reality more desperate than it was supposed to be by the American general. The possession of the field yielded no positive good; and he derived from victory no other advantage than safety to the remnant of his army.

The consequences of the battle proved, that Greene had been not less judicious in determining to fight, than in the arrangement he had made of

his troops.

The diminution of the British force, and the inability of the neighbouring country longer to fur nish the necessary supplies, rendered it unadvisable for Lord Cornwallis either to hazard another action, or to attempt to maintain his present position. He found himself not only incapable of realising any one of the advantages he had promised himself from victory; but under the absolute necessity of retreating to some place of greater security, where provisions to subsist his army might certainly be obtained.

When the expedition into North Carolina was originally meditated, the acquisition of Wilming ton, a town near the mouth of Cape Fear River, was contemplated as a part of the plan. This position was deemed of considerable importance; as it united to a safe and easy communication with the sea, the facility of a water transportation extending deep into the country, and reaching very near that district which had been lately the theatre

of

of action. This enterprise was committed to Ma. jor Craig. At the head of three hundred British soldiers, and a few marines, aided by a small naval force, he took possession of the place without opposition, and extended his authority several miles up the river. From a communication with this post Lord Cornwallis now looked for aids which had become indispensably necessary to the further operations of the campaign.

On the day of leaving Guilford court-house, after having resolved on a movement towards the south-east, so as to approach Wilmington, he issued a proclamation, announcing his victory of the 15th, and calling on all loyal subjects to stand forth and take an active part in restoring good order and go

vernment.

This proclamation was issued in the hope that it would induce the royalists to join his standard; an object of infinite importance in the present state of his army. To promote it, he designed to establish his head-quarters at Cross creek; a place which was favourable to these views, and at the same time so connected with Wilmington by the Cape Fear river, into which it empties, that he flattered himself with being able to obtain from thence every necessary supply.

His resolution being taken, Lord Cornwallis broke up his encampment on the third day after the battle; and leaving such of his wounded as

could

could not be moved, to fall into the hands of the Americans, proceeded by slow and easy marches towards Cross creek.

On hearing that the British army, instead of advancing on him as he had expected, was cer tainly retreating, General Greene immediately resolved to follow it; and the American troops were put in motion for that purpose.

The continual rains; the consequent badness of the roads; the great difficulty of subsisting the troops in a country never abundant, and now very much exhausted, and extremely hostile; but above all, the necessity of waiting for a supply · of ammunition; impeded so considerably the march of the American army, that it did not reach Ramsay's mills on Deep river till the 28th of March.

At this place Lord Cornwallis had halted; and here General Greene expected to overtake and attack him. But on the approach of the American army, his lordship resumed his march; and passing Deep river on a bridge previously constructed for that purpose, proceeded to Cross creek, and afterwards to Wilmington, where he arrived on the 7th of April.

General Greene gave over the pursuit at Ramsay's mills. So excessive had been the sufferings of his army for the want of provisions, that many

of his men fainted on the march, and it had be

come

come absolutely necessary to give them some repose and refreshment.

The impossibility of subsisting his army did not constitute the only motive for not following Lord Cornwallis to Wilmington. In this critical state of the campaign, he found himself once more reduced to his handful of continental troops. The Virginia militia, having been called into service only for six weeks, were about to leave him. The places of those who had performed their tour of duty not being supplied by others, it became ad. visable to suspend the pursuit.

At Ramsay's mills, Greene deliberated on his future operations. Wilmington being accessible to ships, it was obviously impracticable to act with effect against the army in that place. In the mean time, having it at his option to act offensively, or to continue merely on the defensive, Lord Cornwallis would certainly retain all his possessions in the two more southern states.

Thus circumstanced, Greene took the bold and happy resolution to carry the war immediately into South Carolina.

The motives which induced the adoption of this measure, were stated by himself in a letter communicating his determination to the commander in chief. It would, he conceived, compel Lord Cornwallis to follow him, or to sacrifice all the posts held by the British in the upper parts of South Carolina and Georgia.

If

If the former part of the alternative should be embraced, it would entirely liberate North Carolina from the invading army, and enable that state to raise its quota of troops for the continental service; if the latter, the two states of South Carolina and Georgia would probably be restored to the union, and the possessions of the enemy in the southern country would be reduced to the sea-ports of Charlestown and Savannah.

The southern army, now reduced to the continental troops of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, amounted to about one thousand seven hundred effectives, including the cavalry and artillery. That of Lord Cornwallis is represented to have been still less numerous. Mr. Stedman, who was commissary-general of the British army, states its effective force at only one thousand four hundred and thirty-five men.* So impotent were the means employed for the conquest and defence of an immense extent of valuable country, the possession of which was highly interesting to both parties!

So much time elapsed before intelligence of the movement made by Greene towards South Carolina reached Wilmington, as to render it most probable that the fate of Lord Rawdon would be

* Yet General Clinton supposed the troops in the southern department, under Lord Cornwallis, when joined by Leslie,

to exceed eleven thousand.

decided