annoyed the north-western parts of the State.

This course of adverse fortune in the South it was not in the power of Washington to arrest. He had not the men to spare, and though these had not been wanting,

1780.]

COMMISSARY-GENERAL.

257

he was unable to provide for their pay and subsistence. At times there was neither meat nor bread in the magazines. The paper-money had visibly depreciated in 1777, and at the end of March, 1778, it had fallen to forty for This rate Congress did not hesitate to recognise as the difference between their first and last emissions. The States were therefore called upon for their quotas to make up three millions, to be paid in bills of the last emission, or specie.

one.

From the perplexing annoyances attending the office of Commissary-general, Colonel Wadsworth resigned it. A fit successor was not easily obtained. In this dilemma the Commander-in-chief was obliged to require specific quantities of meat and flour for the army; to which unwonted requisitions the people of Jersey submitted with exemplary patience.

An expedition against the forces on Staten Island was attempted under Lord Stirling; but not able to surprise them, as he had intended, he was compelled to retreat.

In consequence of the difficulties experienced in paying and providing for the army, three members of Congress were appointed to repair to the camp, and consult with the Commander-in-chief on the means of relief. Two regiments from Connecticut declared their resolution to return home, or obtain subsistence at the point of the bayonet.' It was with some difficulty that this mutiny was suppressed.

These discontents of the army, which were notorious, led the British to believe that the people were ready to abandon the cause of independence; and thus General Knyphausen, with five thousand men, was induced to invade New Jersey in June. Thence they marched to Connecticut, but finding that the temper of the people 1 IV. Marshall, page 222.

VOL I.-17

1

258

SUPPLIES FURNISHED BY FRANCE. [CHAP. III.

had been misunderstood, after some skirmishes and destruction of property, most of the corps returned to Staten Island, leaving Knyphausen with the remainder at Elizabethtown.

On the seventh of June, Clinton, with an army of five thousand men, marched towards Springfield, in Massachusetts, but was so gallantly resisted by General Greene and others, that he returned to Staten Island.

In this moment of gloom, Congress had the satisfaction to hear that a French fleet was soon to arrive in America with troops to aid the United States. La Fayette, who had made a recent visit to France, had succeeded with his Court in effecting this seasonable assistance.

This intelligence raised the hopes and quickened the energies of the United States. A requisition was forthwith made of ten millions of dollars on the States; bills on Franklin and Jay were drawn for fifty thousand dollars; and a circular letter was addressed by Congress to the State governments, to urge their speedy and strict compliance with the requisition. Letters of the same character were written by the Commander-in-chief and the committee in the camp. Yet all these were not sufficient to rouse the States from the torpor into which they had fallen, or at least to overcome the inherent difficulties arising from their impoverished and exhausted condition. Something was, however, done by patriotic individuals. A bank was established in Philadelphia, chiefly by the efforts of Robert Morris, for the express purpose of relieving the army. The ladies of Philadelphia also made liberal contributions in money, and other valuables. Still the sufferings of the army for clothing were very great.1

While Washington was looking to the States for those IV. Marshall, page 244.

1780.] THE FRENCH AND BRITISH FLEETS.

259

supplies which would enable him to attempt the recovery of New York, which had long been a favorite object with him, the French fleet arrived in Rhode Island on the tenth of July, under the command of Count de Rochambeau. The fleet brought a part of the troops destined for the land service, of whom the whole number was between five and six thousand men. Count de Rochambeau and the troops were to be under the command of Washington. He and the Count agreed upon an attack on New York. The squadron under the command of Chevalier de Ternay consisted of seven sail-of-the-line, five frigates, and five smaller vessels. The British then had in New York only four ships-of-the-line and a few frigates; but three days after De Ternay's arrival, Admiral Graves reached New York with six ships-of-the-line.

The British fleet, thus reinforced, proceeded to Rhode Island, but found the French fleet in too secure a position to be attacked. Sir Henry Clinton, meditating an attack on Newport, embarked six thousand troops, which he had intended for New York; but his object having been rendered more difficult by delay, he proceeded to Huntingdon Bay, when he ascertained that the works on Rhode Island were too strong to be successfully attacked.

The departure of Sir Henry Clinton encouraged General Washington in his views on New York; and accordingly he marched on the east side of the Hudson towards Kingsbridge, with an army of near ten thousand men, exclusive of militia; but the return of Sir Henry Clinton induced him to change his purpose. He then recrossed the Hudson, and took post near Orangetown. As four ships-of-the-line and two thousand land troops were expected from France, Washington awaited their arrival to undertake offensive operations.

General Greene, who had been acting as Quartermas