In the South, after
General Greene superseded Gates in the command, the tide of war
began to turn. Cornwallis now had to fight a better general than
Gates. Greene arrived at Charlotte, North Carolina, in December.
He found an army badly equipped, wretchedly clothed, and
confronted by a greatly superior force. He had, however, some
excellent officers, and he did not scorn, as Gates, with the
stiff military traditions of a regular soldier, had scorned, the
aid of guerrilla leaders like Marion and Sumter. Serving with
Greene was General Daniel Morgan, the enterprising and
resourceful Virginia rifleman, who had fought valorously at
Quebec, at Saratoga, and later in Virginia. Steuben was busy in
Virginia holding the British in check and keeping open the line
of communication with the North. The mobility and diversity of
the American forces puzzled Cornwallis. When he marched from
Camden into North Carolina he hoped to draw Greene into a battle
and to crush him as he had crushed Gates. He sent Tarleton with a
smaller force to strike a deadly blow at Morgan who was
threatening the British garrisons at the points in the interior
farther south. There was no more capable leader than Tarleton; he
had won many victories; but now came his day of defeat.
Pages:
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248