Enclosure: Major General Nathanael Greene to Samuel Huntington, 27 April 1781
ENCLOSURE
Major General Nathanael Greene to Samuel Huntington
Camp, Sanderses Creek [S.C.]
27th April 1781—before Camden
Sir
I did myself the honor to address your Excellency on the 22d; and informed you that we lay before Camden, having found it impracticable to storm the Town with a prospect of success, and nothing left but to take a position to induce the enemy to sally.1 We chose a hill about one mile from the Town on the main road leading to the Waxhaws.2 It was cover’d with timber and flank’d on the left by an impassable morass. The Country between that and the town is cover’d by heavy wood and underbrush. In this situation we lay constantly upon our arms ready for action at a moments warning.
About eleven o’Clock on the morning of the 25th, our advanc’d piquets were fir’d upon, who gave the enemy a warm reception.
The line was formed in an instant, General Hugers brigade upon the right of the road, Colo. Williams’s Brigade of Marylanders on the left, and the Artillery in the Center. Col: Read with a few Militia in the rear as a second line.3 Capt. Kirkwood with the light Infantry lay in our front, and as the enemy advanc’d he was soon engag’d with them, and both he and his Corps behav’d with great gallantry.
The piquets under the command of Captains Morgan and Benson, behav’d with equal spirit and good conduct.4
As the enemy were found to be advancing only with a small front, Lieut. Colo. Ford with the second Maryland Regiment had orders to advance and flank them upon the left, Lieut. Colo. Campbell had orders to do the like upon the right. Col. Gunby with the first Maryland regiment, and Lieut. Col. Haws with the second Virginia regiment; had orders to advance down the hill and charge them in front. Lieut. Colo. Washington with the horse had orders to turn the enemies right flank and charge them in the rear. The whole line was soon engag’d in close firing, and the Artillery under Colonel Harrison playing on their front, the enemy were stagger’d in all quarters, and upon the left were retiring while our troops continued to advance, when unfortunately, two Companies of the right of the first Maryland regiment got a little disorder’d and unhappily Colonel Gunby gave an order for the rest of the regiment, then advancing to take a new position in the rear, where the two companies were rallying. This impress’d the whole regiment with an idea of a retreat, and communicated itself to the second regiment, which immediately followed the first on their retiring. Both were rallied but it was too late, the enemy had gained the hill and obliged the artillery to retire. The second Virginia regiment having advanc’d some distance down the hill, and the Maryland line being gone, the enemy immediately turned their flank, while they were engag’d in front. Lieut. Colo. Campbells regiment had got into some disorder and fallen back a little, this oblig’d me to order Lieut. Colo. Haws to retire. The Troops were frequently rallied, but had got into too much disorder to recover the fortune of the day, which once promis’d us as complete a victory as Col: Washington found the enemy, both horse and foot retiring with the utmost precipitation towards the Town; and took upwards of two hundred prisoners and ten or fifteen officers, before he discover’d our people had left the ground, more than fifty of which were brought off. The Colonels behaviour and that of his regiment upon this occasion did them the highest honor. We retir’d about two or three miles without any loss of Artillery or ammunition waggons, the baggage having been sent off at the beginning of the action. The enemy suffer’d very greatly. Our force was not materially different; but had we succeeded from the disposition made, we must have had the whole prisoners as well as full possession of Camden.5 Inclosed is a return of the killed and wounded. Among the former is Captain Baty of the Maryland line, a most excellent officer and an ornament to his profession.6
Our Army is in good spirits, and this little repulse will make no alteration in our general plan of operations.7
Inclosed I send your Excellency the conditions of the capitulation and surrender of fort Watson; which I hope will be followed by others.8 I have the honor to be with great respect Your Excellencys most obedient and most humble servant
Nath. Greene
P.S. The Horse and part of the Infantry at the close of the Evening charged upon the Enemy, who retreated immediately into Town with precipitation.9
Copy, DLC:GW.
For details and analysis of the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, see , 8:157–60, and , 503–8. For the perspective of Greene’s opponent, see Francis Rawdon to Charles Cornwallis, 26 April, in , 20:122–24.
1. See Greene to Huntington, 22 April, found at Greene to GW, same date, n.1.
2. The Waxhaws, an area south of Waxhaw Creek and east of the Catawba River on the border between North Carolina and South Carolina, was about forty miles north of Camden.
3. The North Carolina legislature had named James Read (Reed) colonel of a regiment of North Carolina militia cavalry in February. At Hobkirk’s Hill he commanded the North Carolina militia (see , 325).
4. Perry Benson (c.1755–1827), who had served as a militia lieutenant in the Maryland battalion of the Flying Camp in July 1776, joined the 5th Maryland Regiment as a lieutenant in December 1776. He became a captain in March 1778. Benson was twice wounded in the southern campaigns of 1780 and 1781. He transferred to the Maryland Battalion in April 1783 and left the army that November. Benson later rose to major general in the Maryland militia and served in the state legislature.
5. Rawdon had brought “above nine hundred” men to the field, including sixty dragoons (see the source note above). In his official return of casualties, Rawdon reported 38 killed, 177 wounded, and 43 missing (Davies, Documents of the Revolution, 19:137).
6. A “Field Return of Infantry serving in the Southern Army of The United States Commanded by the Honorable Major General Greene,” dated 26 April, lists the strength of the army’s four Continental regiments and the small light infantry corps. Total infantry strength was 45 officers, 12 staff officers, 85 noncommissioned officers, 42 drummers and fifers, and 843 rank and file. The strength of the North Carolina militia corps was 11 officers, 2 staff officers, 10 noncommissioned officers, and 254 rank and file. Casualties sustained in the battle among the Continental infantry and the militia were listed as 18 killed, 103 wounded, and 135 missing. Remarks followed the tabular material: “Most of the men return’d missing disobey’d the orders to rally at Saunders’s Creek, and took a different rout; some are killed—& Several are expected to rejoin, as at least a third of the remainder has been heard of. 47 are Wounded & in the British Hospital.” The next section of the return named eight officers—among them Capt. William Beatty, Jr.—who had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner (DLC:GW).
Another document dated 26 April covers the cavalry and artillery. A “Field Return of the Detachment of Cavalry commanded by Lieutt Colonel Washington accounting for the Kill’d, wounded and missing in the action before Camden the 25th April 1781” lists the strength of the mounted and dismounted dragoons as 6 officers, 10 noncommissioned officers, 5 trumpeters, and 87 privates. Casualties were 2 dragoons wounded and 1 missing. Among the 78 horses, 64 were fit for duty, 7 were missing, and 7 were on command or sick. A “Field Return of Artillery serving in the Southern Army” lists its strength as 7 officers, 6 sergeants, 5 corporals, and 52 other enlisted soldiers. The casualties among the artillery were 3 wounded and 2 missing (DLC:GW).
7. Sgt. William Seymour of the Delaware Regiment reported that “the enemy made a sally out of Campden and were down on our picquet before discovered. At this time our men were, for the chief part, some washing their clothes, and some were out in the country on passes. … As soon as the sentinels discovered them, they fired on them, and gave the alarm; upon which the light infantry immediately turned out and engaged them very vigorously for some time, but, being overpowered by the superiority of their numbers, they retreated about two hundred yards across the main road, where the main picquet of our army was formed, and, falling in with them, renewed the fire with so much alacrity and undaunted bravery, that they put the enemy to a stand for some time, till, being overpowered by the superior number of the enemy, they were obliged to retreat.” The main army had come up and held until compelled to withdraw, “leaving the enemy masters of the field of battle, which, however, they very dearly bought, they having three hundred and fifty killed and wounded in the field, our loss not exceeding two hundred in killed, wounded, and prisoners” (, 24–25). Capt. Robert Kirkwood, Jr., of the Delaware Regiment curtly reported in his diary entry for 25 April: “The enemy sallyed out and drove us back” (, 17).
8. Brig. Gen. Francis Marion enclosed the terms of the surrender of Fort Watson, located near the shore of Scott Lake on the Santee River about sixty-three miles northwest of Charleston, when he wrote Greene on 23 April. Marion’s letter, written at Fort Watson, reads: “Lieut. Colo. Lee made a junction with me on Santee the 14th instant, after a rapid march from Ramseys mill on Deep River which he perform’d in eight days. The 15th we marched to this place and invested it, our hope was to cut off their water. some Riflemen and Continentals immediately took post between the Fort and the Lake. The Fort situated on a small hill forty feet high stockaded, with three rows of Abbatis around it, no trees near enough to cover our men from their fire.
“The third day after we had invested it, we found the Enemy had sunk a well near the stockade, which we could not prevent them from, as we had no intrenching tools to make our approaches. We immediately determined to raise a work equal to the heighth of the fort—This arduous work was completed this morning by Major Maham who undertook it. We then made a lodgement on the side of the Mount near the stockade—This was perform’d with great spirit and address by Ensign Johnson and Mr Lee, a Voluntier in Colo. Lees Legion, who with difficulty ascended the hill and pulled away the Abbatis, which induced the Commandant to hoist a flag—Colonel Lee and myself agreed to the enclosed capitulation, which I hope may be approved of by you.
“Our loss on this occasion was two Militia killed, and three Continentals wounded.
“On this occasion I am particularly indebted to Colo. Lee for his advice and indefatigable diligence, in every part of this tedious operation, against as strong a little fort as could be made, on the most advantageous spot that could be wished for.
“The Officers and men of the Legion and Militia performed every thing that could be expected, and Major Maham of my brigade had in a particular manner a great share in the success by his unwearied diligence, in executing a Tower which was the principal occasion of the reduction of the Fort—In short Sir I have had the greatest satisfaction from every one under my command.
“Inclosed is a list of the prisoners and stores taken—I shall without loss of time demolish the Fort after which I shall proceed to the high hills of Santee, and halt at Captain Richardsons plantation untill further orders” (DLC:GW).
British lieutenant James McKay and Capt. Patrick Carnes of Lt. Col. Henry Lee, Jr.’s Legion signed the terms and list of prisoners dated 23 April. The enclosed copy reads: “Terms of Capitulation proposed by Lieut McKay Commandant of Fort Watson.
“1st The Officers to be permitted their paroles, to wear their side arms, and to possess their private baggage. Agreed.
“2d. The British soldiers to be allowed to march to Charles Town, where they are to continue, perfectly out of service ’till exchang’d, and liable to be order’d elsewhere by the commander in chief of the American Southern army. Agreed.
“3d. The Irregulars to be treated as prisoners of war. Agreed.
“4th. All public stores &Ca to be delivered to the Legion quarter master, and the Fort to be deliver’d up to Captain Oldham, who will take possession this evening with a detachment of Marylanders.
“The Capitulation is agreed to as it now stands, in compliment to the gallantry with which it has been defended. … A List of Prisoners taken at Scotts lake 23 April 1781: Commd Officers—British, Lieut. McKay, commandt of the Fort[;] Surgeon Campbell, Kings American regimt[;] Ensign Robinson, Loyal American regimt[;] Lieut. Lewis—South Carolina rangers[;] Ensign and quarter master McKallam—south Carolina Rangers. 73 British privates[;] 36 Tories. Total 5 Commissd Officers & 109 privates” (DLC:GW).
9. Greene had sent Lt. Colo. William Washington, with his dragoons and Kirkwood’s company of light infantry, to gather wounded and stragglers from the battlefield. These troops ambushed and drove off a party of Loyalist cavalry, numbering about forty, which Rawdon had left to guard the battlefield. Washington’s detachment killed and wounded about half of the Loyalist force (see , 279).