The Road to Charleston by Buchanan John

Author:Buchanan, John
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: IDENTIFIER: Buchanan_Charleston
Publisher: University of Virginia Press
Published: 2019-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

“Gen’l Sumter Has Pla[y]ed the Old Soldier with Me”

At least Lee was in the field and active, even if his brain was overactive with schemes. Thomas Sumter, on the other hand, was personally inactive yet actively troublesome. On 25 July 1781 he ordered Captain William Ransome Davis to proceed to Georgetown with a detachment of state cavalry “to secure all articles of property belonging to the enemy” and all persons hostile to the interests of the United States. Davis should seize indigo, salt, hospital stores “& all other articles suitable & wanted for the army . . . except so much as may be necessary for family use.” Although Sumter was Marion’s nominal superior, he was poaching on Marion’s district in a town in which Marion had always shown a special interest and where his officer commanded. Four days later Lee informed Greene of what Sumter had done. Greene replied that Sumter’s action “I think to be wrong but it is too late to prevent it.” Marion took it philosophically, writing to Sumter that it “may Interfere with my Command but I suppose I must Submit.” During the first week of August 1781, Sumter temporarily retired to his plantation near Charlotte, North Carolina. It is fair to assume that his physical condition plus strenuous activity during the Dog Days Expedition required a rest from campaigning. But there may have been another reason for his presence in North Carolina. The depot of his commissary of captures was in that state, and it was time to distribute booty. His biographer Anne King Gregorie wrote, “It seems likely that Sumter’s presence would have been necessary, especially as traditions of the country say that he always secured his share of the spoil.” He would not return to the field until October, and then only under orders.10

At the same time as he withdrew to North Carolina, Sumter decided to withdraw his men from the field. Colonel William Henderson (1748–1788) of the Ninety Six District had temporarily assumed command of the brigade after the Battle of Blackstock’s and Sumter’s incapacitation. Later Henderson would for a time command the South Carolina state troops Sumter had raised. On 14 August Henderson wrote Greene, “With expectations of Seeing at least four or five hundred men fit for the field, I came to take command of the Brigade of State Troops, but I find Gen’l Sumter has pla[y]ed the old Soldier with me, for I have not been able to Collect quite Two hundred fit for action, and they in a most Shatter’d condition” (italics Henderson’s). He had no sooner closed this letter when he followed it up with a short letter enclosing a memorandum of instructions from Sumter “that Realy Serprises me. That I Should Come here for no other purpose but to furlow a parsel of Troops & that When the Enemy is at Our Very Doors; & there horses To be Guarded by militia No Readier a way to Dismount the men Could be Devised.” Sumter’s memorandum directed Henderson to move the troops three to five miles to a bluff “where there is good water.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.