Nathanael Greene (center, on horseback) became a strong Patriot leader.
In December 1778 British warships sailed up the Savannah River and seized the city of Savannah, Georgia. By early 1779 the rest of Georgia was under British control. The next year the British began a siege of Charleston, South Carolina. The city fell in May 1780, and about 5,000 Americans were taken prisoner.
The war in the South soon turned into a bloody civil war of sorts. Large numbers of Loyalists turned their weapons against American Patriots. American General Nathanael Greene saw that the Loyalists and Patriots “pursue one another with the most relentless fury, killing and destroying each other wherever they meet.”7
A DIFFICULT START
Support for the Patriots in the Carolinas rose or fell depending on how well they did on the battlefield. The fighting often did not go well for the Americans. For a time Horatio Gates commanded the Americans in South Carolina. But unlike the victories at Saratoga, Gates’ forces lost badly at the Battle of Camden. Many of the survivors went home rather than fight again.
The Americans did better in South Carolina fighting in small units. These groups ranged in size from 50 to 500 men. Francis Marion was one of the bold and daring men who led the guerrillas against the enemy. Marion was known as the Swamp Fox for his skill in avoiding British troops.
In response, the British sometimes robbed or destroyed the homes of Patriots. Patriot Eliza Wilkinson feared for her life when Redcoats on horseback thundered up to her sister’s South Carolina home. Pistols and swords drawn, the British tore through the house, stealing jewelry and clothing. Wilkinson called the Redcoats “inhuman monsters.”8
A SOUTHERN SUCCESS
After Gates’ defeat at Camden, Nathanael Greene took over as the American commander in the South. Greene had helped improve the supply system during the hard winter at Valley Forge.
Greene split his army in two. Daniel Morgan led a group of cavalry and other skilled soldiers, while Greene took the rest of the men. In January 1781 Morgan’s forces met part of the British army at a spot in South Carolina where cows once grazed. At the Battle of the Cowpens, Morgan formed the Americans into several lines. The sharpshooters were in front, followed by Continental troops, while the cavalry soldiers were at the rear.
SAFRICAN-AMERICANS IN THE REVOLUTION
During battles in the South and across the country, African-Americans fought next to whites. Some of the black American soldiers were slaves, and their masters received money for their services. Others were free blacks such as Lemuel Haynes. The Massachusetts Minuteman fought in several battles of the Revolution. In 1776 Haynes wrote against slavery: “Even an African, has equally as good a right to his liberty in common with Englishmen.”9
When the British soldiers charged, the Americans retreated. The Redcoats scattered as they chased the Americans, which allowed the American cavalry to ride in and swiftly attack. As the fighting went on, Morgan rode up to his troops. Flashing his sword, he said, “Give them one more fire and the day is ours.” The Americans kept firing, and the British quickly surrendered.
Greene then joined Morgan, and the combined force fought the British at Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina. The Americans finally retreated, but the British paid a high price for the victory, with more than 500 casualties to the Americans’ 250.
Lord Charles Cornwallis, the British commander, decided to head north to Virginia. Fighting was already under way there during the first part of 1781. French officer Marquis de Lafayette led both American and French troops. The British had several thousand troops in the state, which were joined by Cornwallis’ soldiers in May. After several small battles, Cornwallis set up camp in Yorktown on the York River.
The French had sent thousands of soldiers to help the Americans, and powerful warships were also on the way. In August Washington decided the French and American forces would attack the British in Virginia. Together the two allies had about twice as many men as the British. Meanwhile, French ships kept British aid from reaching Cornwallis by sea.
Washington began a siege of Yorktown. The largest cannons began firing on the British October 9 and kept firing for a week. The British shot back as well, and one officer was concerned for Washington’s safety as he watched the fighting.
“Sir, you are too much exposed here, had you not better step a little back?”10 the officer asked.
Washington replied to the aide, “If you are afraid, you have liberty to step back.” The commander, though, did not move.
Meanwhile, American soldiers dug trenches closer and closer to the British lines. French and American troops captured two British redoubts October 14. From there they would be able to do even more damage with their big guns. Three days later a single British officer waved a white cloth at the Americans. Cornwallis was ready to surrender. The final agreement between Washington and Cornwallis was reached October 19.
WOMEN AT WAR
Patriot women did important work during the war. They ran farms and businesses and collected money for clothing. Some traveled with the troops to feed the men and nurse the wounded. A few even fought the British. One of these female soldiers was Massachusetts schoolteacher Deborah Samson.
In May 1782 21-year-old Samson disguised herself as a man named Robert Shurtliff and enlisted in the American army. She fought for the next 18 months alongside the male soldiers and was wounded in at least one battle. When her gender was discovered, the Army gave her an honorable discharge in October 1783. She later received a small pension from the state of Massaschusetts for her service.
News of the American victory at Yorktown reached Great Britain in November. The fighting still went on, but British leaders were no longer certain they could win. Early in 1782 Parliament agreed to end the war. Several Patriot leaders were already in Europe to discuss a peace treaty, which was signed September 3, 1783. The Treaty of Paris granted the Americans their independence.
Across the country Americans celebrated peace and independence. They had won a war that Washington had called “a defense of all that is dear and valuable in life.”11
