Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/256

224 Greene and Cornwallis in Carolina. [mo Washington, that fought under the American flag. He had devoted himself to the literature of his profession, and in technical skill was probably little if at all inferior to Washington, as he was certainly not inferior to him or to any other man in personal courage. Where he fell short of his chief was in force of character and administrative capacity. His kindliness and simplicity of nature always won the love of his subordinates; he sometimes lacked the strength of will needful to win their obedience. The individual battles of the campaign are, with perhaps one ex- ception, of no very great interest. In no case did the ground give any great scope for tactical skill. The battles were for the most part matters of hard fighting, in which abundant courage was shown on each side. Usually the Americans had some numerical superiority, equalised by the better discipline and longer experience of the British. The real interest lies not in individual engagements but in the strategy of the campaign as a whole. To understand this, it is needful to have a clear comprehension of the physical peculiarities of the country. We may look on South Carolina as divided into parallelograms, separated by rivers, each fringed by wide belts of morass. For troops to cross these obstacles, even in small parties, great care and local knowledge were requisite. The transport of artillery and stores was out of the question. Moreover, the unhealthy nature of the climate made pro- longed sojourn in the lower districts impossible. Further inland the rivers branch into smaller streams, the soil becomes firmer, and the air more wholesome. Thus, throughout the campaign we see each combatant endeavouring to shoulder his opponent eastward and to secure the advantage of the more traversable country. Immediately after the fall of Charleston, Clinton sent Cornwallis to cut off a body of troops under Colonel Burford, who, having arrived too late to join his countrymen at Charleston, was on the north bank of the Santee river. Burford fled inland. Cornwallis pursued him for some way with his whole force, but finally detached Tarleton, a vigorous commander of light horse, in pursuit. Tarleton overtook Burford at Waxhaws on the border of North Carolina and cut his whole force to pieces. It was said that he refused quarter ; and the recollection of his alleged ferocity did much to embitter feeling. The disaffection of the inhabitants was further increased by Clinton's administrative policy. He issued a proclamation stating that all loyal subjects would be expected to serve in the militia if required. At first he allowed his prisoners to remain at liberty on parole, but he subsequently cancelled the paroles and required as a condition of freedom a declaration of loyalty, involving the obligation to serve under the British flag. The result was that the ranks of the militia were largely filled with disaffected men ; and many who, if their paroles had been continued, might have remained neutral, felt no scruple about breaking an oath thus extorted.