Greene on the High Hills of Santee.—The Enemy harassed.—Greene marches
against Stuart.—Battle near Eutaw Springs.
For some weeks in the months of July and August, General Greene had
remained encamped with his main force on the high hills of Santee,
refreshing and disciplining his men, and awaiting the arrival of
promised reinforcements. He was constantly looking to Washington as his
polar star by which to steer, and feared dispatches from him had been
intercepted. “I wait with impatience for intelligence,” said he, “by
which I mean to govern my own operations. If things are flattering in
the North, I will hazard less in the South; but, if otherwise there, we
must risk more here.” In the meantime, Marion with his light troops,
aided by Colonel Washington with his dragoons, held control over the
lower Santee. Lee was detached to operate with Sumter’s brigade on the
Congaree, and Colonel Harden with his mounted militia was scouring the
country about the Edisto. The enemy was thus harassed in every quarter;
their convoys and foraging parties waylaid, and Stuart was obliged to
obtain all his supplies from below.
Greene was disappointed as to reinforcements. All that he received were
two hundred North Carolina levies and five hundred South Carolina
militia; still he prepared for a bold effort to drive the enemy from
their remaining posts. For that purpose, on the 22d of August he broke
up his encampment on the “benign hills of Santee,” to march against
Colonel Stuart. The latter still lay encamped about sixteen miles
distant in a straight line; but the Congaree and Wateree lay between,
bordered by swamps overflowed by recent rains; to cross them and reach
the hostile camp, it was necessary to make a circuit of seventy miles.
While Greene was making it, Stuart abandoned his position, and moved
down forty miles to the vicinity of Eutaw Springs, where he was
reinforced by a detachment from Charleston with provisions.
Greene followed on by easy marches. He had been joined by General
Pickens with a party of the Ninety Six militia, and by the State troops
under Lieutenant-colonel Henderson; and now moved slowly to give time
for Marion, who was scouring the country about the Edisto, to rejoin
him. This was done on the 5th of September at Laurens’ place, within
seventeen miles of Stuart’s camp. Here baggage, tents, everything that
could impede motion, was left behind, and on the afternoon of the
seventh the army was pushed on within seven miles of the Eutaws, where
it bivouacked for the night, Greene lying on the ground wrapped in his
cloak, with the root of a tree for a pillow.
At four o’clock in the morning his little army was in motion. His whole
force at that time did not exceed two thousand men; that of the enemy he
was seeking, about twenty-three hundred. The Americans, however, were
superior in cavalry. Owing to the difficulty of receiving information,
and the country being covered with forests, the enemy were not aware of
Greene’s approach until he was close upon them.
His army advanced in two columns, which were to form the two lines of
battle. The first column, commanded by General Marion, was composed of
two battalions of North and two of South Carolina militia. The second
column of three brigades; one of North Carolina, one of Virginia, and
one of Maryland continental troops. Colonel Lee with his legion covered
the right flank, Colonel Henderson the left. Colonel Washington, with
his dragoons and the Delaware troops, formed the reserve. Each column
had two field-pieces.
Within four miles of Eutaw they met with a British detachment of one
hundred and fifty infantry and fifty cavalry under Major Coffin, sent
forward to reconnoiter; it was put to flight after a severe skirmish, in
which a number were killed and wounded, and several taken prisoners.
Supposing this to be the van of the enemy, Greene halted his columns and
formed. The South Carolinians in equal divisions formed the right and
left of the first line, the North Carolinians the centre. General Marion
commanded the right; General Pickens, the left; Colonel Malmedy, the
centre. Colonel Henderson with the State troops covered the left of the
line; Colonel Lee with his legion the right.
Of the second line, composed of regulars, the North Carolinians, under
General Sumner, were on the right; the Marylanders, under Colonel
Williams, on the left; the Virginians, under Colonel Campbell, in the
centre.
Colonel Washington with his cavalry followed in the rear as a _corps de
reserve_.
Two three-pounders moved on the road in the centre of the first line.
Two six-pounders in a like position in the second line.
In this order the troops moved forward, keeping their lines as well as
they could through open woods, which covered the country on each side of
the road.
Within a mile of the camp they encountered a body of infantry thrown
forward by Colonel Stuart, to check their advance while he had time to
form his troops in order of battle. These were drawn up in line in a
wood two hundred yards west of Eutaw Springs. The right rested on Eutaw
Creek (or brook), and was covered by a battalion of grenadiers and
infantry under Major Majoribanks, partly concealed among thickets on the
margin of the stream. The left of the line extended across the
Charleston road, with a reserve corps in a commanding situation covering
the road. About fifty yards in the rear of the British line was a
cleared field, in which was their encampment, with the tents all
standing. Adjoining it was a brick house with a palisadoed garden which
Colonel Stuart intended as a protection, if too much pressed by cavalry.
The advanced party of infantry, which had retired firing before the
Americans, formed on the flanks of Colonel Stuart’s line. The Carolinian
militia had pressed after them. About nine o’clock the action was
commenced by the left of the American line, and soon became general. The
militia fought for a time with the spirit and firmness of regulars.
Their two field-pieces were dismounted; so was one of the enemy’s; and
there was great carnage on both sides. The militia fought until they had
expended seventeen rounds, when they gave way, covered by Lee and
Henderson, who fought bravely on the flanks on the line.
Sumner, with the regulars who formed the second line, advanced in fine
style to take the place of the first. The enemy likewise brought their
reserve into action; the conflict continued to be bloody and severe.
Colonel Henderson, who commanded the State troops in the second line,
was severely wounded; this caused some confusion. Sumner’s brigade,
formed partly of recruits, gave way under the superior fire of the
enemy. The British rushed forward to secure their fancied victory.
Greene, seeing their line disordered, instantly ordered Williams with
his Marylanders to “sweep the field with the bayonet.” Williams was
seconded by Colonel Campbell with the Virginians. The order was
gallantly obeyed. They delivered a deadly volley at forty yards’
distance, and then advanced at a brisk rate, with loud shouts and
trailed arms, prepared to make the deadly thrust. The British recoiled.
While the Marylanders and Virginians attacked them in front, Lee with
his legion turned their left flank and charged them in rear. Colonel
Hampton with the State cavalry made a great number of prisoners, and
Colonel Washington, coming up with his reserve of horse and foot,
completed their defeat. They were driven back through their camp; many
were captured; many fled along the Charleston road, and others threw
themselves into the brick house.
Major Majoribanks and his troops could still enfilade the left flank of
the Americans from their covert among the thickets on the border of the
stream. Greene ordered Colonel Washington with his dragoons and
Kirkwood’s Delaware infantry to dislodge them, and Colonel Wade Hampton
to assist with the State troops. Colonel Washington without waiting for
the infantry, dashed forward with his dragoons. It was a rash move. The
thickets were impervious to cavalry. The dragoons separated into small
squads, and endeavored to force their way in. Horses and riders were
shot down or bayoneted; most of the officers were either killed or
wounded. Colonel Washington had his horse shot under him; he himself was
bayoneted, and would have been slain, had not a British officer
interposed, who took him prisoner.
By the time Hampton and Kirkwood came up, the cavalry were routed; the
ground was strewed with the dead and the wounded; horses were plunging
and struggling in the agonies of death; others were galloping about
without their riders. While Hampton rallied the scattered cavalry
Kirkwood with his Delawares charged with bayonets upon the enemy in the
thicket. Majoribanks fell back with his troops and made a stand in the
palisadoed garden of the brick house.
Victory now seemed certain on the side of the Americans. They had driven
the British from the field, and had taken possession of their camp;
unfortunately, the soldiers, thinking the day their own, fell to
plundering the tents, devouring the food and carousing on the liquors
found there. Many of them became intoxicated and unmanageable—the
officers interfered in vain; all was riot and disorder.
The enemy in the mean time recovered from their confusion and opened a
fire from every window of the house and from the palisadoed garden.
There was a scattering fire also from the woods and thickets on the
right and left. Four cannon, one of which had been captured from the
enemy, were now advanced by the Americans to batter the house. The fire
from the windows was so severe, that most of the officers and men who
served the cannon were either killed or wounded. Greene ordered the
survivors to retire; they did so, leaving the cannon behind.
Colonel Stuart was by this time rallying his left wing, and advancing to
support the right; when Greene, finding his ammunition nearly exhausted,
determined to give up the attempt to dislodge the enemy from their
places of refuge, since he could not do it without severe loss; whereas
the enemy could maintain their posts but a few hours, and he should have
a better opportunity of attacking them on their retreat.
He remained on the ground long enough to collect his wounded, excepting
those who were too much under the fire of the house, and then, leaving
Colonel Hampton with a strong picket on the field, he returned to the
position seven miles off which he had left in the morning; not finding
water anywhere nearer.
The enemy decamped in the night after destroying a large quantity of
provisions, staving many barrels of rum, and breaking upwards of a
thousand stand of arms which they threw into the springs of the Eutaw;
they left behind also seventy of their wounded who might have impeded
the celerity of their retreat. Their loss in killed, wounded, and
captured, in this action, was six hundred and thirty-three, of whom five
hundred were prisoners in the hands of the Americans; the loss
sustained, by the latter in killed, wounded, and missing, was five
hundred and thirty-five. One of the slain most deplored was Colonel
Campbell, who had so bravely led on the Virginians. He fell in the shock
of the charge with the bayonet. It was a glorious close of a gallant
career. In his dying moments he was told of the defeat of the enemy, and
is said to have uttered the celebrated ejaculation of General Wolfe, “I
die contented.”
In the morning, General Greene, who knew not that the enemy had
decamped, detached Lee and Marion to scour the country between Eutaw
Springs and Charleston, to intercept any reinforcements which might be
coming to Colonel Stuart, and to retard the march of the latter should
he be retreating. Stuart, however, had met with reinforcements about
fourteen miles from Eutaw, but continued his retreat to Monk’s Corner,
within twenty-five miles of Charleston.
Greene, when informed of the retreat, had followed with his main force
almost to Monk’s Corner; finding the number and position of the enemy
too strong to be attacked with prudence, he fell back to Eutaw, where he
remained a day or two to rest his troops, and then returned by easy
marches to his old position near the heights of Santee.
Thence, as usual, he dispatched an account of affairs to Washington.
“Since I wrote to you before, we have had a most bloody battle. It was
by far the most obstinate fight I ever saw. Victory was ours; and had it
not been for one of those little incidents which frequently happen in
the progress of war, we should have taken the whole British army.... I
am trying to collect a body of militia to oppose Lord Cornwallis should
he attempt to escape through North Carolina to Charleston. Charleston
itself may be reduced, if you will bend your forces this way, and it
will give me great pleasure to join your Excellency in the attempt; for
I shall be equally happy, whether as a principal or subordinate, so that
the public good is promoted.”
Such was the purport of the intelligence received from Greene.
Washington considered the affair at Eutaw Springs a victory, and sent
Greene his congratulations. “Fortune,” writes he, “must have been coy
indeed, had she not yielded at last to so persevering a pursuer as you
have been.”
“I can say with sincerity, that I feel with the highest degree of
pleasure the good effects which you mention as resulting from the
perfect good understanding between you, the marquis, and myself. I hope
it will never be interrupted, and I am sure it never can be while we are
all influenced by the same pure motive, that of love to our country and
interest in the cause in which we are embarked.”
We will now resume our narrative of the siege of Yorktown.
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