Revolutionary War Historical Article
The American Revolution Month-by-Month April 1781
By Compatriot Andrew "Andy" Stough
Editor's Note: This article was reprinted by Permission of the Gold Country Chapter No. 7 of the CSSAR and was slightly edited by the Sons of Liberty Chapter of the CSSAR
It was evening and the smoke had hardly cleared at Guilford Courthouse when a torrential rain began, making it impossible to tend all of the wounded. The next morning at least fifty men who could have been saved were found dead from exposure. Patriot General Nathanael Greene was forced to retire from the field and was unable to care for anything but his walking casualties. However, the following morning he sent a team of surgeons under a flag of truce to assist the British in the care of the wounded; British and American surgeons worked side by side to attend the wounded regardless of their military affiliation.
British General Charles Earl Cornwallis remained for two days at the Courthouse. He then moved his and the American wounded to New Gardens leaving them in the care of the American surgeons. He then headed his decimated force toward Wilmington, North Carolina, some 200 miles away. He expected to get supplies and help for his walking wounded from loyal Scottish Highlanders. They gave what help they could but it was not enough, so he pushed on toward Wilmington, still 100 miles away, arriving there on April 7th. British Generals Charles O’Hara and John Howard, four company grade officers and several lesser officers carried on horse litters died of their wounds on the way. All were buried along the route of march.
Greene, to show the population that the American Southern Army was still viable despite the battle at the courthouse, sent General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee and Colonel Campbell to follow close behind Cornwallis while the main body followed at a distance. On the 6th he gave up the chase and turned back toward Camden. Lee and a company of Maryland Continentals were sent to join Brigadier General Francis Marion with instructions to prevent supplies and reinforcements from reaching Camden.
Cornwallis, secure at Wilmington, decided to give up his non-productive chasing after Greene and reverted to his original plan. His army reconstituted, he proceeded with his troops toward Virginia to join British General Benedict Arnold and take command of all British forces in Virginia. He still believed that control of that colony would isolate the northern and southern patriot forces from each other. With the two halves divided and cut off from their main source of supply, the colonies and their armies would wither on the vine and return to control of the Crown.
On the 17th Greene was encamped at Lynch’s Creek, his Virginia and North Carolina Militia had left to return home, leaving only 1,500 Continentals to subdue the 8,000 British and Loyalist troops in South Carolina and Georgia. Until the battle at Guilford Courthouse, he had used guerilla tactics but now decided to make frontal attacks against the isolated British forts and outposts strung out through the Carolinas and Georgia. In the coming battles and even without militia, Greene was confident that he could count on the steadfastness of his Continentals, particularly those from Maryland and Delaware, to bring victory. Additionally, and to round out his plans, he asked the irregulars who had fought so well to coordinate their actions with him to drive the British from the South. General Thomas Sumter agreed to contain the British at Camden. General Andrew Pickens to harass Augusta, Georgia, while General Francis Marion, supported by General Harry Lee’s cavalry was to prevent communications between Charleston and Camden or Ninety-Six.
Lord Rawdon, a seasoned veteran of the American War, was named to succeed Cornwallis in command of all British forces in South Carolina. Learning of Sumter’s harassing of Camden, he set out to reinforce that garrison. On April 21st, Greene was informed that Rawdon was nearing Camden with 500 men to reinforce the garrison which would bring it to a strength of 1,500 men. On Rawdon’s arrival, he found that Sumter was still harassing Camden from the west, so he sent 500 men to cope with Sumter, reducing his garrison to the original 1,000.
Greene had moved to Hobkirk’s Hill, further threatening the garrison at Camden. Rawdon, miscalculating Greene’s ability after the courthouse battle, and despite the difference in forces on April 25th challenged Greene. Numerically and position-wise the odds were in Greene’s favor and at first the battle went well for the Americans as they charged the enemy’s center while the wings were enveloping the British.
All went well until three of the Maryland companies became disorganized. For some unknown reason Colonel Gunby pulled back to reform, not only the three companies but his entire regiment, leaving a gaping hole in the center causing the 1st Virginia and 2nd Maryland to falter. Rawdon took advantage of the situation and immediately poured all of his troops including reserves into the void; the now totally disorganized Marylanders fell back in disorder. Greene could see the danger of losing not only the battle but possibly the army as well. With victory almost within his grasp, the battle was turning into a near rout. Immediately calling for a retreat, the army was saved. Gunby’s action in the battle resulted in a Board of Inquiry which found him responsible for loss of the battle.
Rawdon had his victory but once more the price was too high. British Colonel Banastre Tarleton reported 38 killed including an officer and 220 wounded including 13 officers. American losses, were one officer and 18 men killed, 7 officers and 108 men wounded and 138 men missing. Having left the field to Rawdon. Greene rested a few days then followed Rawdon who had abandoned Camden and was marching back to Charleston. Several days later Greene gave up the chase to find a more lucrative target at Ninety-Six.
Greene was disappointed but not dismayed at this failure, he assured General von Steuben that Hobkirk’s Hill would not change his plans and that he would go forward from that point. This was the occasion where Greene made his famous statement to the French minister La Lucerne, "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again . . . ."
Despite the loss at Hobkirk’s Hill, the Americans were winning in the South. Marion with Lee’s Legion captured Fort Watson by constructing a tall tower that allowed them to pick off anyone within the fort, making the British position untenable and led to their surrender. Next Greene sent them to capture Fort Monroe, a fortified brick and stone structure with a wooden roof. Using Indian tactics, they set fire to the roof with flaming arrows leading to surrender of the fort.
With Camden cut off from any supply or reinforcement and Carolina virtually in revolt, Rawdon abandoned Camden and fell back to Charleston. The Southern Army moved swiftly to take advantage of the abandonment of Camden and begin a slow but sure reduction of the British and Tory forces. Eventually only Charleston and Savannah would remain in British hands.
Previously, General George Washington had served as a commander and leader in battle as well as the Commander-in-Chief of American forces. He was still playing the double role as he kept watch over British Commander-in-Chief General Sir Henry Clinton in New York and General Benedict Arnold in Virginia. On April 18th, Arnold attacked Petersburg and without any effective resistance overwhelmed the town, burning tons of tobacco and four ships at the docks but sparing the town.
Washington wanted to kill two birds with one stone – the removal of British troops from Virginia and the capture of Arnold who was to be returned for court-martial and probably a sentence of death. To accomplish this, General Lafayette was sent with 1,200 Continentals from New England and New Jersey where it was expected that they would link up with a French force arriving by ship.
Arnold with little, or no opposition, continued marauding through Virginia. His next victim was a fleet of American naval vessels anchored in the James River about fifteen miles below Richmond. The fleet, totally surprised by Arnold, lost four vessels to his shore batteries. The remainder were set afire and abandoned by their crews.
Meanwhile, Cornwallis departed Wilmington for Virginia on April 25th with less than 1,400 men. Lafayette had been dispatched with 1,200 New England and New Jersey Continentals to defeat Arnold and return him as a prisoner. Lafayette arrived on April 29th in time to defend Richmond, but there was no linkup with the anticipated French troops who would arrive later.
Clinton had considered abandoning New York but failed to do so, choosing to remain there to watch Washington who was still a potent threat. If Clinton abandoned New York, the Tory troops who remained would be no effective fighting resource against Washington, giving him control of all the states north of Virginia. It would not only be a major victory without a fight for the Americans but psychologically it would revive any flagging interest or belief in the eventual outcome of the War.
With Cornwallis in Virginia, Rawdon had returned to Charleston. With British forces forted up in the coastal cities, Greene and the irregulars were loose to reduce the isolated posts manned by small garrisons that would fall like dominoes.
References: Christopher Ward's "The War of the Revolution"; Bruce Lancaster's "The American Revolution" ; Dan Higginbotham’s "The War of American Independence".
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